MIdcoast Conservancy is offering the first in a series of Naturalist Workshops, this one focused on mammals of Maine, on Saturday, March 16 from 10 a.m to noon at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson. Participants will join a Maine Master Naturalist for a hike, looking for animal signs and examining different habitats while exploring the forest through the eyes of deer and snowshoe hare. The hike will end at the Bezon Barn with time for reflective nature journaling and sketching. Attendees should feel free to bring their own personal nature journal but all materials needed will be provided for those who want them.  

Educators are encouraged to attend, recognizing there is immense value in getting students outside, even for short amounts of time, to explore the natural world. Research is continuing to show that taking kids outdoors benefits social-emotional learning and leads to greater focus when students return to the classroom. For many teachers, this may seem daunting for a plethora of reasons from short class blocks, behavioral concerns, ticks, access to trails, and the perceived difficulty of meeting learning goals in an unconventional setting. Teachers may also be new to learning about the ecology of their setting. This Naturalist Workshop Series is designed to help address the concerns and challenges of taking students outside while developing a comfort level with facilitating class learning goals within and beyond the playground.  

Each program will provide an opportunity to observe an educator teaching to a group of students and offer supplemental materials for teachers to bring back to school and time at the end to ask questions and brainstorm ways to transfer the lesson to each school's unique setting. 

For more information and to register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events-list/naturalist-workshop-series.