(by Slater Roosa)

New Hampshire Audubon has been lucky enough to be able to provide our Becoming a Scientist program series to Beech Street Elementary School in Manchester since 2006. During the 2024-2025 school year, our educators have been visiting the 2nd graders at Beech Street Elementary monthly, and with each visit we explore topics like wildlife conservation and we even learn how to observe and support the wildlife in our own communities!

This 8-month series allows students to engage in hands-on activities that teach them about the interesting lives and adaptations of local animals like Raccoons, Cardinals, Peregrine Falcons, and Painted Turtles. It all culminates with a field trip at the end of the school year to NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center where the students get a chance to learn about pollinators in our gardens and help monitor our water quality by surveying the aquatic invertebrates on-site through ponding.

This has been a great success in years past to introduce younger students to New Hampshire’s flora and fauna and to provide a foundation for future careers in science. Thanks to the generous donations from TD Charitable Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Manchester, Queen City Rotary Club, Cogswell Benevolent Trust, Arthur Getz Trust, and the Horne Family Foundation. We are looking forward to visiting Beech Street Elementary and their 100+ 2nd graders throughout the rest of this school year for more science and fun!

Cover image from the Union Leader.