In Fresh to Salt: Flowing Together students will discover how their terrestrial ecosystem is connected to their watershed and ocean ecosystems. They will focus on the science of both human and climate influences on watershed health in Maine and how it affects health, tourism and the economy.
By building middle school based cohorts within shared watersheds, we will form collaborations between teachers, students, community, and businesses from interior Maine to the coastal regions. Students will have opportunities to become stewards of their local waterways while learning that local changes have downstream effects. The project focuses on students developing a strong scientific and leadership voice through hands-on activities and collaborations.
In Fresh to Salt: Flowing Together 2023-2024, middle school students (grades 6-8) will investigate the anchor phenomenon, “Why do alewives bother to return to their natal habitat and what impacts their migration?” The core lessons in this module will provide students with a foundational understanding of biodiversity and interdependence in ecosystems, and opportunities to explore their local watershed. Students will be able to enter data and gain access to a master spreadsheet to compare their data with schools that sampled upstream and downstream of their site. Students will transform their knowledge into meaningful action to protect inland and coastal ecosystems through a culminating project. This module includes several lessons and culminating project options for in the classroom or outdoors.
