Through the years, we’ve seined in search of fish and crabs, hiked and biked along
miles of wooded and coastal trails, paddled in some of the most scenic waterways
on the East End, and come to know countless local plants and animals. We are committed
to connecting and reconnecting children and young adults to the outdoors through
exploration, adventure, hands-on learning and FUN!
This summer, Group for the East End’s experienced educators are offering 5 programs
for outdoor enthusiasts of various ages.
Parents/guardians are responsible for all transportation.
For more information, please contact Steve Biasetti or Anita Wright at 631-765-6450,
ext. 205 or 206 respectively, or e-mail us at
sbiasetti@eastendenvironment.org or
acwright@eastendenvironment.org.
Programs tend to fill quickly! Registrations are accepted on a first come, first
served basis.
Summer Field Ecology Programs are best suited for children who have a curiosity
and desire to learn about nature and enjoy being active outdoors!
Ages 8-10, PONDHAWKS is a great program for your budding
young naturalist! Each day we visit a different habitat and get up-close with the
plants and animals that live there. Children become active nature detectives, using
dip nets, tanks, bug boxes, shovels and field guides to learn about life in the
pond, beach, salt marsh and woods. This program aspires to spark your child's interest
in the outdoors and plant the seed for a lifetime of stewardship and love of nature.
Due to popular demand, we are offering four PONDHAWKS sessions this summer!
July 11-14 (Monday - Thursday) Eastern South Fork
July 11-14 (Monday - Thursday) North Fork
August 8-11 (Monday - Thursday) Western Southampton
August 8-11 (Monday - Thursday) Eastern South Fork
Ages 11-12, Does kayaking in the marsh and off-road biking
through the woods sound like fun to you? The TERRAPINS program is geared toward
boys and girls who like to be active outdoors and are curious about nature. This
is a week filled with adventure and discovery!
June 27-30 (Monday - Thursday) Eastern South Fork
August 22-25 (Monday - Thursday) North Fork
Ages 13-15, The FALCONS program is designed for the active
outdoor enthusiast. With a kayaking trip and a full day of mountain biking, we'll
be on the move this week! If you like nature and enjoy biking, hiking and paddling,
this program is for you. The program culminates with a full day at Cedar Point County
Park!
July 25-28 (Monday - Thursday) Eastern South Fork
Prices
All sessions are $375 per child ($325 for GEE members & returning participants).
Please inquire about discounts for multiple siblings.
Lead Educators
Steve Biasetti served as Group for the East End’s Environmental
Analyst from 1989 to 2005, and is currently its Director of Environmental Education.
Steve is involved in all aspects of GEE’s classroom, field and adult education programs.
He earned a B.A. in Biology from College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA) and an
M.E.M. in Forest Resource Ecology from Duke University (Durham, NC). His interests
include wildlife-watching, outdoor recreation, sports, and North American travel.
Since 1996, Steve has coordinated the Fauna-thon, a day-long wildlife search to
raise funds for the Group.
Anita Wright earned her B.A. from Tufts University and her M.S.
in Environmental Education from Antioch New England Graduate School. In the fall
of 1998, she joined Group for the East End as an Environmental Educator. Prior to
working at the Group, she spent 5 years as an Outdoor Educator and Assistant Program
Director for Boston University Sargent Center in New Hampshire where she taught
rock climbing and led high ropes courses and wilderness trips. She has served on
the Board of Third House Nature Center in Montauk since 2003.
School Programs
For more than two decades, Group for the East End has worked with local schools
and communities to educate students, teachers and families about the natural world.
Our school programs include guided field trips, interactive classroom lessons and
service learning projects for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades. We work with
about 20 public and private schools each year, reaching at least 1,500 students
annually.
We strive to make our field trips & classroom lessons educational, interesting and
affordable. For more information on programs, fees and scheduling, please contact
Steve Biasetti at 631-765-6450 ext.205 or sbiasetti@eastendenvironment.org.
Field Trips
Our field excursions offer opportunities for students to study their local environment,
discover nature as a source of inspiration & creativity, and develop age-appropriate
science skills.
The following are examples of our most popular field lessons, which can be adapted
for a wide range of grade levels:
Ocean Beach Bonanza – Field classes examine
the physical conditions of the beach, making observations and gathering data on
weather, sand and sea water. Students study the animals & plants of the beaches,
dunes and near-shore waters, including their adaptations for survival. Fun beachcombing
challenges are integral parts of these field lessons.
Estuary Explorations – Bursting with life,
the harbors and salt marshes of the Peconic Estuary are great places for students
to experience live animals up close. Nets, aquarium tanks and spotting scopes are
some tools we use for observing animal & plant life in the estuary.
Freshwater Pond Discoveries – Classes conduct
soil experiments, run water quality tests, and discover the animal & plant life
in and around a freshwater pond. During this trip, students gain a robust appreciation
of wetlands and their values.
Forest Investigations – Students play nature
detectives in the forest, searching for clues of animal life, ecological relationships
and the landscape’s cultural history. Classes examine decomposition and its connection
with the vertical plant zones and diversity in the forest.
Classroom Lessons
Group educators visit classrooms across eastern Long Island, teaching programs on
a variety of environmental and natural history topics. Popular lessons include:
Long Island’s Geological History – Classes
follow Long Island’s geological history from the formation of its underlying bedrock
to its glacial deposits on or near the surface. The lesson culminates with an “ice
cream glacier”, modeling Long Island’s glacial beginnings.
Water Beneath Our Feet – Students ponder
various important facts about water on Earth, and then interact with a groundwater
model to see how Long Island’s aquifer system works. The lesson concludes with a
“drinking water taste test.”
Taxonomic Classifications of Animals – Classes
discuss the “activities of life”, the kingdoms of living things, and the taxonomic
groupings of vertebrate & invertebrate animals. Then students break into small teams
and actively take part in classifying local animals.
Beaks & Feet – Using taxidermy mounts of
various local birds, students investigate how animals are adapted for survival.
In particular, classes look at structural differences in feet, beaks, body color,
and location of legs.
The Great Migration Challenge – Students
investigate the Who, What, When, Where,.Why, and How of wildlife migration, and
then play an engaging game -- “The Great Migration Challenge” -- to learn firsthand
the dangers of migration.
While these are the Group’s most popular field & classroom programs, we would be
amenable to working with school educators to develop lessons on other environmental
themes of specific interest to them.
Service Learning: Spring Plantings & Habitat Restorations
Each year we engage hundreds of school children and community volunteers with native
planting & habitat restoration projects across the East End. To find out how your
school can participate, contact Anita Wright at 631-765-6450 ext. 206 or
acwright@eastendenvironment.org.