Wellborn Ecology Fund

Wellborn Ecology Fund is sponsored by New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The Wellborn Ecology Fund supports school-based projects that enhance environmental and ecological science knowledge in the Upper Valley.

Wellborn Ecology Fund - NH Charitable Foundation Lacey sketches in her nature journal. Photo by Cheryl Senter. Lacey sketches in her nature journal.

Photo by Cheryl Senter. Marguerite Wellborn was a naturalist and a writer who believed that knowledge was the key to environmental preservation. In her will, she left nearly $10 million to create the Wellborn Ecology Fund at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, “to be used for public awareness of environmental and ecological issues in the Upper Valley.

” Since its inception in 2001, the fund has awarded grants totaling more than $5. 5 million to more than 125 organizations and programs. Place-based ecology education is being implemented in schools across the region.

Students are tracking wildlife, studying vernal pools and stream ecology, measuring climate – and much more. K-12 teachers and early childhood educators get hands-on professional development and resources through a network of professional development providers, including Four Winds Nature Institute , Sullivan County Conservation District , Shelburne Farms and Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) .

Farm-to-school projects bring together educators, farmers, and community members to integrate local food and farms into the classrooms, cafeterias, and communities of the Upper Valley Region. “ The Outside Story ,” a weekly essay series, appears in Northern Woodlands magazine and in newspapers, spreading environmental education to a general audience.

The Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative connects educators, administrators, and school across the Upper Valley to the resources they need in order to meet their place-based education goals. The Montshire Museum of Science creates programs that lay the groundwork for children and families to develop a deep love and appreciation for the natural world.

“The Wellborn Ecology Fund has done so much to help children connect with the natural environment,” said Sally Wellborn, Marguerite’s daughter. “I think she’d probably be amazed, really, at how efficiently her simple bequest has been organized into something real and effective. ” “I can’t believe what’s happening to the world.

” Marguerite Wellborn’s bequest called for the creation of an ecology fund “to be used for public awareness of environmental and ecological issues in the Upper Valley. ” Marguerite attached nearly $10 million to the opportunity to interpret them. Helping schools pivot to outdoor learning As schools began to close this past spring, educators across the state scrambled to figure out how to keep teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Programs supported by the Wellborn Ecology Fund have been helping schools move to more outdoor instruction for years, and more schools are now making "outdoor classrooms" a regular part of the school day.

The latest installment of "The Outside Story," sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, explains how eastern chipmunks have evolved to be energy maximizers, seeking to strike the optimal balance between energy gain per cheek-pouch load of food and number of trips back to the burrow.

Nearly $300,000 in grants will support place-based ecology education The Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation supports place-based ecology education in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont Tick-borne diseases on the rise Why animals’ eyes shine at night (but people’s don’t) In the latest installment of "The Outside Story," sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, learn about eyeshine in animals, which is produced by a membrane called the tapetum lucidum (“tapestry of light”), a reflective surface located behind the retina The power of a very generous crowd Here are just a few examples of what happens in New Hampshire communities when people give, and work, together “The soul of a dead woodsman” The latest installment of "The Outside Story," sponsored by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Wellborn Ecology Fund, explores the folklore and natural history of the gray jay The latest installment of The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, solves the mystery of the fuzzy, pastel-hued Rosy Maple Moth.

Ice-out data adds to knowledge about climate change The latest installment of The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, explores local data showing ice-out coming earlier, lilacs blooming sooner and predictions of shorter sugaring seasons A blue supermoon will rise on January 31 — a rare occurrence indeed.

The latest installment of The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, explores the science...

and encourages you to go out and take a look Bears make their beds for winter The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, explains how black bears 'go to bed fat and strong and wake up skinny and strong' New Hampshire Charitable Foundation announces $300,000 in grants to support place-based ecology education in the Upper Valley Fund provides support to place-based ecology education programs throughout New Hampshire and Vermont’s Upper Valley The Outside Story: Common nighthawks are neither common, nor nocturnal, nor hawks.

But they are really cool A partial social eclipse will be visible in New England on Monday.

The Outside Story explores the mythology and science of these dazzling astronomical events Phoebes take up residence every summer under awnings and atop porch lights, seemingly unperturbed by our presence The hermit thrush: nature’s flute The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, offers a primer on the most beautiful song in our northern New England woods What kind of woodpecker am I hearing...?

Turns out, you can tell them apart by the style of their drumming.

Learn how in the latest installment of "The Outside Story" sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund The Wellborn Ecology Fund: Learning From the Ground Up A passion and concern for the environment led to a bequest that has kept the Upper Valley on the leading edge of place-based ecology education Boisterous Blue Jays Flock in Winter In the latest installment of "The Outside Story," supported by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, learn what is up with that rowdy flock at your birdfeeder Get outside with The (new) Outside Story New volume made possible by Wellborn Ecology Fund invites us to explore the wonders of the natural world New Hampshire Charitable Foundation announces $234,000 in grants to support place-based ecology education in the Upper Valley Fund provides support to place-based ecology education programs throughout New Hampshire and Vermont’s Upper Valley Wellborn Ecology Fund announces more than $80,000 in grants Fund provides support to place-based ecology education programs throughout New Hampshire and Vermont’s Upper Valley Science Education That Kids Really Dig The Wellborn Ecology Fund helps kids in the Upper Valley learn about nature Wellborn Fund changing the way kids learn science Professional development for teachers supports place-based science education A simple bequest, an enduring impact Marguerite Wellborn's ecology fund shapes environmental education in the Upper Valley The latest installment of "The Outside Story," sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, explains how eastern chipmunks have evolved to be energy maximizers, seeking to strike the optimal balance between energy gain per cheek-pouch load of food and number of trips back to the burrow.

Tick-borne diseases on the rise Why animals’ eyes shine at night (but people’s don’t) In the latest installment of "The Outside Story," sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, learn about eyeshine in animals, which is produced by a membrane called the tapetum lucidum (“tapestry of light”), a reflective surface located behind the retina “The soul of a dead woodsman” The latest installment of "The Outside Story," sponsored by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Wellborn Ecology Fund, explores the folklore and natural history of the gray jay The latest installment of The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, solves the mystery of the fuzzy, pastel-hued Rosy Maple Moth.

Ice-out data adds to knowledge about climate change The latest installment of The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, explores local data showing ice-out coming earlier, lilacs blooming sooner and predictions of shorter sugaring seasons A blue supermoon will rise on January 31 — a rare occurrence indeed.

The latest installment of The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, explores the science...

and encourages you to go out and take a look Bears make their beds for winter The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, explains how black bears 'go to bed fat and strong and wake up skinny and strong' The Outside Story: Common nighthawks are neither common, nor nocturnal, nor hawks. But they are really cool A partial social eclipse will be visible in New England on Monday.

The Outside Story explores the mythology and science of these dazzling astronomical events Phoebes take up residence every summer under awnings and atop porch lights, seemingly unperturbed by our presence The hermit thrush: nature’s flute The Outside Story, sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, offers a primer on the most beautiful song in our northern New England woods Each year, The Wellborn Ecology Fund awards $300,000 in grants to support organizations and people that provide experientially-oriented, place-based, ecology-education programs that focus on the people and communities of the Upper Valley.

To learn more about how we're bringing place-based education to kids, contact: Initiative Leader, Behavioral Health