Overview

Chewonki’s Outdoor Classroom provides a life-changing experience in nature for students and school groups, building personal resilience, and giving you the tools you need to create and sustain healthy, thriving communities. We do this through a unique combination of outdoor living experiences on the coast of Maine, team-building challenges, ecological study, and an introduction to systems-thinking and sustainability.

Aerial view of Chewonki Neck and the surrounding saltwater estuary

Environmental Education Basecamps

Each 4-day, 3-night basecamp takes place on Chewonki Neck, our 400-acre peninsula reaching out into Montsweag Bay in mid-coast Maine. Participants learn to set up campsites, sleep in tents, cook over an open fire, and enjoy the fun of outdoor adventures.

Over the course of your basecamp, the group will undergo team-building challenges, explore the coast and forest through ecology lessons, and visit our working farm to learn about food systems and sustainability.

An Outdoor Classroom environmental education basecamp is the perfect field trip for schools looking to provide their students hands-on instruction in a unique setting that fosters individual growth and builds strong community bonds.

At a Glance

Suggested Grade Range: 5th-9th grade
Group Size: 10-12 students per basecamp group, up to 130 in total
Program Length: 4-day 3-night basecamp experience
Location: Chewonki Campus
Pricing: $350 per student (grant subsidies and discounts may be available for qualifying schools)

Core Educational Themes

Outdoor Living Skills

Our instructors will introduce students to the fun a multi-day camping expedition at one of the 11 waterfront campsites on our 400-acre campus in Wiscasset, Maine. The experience of outdoor living – camping, cooking over a fire, sleeping in a tent, and exploring the woods and waters of Maine – is the perfect opportunity for students to unplug from everyday distractions and re-engage with the wonders of the natural world.

- Camp on the coast of Maine
- Canoe and hike
- Learn to cook over an open fire
- Sleep in tents or yurts
- Learn map & compass skills

Team-Building

Thriving school communities are sustained when students have confidence, trust, and excellent group communication skills. Outdoor Classroom instructors use a combination of hands-on games, team problem-solving and activities on Chewonki’s Challenge Course to facilitate group bonding throughout the program.

- Interactive Games
- Collective and Individual Problem-solving
- Communication Skills & Leadership Exploration
- High & Low Challenge Course Elements

Ecology Lessons

Our instructors provide hands-on ecology lessons, tailored to the needs your group and STEM curriculum. We focus on the pieces, patterns, and processes of each ecosystem, and train students to be great observers and learners in the natural world. Our mix of forest, field, pond, estuary, and rocky shoreline gives us access to several unique habitats for students to explore. Ecological studies in the field create long-lasting memories for students and help ignite a vivid interest in science and the natural world that can’t be matched by textbooks alone.

Ecology Study Options:

- Animal study
- Pond study
- Estuary study
- Rocky Shore study
- Owls of Maine & Wildlife Presentations

Farm & Food Systems

Of all the inputs and outputs that sustain a community, few are more interesting or important than the food we eat, and the intricate web of relationships that connect the farm-to-plate. Your students will have the opportunity to tour the fields and pastures, meet the cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and horse, see, feel, and eat some of the “food & fiber” produced at Chewonki, and learn more about our approach to recycling, reducing food waste, and stewardship of the land.

- Organic Farming in Maine
- Farm to Plate Connection
- Food waste, recovery & recycling

Sample 4-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at Chewonki’s Center for Environmental Education
Campus Tour
Meet Your Instructor
Icebreaker Games & Activities
Collect Gear and Travel to Campsite
Learn to Set up Tents, Chop Firewood
Campfire Dinner
Campfire Time

Day 2

Campfire Breakfast
Teambuilding on the Challenge Course
Picnic Lunch
Estuary Study: Citizen Science Water Quality Testing Unit
Campcraft & Campfire Dinner
Campfire & Star Gazing

Day 3

Campfire Breakfast
Map & Compass Instruction
Picnic Lunch
High Element Group Challenge
Campfire Dinner
Live “Owls of Maine” Lesson
Group Reflection

Day 4

Campfire Breakfast
Leave No Trace Campsite Cleanup
Writing Activity: Personal Certifications
Picnic Lunch
Departure

A True Outdoor Living Experience

What is truly unique about our program is that rather than house students in cabins or dorms, we use a “basecamp” model which means students are staying in tents at our shoreline campsites. As a group, students process wood and cook each meal over a fire. We truly appreciate the opportunities students have to challenge themselves, have positive experiences in nature, and to build relationships with their peers and teachers.

The Center for Environmental Education

Chewonki’s Center for Environmental Education is also home to our wildlife center, providing students with an intimate look at a variety of live, non-releasable wild animals, including the well-known “Owls of Maine.”

Learn More

For more information about our Environmental Education Basecamps or to book a program for your group, please contact us.