Community Nature Trails at Sherwood Heights Elementary Expanded
Nearly 80 acres of open space, shared by Land Trust and Auburn Schools, makes for ideal outdoor classroom
Auburn - The Sherwood Heights Special Education Behavior Intervention class has been working closely with local organizations and volunteers to create a guided nature path, expanding on the existing trails at Sherwood Forest, a nearly 80 acre forested area behind Sherwood Heights Elementary School in Auburn. The project completion will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting at 10 AM on Friday, June 7th at the trailhead at Sherwood Heights.
Staff and students developed a plan to revitalize the existing structures on the path and add new ones to create a valuable resource to be shared not only with students at the school, but throughout the community. The work was completed primarily on the Micmac or White trail portion of the Sherwood Forest Nature trails with plans to continue working on the remaining trails in the future. This trail enhancement project continues a long tradition of local volunteer support for Sherwood Forest as a community resource including work done by Rick Shea, a retired long time teacher at Sherwood and an active member in the current project and Andrew Breau, a former Sherwood student and 2013 graduate of Edward Little, who earned his Eagle Scout badge as a result of a project he completed on the trails in 2004. Andrew has joined the effort by filming a documentary based on the offerings and history of the trails.
“The Androscoggin Land Trust, through our LA Trails program, is excited to see the energy Mrs. Kelley brought to this project, bringing together so many partners,” shares Jonathan LaBonte, Executive Director of the Androscoggin Land Trust. “Sherwood Forest is part of a larger vision to connect conserve land in New Auburn, and this level of community stewardship will help that happen.”
The current project was supported by a $5,000 grant through the Lowe’s Tool Box for Education program. When the grant was awarded in January 2013, Sandy Goss and Michael Iwans of Good Will Industries’ Take 2 program joined in the efforts to make the vision a reality. Take 2 is a program designed to assist struggling adults between the ages of 18 and 24 to learn a trade allowing them to become contributing members of society. The Take 2 team diligently constructed, refurbished and assembled all of the bridges, stairs and signs found on the trail. Sherwood members painted the structures, cleared paths and furnished the educational information found displayed throughout the trail.
According to Mrs. Kelly Kelley, lead at Sherwood Heights, “This was my first experience securing and working with a grant and I am completely awestruck by the generosity, support and outstanding efforts of everyone involved. What started out as an impulsive brainstorm for a school project blossomed into an amazing opportunity to create a meaningful and productive learning experience for the students and a valuable resource for the community.”
Plans to expand the project and encourage more consistent use by Sherwood Heights’ staff and students have been eagerly supported by additional organizations. Project Learning Tree has reserved space for 2 Sherwood teachers to participate in the development of a teaching model focused on Maine’s natural resources.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 7th, 2013 to thank everyone for their efforts and to present the completed Sherwood Forest Guided Path to the school and community.
WHEN
Friday, June 7th, 2013 at 10 AM
WHERE:
Sherwood Heights Elementary School, 32 Sherwood Drive, Auburn
Parking:
On the street (Sherwood Dr) or in the lower parking lot of the school if there is space available.