Education doesn’t stop in the summer

Building snacks (showing examples of erosion and 

preventing it) L to R: Lachlan Witten, Jacob Buckley, 

Elijah Duplissis, (Heidi Hackett in background), 

Liam Buckley, Kaylee Duplissis

With the combined effort of Loon Echo Land Trust, Crescent Lake Watershed Association, and RSU14, several young learners have the opportunity this summer to better understand our local ecosystem, watersheds and water health.

This past week, a group of nine to 12 year-olds joined Lanet Hane, RSU14 Director of Community Connections, on a trek through the Raymond Community Forest. Hane previously taught Outdoor Education in her home state of Minnesota and was excited for the opportunity to return to this experiential technique this summer.

“I take any chance I can to bring the outdoors into my work,” Hane stated, “These summer youth hikes provide a perfect chance for me to learn more about my new home while using my past experiences to benefit the community.” She hopes these hikes are just the beginning of an ongoing series of opportunities for youth to engage the environment in fun and interesting ways.

During last week’s hike, students focused their attention on learning the water cycle, understanding the basics of watersheds, and recognizing the characteristics of erosion. Most of the learning was disguised as games and activities, so students were barely even aware that it was happening. “The water cycle becomes much more interesting when it’s learned in a game that involves running, yelling, and hiding,” stated Hane.

Two more hikes have been scheduled with a recent hike on Tuesday, July 9th and another hike on Tuesday, July 23^rd. The hikes focus on water creatures and identifying trees of the forest. A few spaces remain for the July 23^rd outdoor adventure.

For full details, go to: https://crescentlakeassn.weebly.com/raymond-summer-hikes.html or reach out to Hane directly at lhane@rsu14.org