Area students enjoy outdoor recreation program

Among the benefits of living in Downeast Maine are the abundant natural landscape and the many opportunities it provides for recreation and ecological connection. In an effort to strengthen the bonds between young residents and the outdoor world, Cobscook Shores has been working steadily with students in schools around Washington County to get them outside and experiencing nature's blessings.

"I truly enjoy opening up students' perspectives about how much of a world‑class venue they have in their backyard in Cobscook Bay," says Spencer McCormick, outdoor education program coordinator with Cobscook Shores. He and his team of between three and four staff members have a tight schedule of visits planned with 14 schools around the county throughout the school year. Broadly, their goal is to help "students to overcome small failures while learning a new recreational sport" – a step that often leads to their heartfelt enjoyment of the outdoor world.

The outdoor education program at Cobscook Shores has been under way for several years now, with Lubec being the first school to form a partnership with the nonprofit. It now includes schools from Jonesport to Indian Township and all of the other schools surrounding Cobscook Bay, from Pre‑K to eighth grade. Being able to work with the same schools and students year after year is a great benefit to the program, McCormick says, in part because it lends to building authentic bonds. "Students will recognize us in public at sports games or at the grocery store, and it's always a delight to see them smile and ask when we get to go on the next field trip."

An added benefit to working with the same students is being able to teach advanced skills, something McCormick has been introducing in the skiing classes in particular. Working with children and novices and building their skills are partly what he went to school for at Washington County Community College, where he graduated from the outdoor leadership program in 2018. "That program really prepared me for this job in particular. You not only learn how to recreate in each outdoor discipline, you learn how to teach beginners those skills as well."

It's a difference that's noticed by the staff and volunteers of the schools involved. Alison Archer, a teacher at the Edmunds Consolidated School who accompanied students on a snowshoeing trip to the Hardscrabble River Preserve on February 13, says the team at Cobscook Shores has "been very accommodating with us. You have to be, to work with kids."

Along with introducing the students to new activities, Cobscook Shores has been building on what the school teaches, she says -- not only in hard skills, but soft ones, too. "For example, we have a bike unit in PE, and some children do not know how to ride a bike. Those who do are patient and help those who cannot by encouraging and supporting them. When we team with Cobscook Shores, the kids who are not strong in biking do not give up -- they keep trying, keep persevering."

When the students are outside, Archer sees the difference in their demeanors, especially in the younger students. "They are so inquisitive. They are soaking up the entire scene around themselves. Whether it be hiking or snowshoeing, they ask questions and are eager to learn. The smiles, the laughs, the 'remember when' -- all of it make the partnering with Cobscook Shores memorable."

For Archer, being able to go on outdoor adventures is important for children due to the fast pace of modern living. "[It] gives them and us a chance to slow down, unplug and enjoy the natural playground we live in. The feeling of fresh snow kissing your face, the smell of salt air, the sounds of squirrels chattering in the tree tops and the sight of clouds dancing cannot be experienced through an electronic device."

"It's better than math class," says Succes E., a seventh grader who was also on the February 13 trip. "But I'd rather be skiing." This was her seventh time snowshoeing with Cobscook Shores, she says, and she found it to be not as exciting as the ski trip adventures.

"I like being outside," says Brayden A. of the fifth grade. "But it's cold." Despite the chill temperatures, he was fixed into his snowshoes quickly – a first for him – and he set off intrepidly with the rest of the group.