Greely High School, Cumberland, ME

Natural habitats need constant attention and care, and forests are no exception. But cleaning up trees in environmentally responsible ways requires more than a good power saw. It demands a scientific understanding of each tree's lifespan, when it should be cut, and the surrounding ecology, along with an ongoing management plan. Taking up this challenge, students at Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine assumed stewardship of five acres of forest near their school, part of a larger community open space that includes hiking trails and playing fields. By writing letters to preservation societies, visiting the Town Hall, and exploring the outdoors themselves, they learned everything they could about forest health.

This knowledge culminated in an inventory of the trees, plants, and animals in the five acres they have adopted—which had received little care in the past 100 years. Students then presented their assessment and an accompanying management plan to the local Conservation Commission. This coming year they will put their muscle into carrying out the plan.

Final Products Our "Forestry Management Plan" (2.7 MB PDF) Map of our survey area

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