The Norman Bird Sanctuary Trust

Education Programs - The Organization is a leader in Rhode Island experiential environmental education; offering place-based science and nature programs to diverse audiences at the wildlife sanctuary and in classrooms across the state. Thousands of pre-k to grade 12 students participate in the Organizations innovative school programs. Educators can select from over 75 engaging and inquiry-based classes on animal adaptations, wildlife conservation and New Englands unique natural resources. Programs include on-site fieldtrips, in-school outreach, teacher training and summer camps. The Organizations programs are designed to engage all ages from age-appropriate preschool courses to saturday explorers clubs, family nature nights and a wildlife speaker series. The goal is to foster an enduring positive relationship with the environment with a passion to protect and preserve for future generations.

The Organization is charged with the preservation more than 300 acres of habitat of diverse and often rare species of animals and plants. The Organization undertook a comprehensive invasive plant management plan which provides an exhaustive study of the wildlife sanctuary and identifies over 150 separate areas that contain invasive plants and providing a plan for their control. The Organizations staff and groups of dedicated volunteers have implemented initial invasives management priorities using only manual and mechanical methods, not chemicals. As part of the wildlife sanctuary, the Organization maintains and preserves one of the oldest intact 18th century farmhouses on over 200 acres in the United States. The Organizations multi-year investments in long-range planning provides a detailed road map for the thoughtful stewardship of the wildlife habitats and historic facilities in the Organizations care.