Anne Leslie

Farm Physics vs. Farm Physiques

By Anne Leslie on May 23, 2019

Seventh graders from the Elementary School at Chewonki explored physics last week when they visited Salt Marsh Farm to study simple machines and Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion. Our Suffolk Polk draft horse, Bob, and Farm Manager Megan Phillips led the lessons, demonstrating how farmer and animal use muscle; body position; harness; and machinery…

The Eastside Pasture Restoration Project

By Anne Leslie on January 19, 2018

Connecting Chewonki’s Future with Millennia of Land Use When returning students and campers arrive at Chewonki this year, they may notice a dramatic break in the trees on the east side of the entry road. Last month, we began the first phase of a 3-year project to restore approximately 11 acres of forest back to…

Farewell to an Extraordinary Owl: Byron (1990-2018)

By Anne Leslie on January 11, 2018

Chewonki has lost a legend: Byron, a barred owl (Strix varia) whose dignity, serenity, and beauty held the attention of approximately 80,000 Traveling Natural History Program participants over the course of her lifetime, died on January 6. A long life for a barred owl in captivity is generally about 23 years; Byron was 27. In…

Of Clams & Quahogs, Rakes & Waders

By Anne Leslie on November 17, 2017

Monday was the kind of day that gives November in Maine a bad rap: the sky was steely gray and the damp air hovered around 30F. However, inside the Elementary School at Chewonki, the energy was electric as students prepared for a major expedition to the clam flats of Medomak River in Waldoboro. All 10…

A Whole Lotta Delicata at Chewonki

By Anne Leslie on September 14, 2017

Last week, the 46 new Maine Coast Semester students harvested thick-skinned squash at Chewonki’s Salt Marsh Farm. Summer days and thin-skinned squash (think zucchini) are over, but butternuts and acorns have their own dusky allure, suggesting things to come: frosty mornings and hearty meals on chilly nights. The students brought in about 75 pounds of…