Youth Education

Programs

Knox-Lincoln SWCD offers a wide range of programs and activities for youth.

Please visit Events and Programs for current activities, or click on images below for more information.

K-6 Poster Contest

The annual National Conservation Poster Contest provides K-6 students with the opportunity to convey their thoughts about soil, water, and related natural resource issues through art. Poster theme follows the annual stewardship theme of National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD).

Read ME Agriculture

Read "ME" Agriculture has reached more than 100,000 Maine students since 2008, and 700 classrooms annually. During Ag Week, volunteers read and give books about agriculture to K-4 classrooms.

Envirothon

Envirothon is a state and national environmental competition where teams of high school students test their knowledge of natural resources issues in five categories.

Summer Ecology Camps

Summer Ecology Camps offer exciting, outdoor nature experiences for young children.

Through gardening, games, experiments, and observation, young campers enjoy an introduction to ecology and the natural world in these half-day camps. Activities include planting and maintaining a flower/vegetable garden, bug hunts, nature hikes, tree and animal identification, an ocean touch tank, and more.

These two weeks of Summer Ecology Camps include Eco-Explorers for children ages 7 to 9, and Little Sprouts for ages 4 to 6. Both camps allow developing minds to get up close and personal with plants, insects, animals, and natural systems in their Maine backyard. Camps take place at Merryspring Nature Center, in a mostly outdoor setting.

Eco-Explorers (Ages 7 to 9)

For children ages 7 to 9 who are looking to explore the natural world, conduct experiments, and get up-close-and-personal with the plants, insects, and animals in their Maine backyards.

Little Sprouts (Ages 4 to 6)

For younger campers ages 4 to 6 who love to be outdoors, discover the world around them, play outdoor games, and get creative.

Summer Ecology Camps are made possible through a partnership between Merryspring Nature Center and Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District. Camps take place at Merryspring Nature Center at 30 Conway Road in Camden.

Summer Explorer Kits

This summer we will again be partnering with Merryspring Nature Center to offer fun, take-home activities for kids ages 4-9.

Free EXPLORER KITS for families and children will be available at Merryspring Nature Center, 30 Conway Rd in Camden. Stay tuned for program dates during the Summer 2025.

Pollinator Parties

Our Pollinator Parties program provides standards-aligned, hands-on learning about pollinators and the plants that support them.

Knox-Lincoln SWCD will provide learning sessions for your Knox-Lincoln classrooms on request.

Enviroscape Watershed Model

We all live in a watershed - an area of land that drains to a particular body of water such as a river, lake, or bay. Everything that happens in a watershed affects the river, lake, or bay. Our watershed model demonstrates this concept to students of all ages.

Knox-Lincoln SWCD will provide learning sessions for your Knox-Lincoln classrooms on request, or teachers may borrow the model to use with their class.

Additional Programming to be Announced

Stay tuned.

Additional Programming to be Announced

Stay tuned.