Last week, students and faculty of Windham’s REAL school donated $550 to the Friends of the Presumpscot River as part of “Pledge-A-Paddle” – a thematic learning adventure for the students, and a fund-raiser for the environmental advocacy group.
In October, REAL school students spent three weeks canoeing a total of 25 miles along the Presumpscot River with their teachers. Local businesses and private donors pledged money to sponsor the canoe trip and fund-raising effort.
At the Walker Library in Westbrook last Thursday night, students and staff presented a giant “fake check” to Friends of the Presumpscot and treated those in attendance to a video that showcased the students’ experience.
Afterward, two students – Lacy Presby and Mattie Keppner – talked about what they had learned while paddling. Their study of the local river included topics such as fish habitat, microscopic organisms that keep river water clean, and the history of industry and hydroelectric power on the Presumpscot River.
Dusti Faucher, president of Friends of the Presumpscot, said she was impressed by the students’ knowledge of the river and its ongoing issues. The donated money will help pay for the organization’s yearly newsletter, she said, and their community outreach programs.
As of late, Friends of the Presumpscot have been building a case to persuade Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife to consider mandating “fish passage” on Cumberland Mills Dam in Westbrook. That dam, once a source of hydroelectricity for S.D. Warren Paper Company, now stands as a major obstacle for fish that navigate the Presumpscot River to spawn.
SAPPI Fine Paper still owns the Cumberland Mills Dam and six others that lead to Sebago Lake. Last year, SAPPI filed suit to overturn a re-licensing provision that would mandate fish passage on five of their hydroelectric dams. SAPPI’s appeal will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court next month.
Because Friends of the Presumpscot gave curriculum material for the river study, the REAL school decided to hold the fund-raiser to raise money for the organization and the educational canoe trips.
The decision to donate money to Friends of the Presumpscot drew criticism from some Windham residents who questioned whether a school should be helping fund environmental advocacy groups.
REAL School teacher Lisa Bisceglia says that “the cause” of river preservation adds to the student’s learning experience, especially since the Presumpscot River is in their own “backyard.”
“These kids respond really well when there’s a cause,” she said. “So, beyond the learning, they were really able to put their energy into (an environmental issue) that’s been ongoing for years.”
Bisceglia said Pledge-A-Paddle is one of the most hands-on “experiential” programs to come out of the REAL School, an alternative education school where outdoor adventures are integrated with classroom learning.
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