School Programs

               Education Field Trips at Land's Sake

As part of our mission to connect people to the land, we offer the following education programs for school, scout, and home school groups.  Our programs are designed to support Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and are led by dedicated educators at our farm and on local town forested lands.  Please contact our Education Director Casey Townsend at 781-893-1162 or at greenpower@landssake.org for more information or to schedule a program for your group.

        Grades K -2

Five Senses Farm Tours - Grades K-2    Fall, Winter, Spring

Students are invited to Land's Sake Farm during the fall, winter and spring to observe seasonal changes.  Using their five senses, students explore the natural world by getting their hands in the soil, smelling fresh herbs, and tasting seasonal produce.  Students also enjoy the opportunity to observe wildlife and view our demonstration bee hives.

Learning Standards: Life Science: Characteristics of Living Things, Living Things and their Environment.

Maple Sugar Tours- Grades K-2          March 
Land's Sake welcomes school groups to learn about the science and history of maple sugaring in New England.  During this two-part program, our education staff will first visit your classroom preparing you for your trip to the Sugar House along with a visit outdoors to tap trees in your own schoolyard.  During the second part of this program, students visit our Sugar House for a guided tour of the boiling and bottling process.

Learning Standards: Life Science: Characteristics of Living Things, Living Things and their Environment.  Technology/Engineering: Materials and Tools, Engineering Design.

Plant Parts - Grades 1 – 2    Spring, Summer, Fall

Eat your way through the farm as we search for edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds.  On our journey, we will examine the different functions of each plant part and how they connect to the larger natural world. 

Learning Standards: Life Science:  Characteristics of Living Things, Living Things and Their Environment, Structures and Functions,

Soil Scientists - Grades 1-2                 Fall, Spring, Summer

Students visit the farm to explore and identify the three soil types: sand, clay and humus that they learned about in the classroom using various tools and soil identification tests.  Acting as soil scientists, students explore the soil in a forest, on the farm and in a wetland. 

Learning Standards: Life Science: Characteristics of Living Things, Living Things and their Environment, Life Cycles.  Earth Science: Earth's Materials, Sun as Source of Heat and Light

         Grades 3 - 5

Forest Ecology Walks - Grades 4-5     Fall, Winter, Spring

While exploring forested conservation land, students are guided through hands-on activities as they discover the relationships between local plants, soil and animals in New England.  By walking in the woods a child can learn about the history of their area through the observation of old trees, stone walls, and other features.

Learning Standards:  Life Science: Living Things and Their Environment, Energy and Living Things.

          Grades 6 - 8

Farm Tours - Grades 6-8                      Fall, Spring, Summer

Here at Land's Sake we use organic farming methods to grow a variety of vegetables, berries, and flowers.  During this tour we discuss the concepts of agriculture and ecology  while learning how we limit pollution and resource use.  We introduce the participants to the ecological history of the farm and link their everyday experiences back to the fundamentals of food production and their agricultural heritage.  Students are encouraged to smell and taste fresh, seasonal produce during this tour. 

Learning Standards: Living Things and Their Environment, Energy and Living Things.

          Grades 9 - 12

Envirothon          Fall, Winter & Spring

Providing another avenue to connect with the land, Land’s Sake, in conjunction with the town of Weston, prepares a group of Weston high school students for a 2 day statewide competition in the areas of: wildlife, soils, forestry and aquatics.  Through a multidisciplinary approach, participants apply their environmental knowledge to current ecological problems occurring in Massachusetts via hands-on challenges.  Running from the beginning of the year until mid May, interested students should contact our staff at greenpower@landssake.org to learn more about this program. 

Environmental Science Courses

These courses take place in conjunction with Weston High School's Environmental Science classes.

Junior Apprenticeship Program (JA)

Taking a greater responsibility and interest in the functioning of the farm, sophomores, juniors and seniors now have the opportunity to return to Land’s Sake after their Green Power experience ends.  Each summer, for a 9 week period we hire 2 high school students for apprenticeships in modern sustainable agriculture and environmental education. Depending on the interests of the participant, responsibilities may include:

• Growing organic produce, flowers, herbs, and cover crops
• Mentoring youth involved in our educational Green Power summer program
• Helping with ecological land management or forest practices

The apprenticeships are intended for individuals interested in sustainable food systems, natural resource management, and/or environmental education or those who just couldn’t get enough at Green Power. Under the eye of Land's Sake staff, participants can also expect to learn about carpentry, green business management and/or ecological design. Students not available during the summer months may be able to complete this apprenticeship during other seasons of the year.  For more information please call us at 781-893-1162.