As a kindergarten teacher, I'm always on the lookout for engaging, hands-on projects that bring learning to life. When I heard about ECAP (Equitable Climate Action Partnership), I was intrigued but hesitant. Was this appropriate for five-year-olds? Turns out it was perfect for my curious scientists!
The idea for our project came directly from my students. They’d been fascinated by the red efts that we’d been finding in our forest classroom all fall. Their curiosity blossomed into a full-fledged salamander study project. Once we had our idea, getting started was easy thanks to the network of people and resources that ECAP provides. They connected me with Hannah from VINS and Kyle from Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. We tracked down a local herpetologist to come out and work with my students in the forest. We set up a 20-foot array of cover boards in our forest, with each of my 16 students responsible for their own board. Every week, we'd go out to check for salamanders. While we didn't find as many as we hoped, the kids remained enthusiastic. They understood that we were doing real science, submitting our data to New Hampshire Fish and Game.
One of the most rewarding moments came during our symposium at VINs. Watching my six-year-olds explain what an indicator species is to adults was so rewarding. They grasped that salamanders can tell us if a forest is healthy, demonstrating an understanding of complex environmental concepts.
For teachers considering a similar project, don't let concerns about time or fitting into your curriculum hold you back. This wasn't more on my plate; it was a meaningful way to cover what we needed to learn. We did so much writing, science, math, and art around it. The kids wrote in their journals, recorded data, and even made their own local salamander art projects. It wasn't an extra thing on top of what we were doing; it enriched everything we were already learning.
The project's impact reached beyond our classroom. I kept parents updated through our weekly newsletter, and their excitement grew alongside the children's. Half of our families attended the symposium, with some even bringing extended family members! It was fun to get the occasional picture of a salamander in my inbox from families who were out hiking on the weekend.
The ripple effect has been amazing. This year, four teachers at our school are involved in ECAP projects, up from just me last year. We’re already working on our ECAP project for this year and can’t wait to see what our students learn and show off at the VINS symposium in May!
Leslie Connolly, Kindergarten Teacher
Bernice A. Ray School, Hanover, NH
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