Environmental Learning Project

It is often said that the future of land conservation and the health of our planet are dependent on people learning to understand and love the natural places around them. Without connections to the everyday natural environment found in the green pockets within our suburban and urban environment, we lose the connections that inspire us to protect and become stewards of our natural world. The Brookline GreenSpace Environmental Learning Project was created to help Brookline citizens learn about, care for, and enjoy their local natural environment through free field trips for the general public and special programming with the schools.

Although the school portion of the Learning Project is currently on hold due to funding issues, the program was well attended and appreciated. Through the Environmental Learning Project, initiated by the Friends of Hall's Pond, Brookline GreenSpace Alliance employed a professional naturalist to work with teachers interested in bringing their classes to a nature sanctuary. Consultation between the teacher and naturalist ensured that the activities complemented the learning expectations of related curriculum. Lessons included nesting, preparing for winter, and caterpillars and butterflies and other insects, and other science subject matter.

This was the only free to the students field based environmental learning program offered to the diverse Brookline public elementary school population; and for some children their only opportunity to explore a natural pond and wetland which provide habitat for a variety of birds including great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, kingfishers, and red-winged blackbirds.

Our Supporters
We received generous financial support from the Friends of Hallís Pond. We also received programmatic advice and support from the Friends of Hall's Pond, Brookline Conservation Commission and Brookline Public Schools. The Brookline Community Fund and the MHS Charitable Foundation provided start-up funding for this program.