As a working parent of two young kids, adding homeschooling to my daily requirements has been overwhelming to say the least. To keep our spirits up, get exercise, and decrease the cabin fever, I aim to bring the kids on a morning field trip to a local forested trail every sunny day to explore our fascinating local landscape.
On our first trip, we went to the Nelson Preserve to walk the 1.5 mile loop trail on conserved land owned by the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust (PRLT). It is located next to 187 Flaggy Meadow Road in Gorham.
On our adventure, we practiced math skills with a scavenger hunt to collect different types of leaves and seeds. We explored life sciences when listening to different bird songs and observing woodpecker holes. We ate tasty snacks, jumped off stumps, climbed on downed logs, and all felt much better about life by the end of our exploration. We are planning to head to Black Brook Preserve on Windham Center Road next.
Photo credit Rachelle Curran ApsePRLT Director Rachelle Curran Apse brought her children on a recent field trip to the Nelson Preserve in Gorham.
The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust has an interactive online map with all the walking and hiking trails in Gorham, Gray, Standish, Westbrook, and Windham. Plus downloadable maps for all 14 Land Trust trails, plus the Sebago to the Sea Trail (a 28-mile trail from Sebago Lake to Casco Bay). All of these trails are free and open to the public and families are welcome to explore the land. This is all possible thanks to the support of hundreds of Land Trust members and business partners. Go to www.prlt.org/preserves-trails to learn more. Happy adventuring.