Students in physics class at Spruce Mountain High School take a break while recently working on a boardwalk for the “Boggy Walk Trail” which goes through a wooded area between the high school and elementary school in Jay. Pictured from left are Tina Lamontagne, Boston Fournier, Rob Hanson, Jeremy Whittemore, Penny Spear and Cody Purnell. Submitted photo
JAY — The outdoor learning opportunities at Spruce Mountain schools are expanding thanks to several grants and community support.
In the fall of 2022 the elementary school was awarded a $100,000 Rethink Respond Educational Ventures [RREV] grant to build a greenhouse with outdoor classroom space and hire a coordinator for outdoor learning opportunities. In December 2022, the fourth grade class was awarded two $1,500 grants from the Maine Environmental Education Association to support its outdoor education program,
Two greenhouses were able to be built after a local contractor gave a really good deal on concrete, Sarah Dyer, one of the fourth grade teachers said during a tour on May 30 for Maine Department of Education Office of Innovation officials. It was also noted that Rob Taylor, a science teacher at the high school had received funding and worked on projects to support outdoor education.
The Livermore Falls Advertiser reached out to Taylor, who shared information about efforts he and students in his classes have undertaken.
The Spruce Mountain Outdoor Learning Center seen on May 30 consists of four open-sided buildings created by students and staff at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. The area is located near the high school and is available for elementary school outdoor education classes to use. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
“The Spruce Mountain Outdoor Learning Center was built last fall with grant funds from the Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] that the elementary received,” Taylor noted in an email. “The “Boggy Walk Trail” was built with funds from grants I wrote from the Franklin County Retired Teachers Association and the Oak Grove Foundation.”
Boardwalks along the trail are designed to allow passage over wet and muddy areas, he wrote. They were constructed on site by high school students in Taylor’s classes and during the Community Service Day on May 20th, he shared.
“Hemlock trees that were harvested on site were debarked by students using traditional woodworking tools and the logs became the basis for boardwalks, with deck boards put on top for walking,” Taylor continued. “Spruce Mountain staff members Rebecca Ouellette, Ken Baker, Dan Latham, Michelle Brann, Shaelie Dumont, Ken Vining, and Erik Taylor all made contributions to the Boggy Walk Trail and Outdoor Education Center projects.”
A 100 yard wheelchair accessible trail to the Outdoor Education Center from the high school roadway is in development, he noted. “Soil from road ditching projects supplied by the Town of Jay is being used to create a level packed trail,” he wrote. “These two projects have created an accessible outdoor learning space that can be used by students and teachers from the Spruce Mountain elementary, middle, and high schools.”
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