Lunch Meeting at Pine Grove School’s Tracker’s Trail
Our August 21st lunch meeting was breezy and cool, thanks to Hurricane Erin’s onshore winds and the beautiful, leaf-covered woods at the new nature trail, Tracker’s Trail, in Rowley. 
Rotarians brought bag lunches and folding chairs to enjoy and explore Pine Grove School’s environmental education space behind the Town’s Community Gardens and school sports field.
Rotarians brought bag lunches and folding chairs to enjoy and explore Pine Grove School’s environmental education space behind the Town’s Community Gardens and school sports field.A Rotary District grant recently sponsored environmental education training for every Pine Grove teacher. This generous grant included substitute expenses, student demonstration lessons for every teacher and class, and a new trailhead Kiosk, designed and constructed by Rotarians, with a large welcoming poster.
Exploring the trail after lunch, Rotarians discovered numerous Ecology signs pointing out forest features, such as This Old Tree, Great Horned Owl, and Animal Signs. A loop around the far end created a blending of children’s literature with the outdoor experience. These StoryWalk signs were spaced at intervals, inviting children and their adults to follow the story of the Honeybees and Pollinators as they explored the wooded landscape.
The trail exit (or trailhead!) expanded the educational space for student pollinator gardens. Signs introduced more ecological concepts throughout the raised beds, such as Composting, Native Plants, Invasive Species, Milkweed, and Monarch Life Cycles. We left this beautiful new learning environment, enjoying still the delightful weather, and anticipating our return, maybe next time armed with Merlin, the bird song identification app.
Happy Trails!
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