At the end of every summer, the loons of Cobboseecontee Lake congregate, forming what experts call a “water dance”.  

“How many can you count?” educator Maggie Stokes asked Alex and Finn, a pair of soon-to-be seventh graders with binoculars pressed to their eyes. 

“16!” yelled Alex.  

“More than that,” Finn countered.   

Stokes smiled and explained to the junior scientists that the loons are gathering so they can all fly south together for the cold winter season.  

“I’ve never seen this many at once before,” Finn exclaimed, grinning in the way that students do when they discover something new about the world around them. 

Alex and Finn are two of more than a dozen central Maine students who attended the Junior Watershed Scientist Camp this summer, run by the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. The camp was created through the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, one of two outdoor education programs that the Maine Department of Education (DOE) developed to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The other is the Rethinking Responsive Education Venture (RREV), which was established through the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models grant, awarded to only 11 states nationwide.   

Junior scientists like Finn from Gardiner are learning to use everyday items like wiffle balls and twine to create scientific instruments that track lake temperatures and collect water samples. Photo provided by the Maine Department of Education

“We’ve known for a long time that the human brain turns on in completely different ways when we’re in nature, when we’re being active, and when we’re moving,” said Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin. “We always knew that learning outdoors would be very good for kids, and then suddenly, with COVID, it became a necessity.” 

The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative and RREV benefit students across the state. From observing maritime heritage in Kittery to completing hiking trips in Baxter State Park, students who participate are learning in the most-extensive classroom the state of Maine offers: the great outdoors.  

Since its implementation in Maine, RREV has funded pilots in 42 schools, serving more than 7,000 students last year alone. In Brunswick, Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School used a RREV grant to help build a learning garden and nature-based play structure, which includes raised garden beds and a new greenhouse. 

“Being outdoors is a different way of engaging with your peers and in your learning. There’s a lot less structure. There’s a lot less sit-and-get, so there’s more movement, which I think kids missed out on a lot during COVID, when they had to sit and attend school at a screen,” explained Harriet Beecher Stowe Principal Heather Blanchard. “During COVID, students also didn’t have the opportunity to construct knowledge together as much because they were often alone. In the learning garden now, they’re really all doing things together, and I think that is a huge piece of addressing the ability to work with one another.” 

When creating this space, the Harriet Beecher Stowe team made sure to prioritize accessibility. Pathways with rubber mats make both the learning garden and the nature-based play structure accessible by wheelchair. The nature-based play structure also has a unique, accessible slide built into it, and raised garden beds of varying heights ensure all students can plant their seeds and watch them grow.  

The Dignity Landing on Harriet Beecher Stowe’s accessible slide provides a wider space at the bottom, so that students can easily move to the side, if they need extra time to dismount. Photo provided by the Maine Department of Education

“One great thing about garden spaces like this, and any outdoor learning, really, is that it’s good for all learners. A lot of kids succeed in the classroom, but a lot of kids don’t,” explained Sarah Rodgers, the Director of Education and Community Outreach for the Topsham Brunswick Land Trust, which collaborated with Harriet Beecher Stowe on the outdoor space and continues to support the school’s outdoor curriculum. “Kids are just free when they’re outside. It feels more natural. Behavior issues often dissipate when we’re outdoors.”  

Rodgers said the most exciting part of this new space is the opportunity it gives teachers to not just read to their students about science but to actually do science.  

“For example, we have third graders who are in charge of seed-saving,” Rodgers said. “They visit the sunflowers, the beans, and different plants around the garden and then save those seeds over the winter. In the spring, students plant them for growth over the summer for next year’s incoming third graders to harvest. So, they see the entire lifecycle of the plant.”  

Back in central Maine, Alex and Finn have wrapped up their last days of the summer as junior scientists. For Alex, this experience brought about more than just new STEM skills; through the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, Alex learned that being outside improves the overall learning experience.  

“I’m autistic, and I have ADHD, so it’s harder for me to sit down in a small space and stay still,” said Alex. “Being outside is better for me because I can walk around, and it’s a safe environment for me to express how I feel.” 

Since its inaugural season in 2022, thousands of students have directly benefited from the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative. (This past summer alone, more than 116 programs were available to students.) As the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative has expanded, the Maine DOE built a permanent space for Maine students to use for outdoor learning in years to come. 

“We are taking the whole thing full circle and building an outdoor learning pavilion on Mackworth Island, where the Governor first envisioned a Maine outdoor learning program,” revealed Commissioner Makin. 

As the Junior Watershed Scientist Camp, a Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative program, students explore Lake Cobboseecontee on the Otter II, a 22-foot pontoon boat. Photo provided by the Maine Department of Education

The Outdoor Learning Pavilion is now complete and available for schools to use. It includes a covered pavilion with lighting and free parking, plus an indoor area for schools to access, with lab tables, bathrooms, portable projectors, and screens. In November, Commissioner Makin will officially unveil the space and would like any Maine schools and students interested to join her for a morning of exploration on Mackworth Island.

To book the Maine Outdoor Learning Pavilion, or to find out more information about the November unveiling event, please contact Maine DOE Chief Innovation Officer Page Nichols.

The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative and RREV programs were created using Federal Emergency Relief Funding and are a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Recovery. Learn more on the Maine DOE website.