2008-2009 Mini-Grants Grant Awardee

Westbrook School District: Panda Trail

            

The Westbrook School District's Goal, funded in part by their Let's Go! mini-grant, was to design and build a nature trail on Prides Corner school grounds that would enhance school health, PE, science and language arts curricula, and provide opportunities for increased outdoor activities for staff, students and area families.

Parents and staff from the local Wellness Council volunteered their help to build The Panda Path (A panda bear is the school’s mascot.). Portland Trails provided consultation on how to build a trail and secured building materials for the trail. A local nursery provided perennial flowers and ground cover near entrance ways to the trail. And, classroom teachers and students will add the final touches with outdoor curricular activities, such as Story Boards, wildlife and plant/tree identification sessions, and physical activities. The trail loop is approximately 1/5 of mile in length through most beautiful hardwood forest. Boardwalks were constructed by volunteers to cover wet areas as well as gravel and humus laid down on the trail floor. An unplanned gift was the participation of youth from Long Creek Youth Development Center. This crew of young men broke the original trail through some very rough downfall and gnarly brush. The Westbrook City Public Works Department also provided some tree clearing and major bushwhacking. All in all, the path of the Panda became a work created by many community friends. Volunteers totaled 25 individuals from the school and community sectors.

Students and staff used the trail as early as last spring with after school care through the City Recreation Department also using the trail, even before the official opening. Planned activities using the trail to support the academic curriculum include: science lessons around animals/plants indigenous to area; literacy through construction of “storyboards” designed by students; art project to create a mural on back of dugout, which borders trail, with animal tracks; and, obviously, walking and other fitness activities through PE classes. Teachers will also use the trail to have movement breaks during the day for their classrooms.

Please read this great article about the trail from the Portland Press Herald.

Back to 2008-2009 Community Mini-Grants...