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Environmental Education-Outdoor Classrooms

The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust is committed to connecting people to the land and teaching about the wonders of nature through our environmental education programming, known as 'Stewardship Through Leadership: Backyard Adventures!' 

We engage people of all ages, especially Lowell youth, in the outdoor classroom and laboratory settings of Lowell.  We visit the outdoor classroom in many venues including program sites and the two featured below, LP&CT's West Meadow Conservation Land and the the Concord River Greenway Park (aka Greenway or CRG).

West Meadow Conservation Land
 

LP&CT's West Meadow Conservation Land is one of the most scenic places in Lowell, home to a mixed fern glade, white pine stands, a vernal pool and perennial stream, and its trail system even links to the nearby Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest.

Through our various programs, West Meadow is often an area of study by youth in Stewardship Through Leadership (STL), as well as, all-ages groups involving LP&CT members and land steward volunteers. 

Various youth-led conservation projects and field studies have taken place at West Meadow.  This has allowed youth to collect real, valuable scientific data through "citizen science."  Their projects include the following:

  • Ecology inventory (PDF) of the vernal pool, by STL students from the Robinson School
  • Interpretive Trail Map & Guide (PDF) created by STL students from Spindle City Corps, summer 2009.
  • Action-based projects to perform trail maintenance, remove litter and large debris (related to dumping), and mitigate of the use of motor vehicles.
 
 
 
Concord River Greenway (Outdoor) Classroom - Web Site

Concord River Interpretive Trail Map & Guide (Click Here - PDF) created by STL students from Spindle City Corps, summer 2010.

The Concord River Greenway is an incredible natural resource in the City of Lowell.  Use the various links (PDF's) below to learn and explore a range of ecology-based topics along the Concord River corridor in Lowell.  Also see the Greenway Classroom web site and LP&CT's CRG-Checklist of Birds (PDF).

To narrow down the field, we have chosen to focus on the following four areas- 

Bird Life – Investigate bird populations along the Concord River. Discover surprising facts about bird habitats, adaptations, and diversity.  Click Here to download PDF (1.38MB)

Additional Resources (PDF's)

Plant Life – Explore the importance of vegetation, comparing native, non-native, and invasive plant species in this unique riparian (or “river) zone. Click Here to download PDF (1.89MB) 

Additional Resources (PDF's)

Wildlife Tracks & Signs – Learn how to “read and interpret” evidence left behind by animals and become a wildlife detective as you walk the Greenway.  Click Here to download PDF (2.03MB)

Additional Resources (PDF's)

River Life – Explore the complexity of food webs and food chains in the Concord River corridor and discover the fascinating interrelationships among plants and animals.  Click Here to download PDF (1.49MB)

Additional Resources (PDF's)