Second grade students from Sackets Harbor recently took part in a hands-on, two-day environmental education experience through the Thousand Islands Land Trust’s (TILT) Conservation Connections program, combining classroom learning with place-based outdoor exploration.
Day one of the program brought TILT Community Engagement Coordinator Delaney McIlrath into the classroom, where students learned about weathering and erosion through interactive lessons and activities. Students explored how wind, water, and other natural forces shape the land over time and discussed the impacts these processes have on the environment around them.
On day two, the learning moved outdoors as students visited the Rivergate Trail at the S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve. Surrounded by forests, wetlands, and the St. Lawrence River landscape, students were able to apply the concepts they learned in the classroom directly to the natural world around them.
Programs like Conservation Connections are designed to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards by providing meaningful opportunities for students to engage with nature and learn about conservation in their own communities.