Two weeks ago, on August 29th, 45 students from 11 states and 36 high schools arrived at Chewonki to launch Maine Coast Semester 61. During their four months on Chewonki Neck, this talented group of students will take a deep dive into place-based education. They’ll study human ecology, natural history, sustainability, and farm and food systems, along with math, art, literature, and world languages. They’ll explore Maine’s coastal ecology and volunteer at the Common Ground Country Fair. They’ll backpack, sea kayak, and canoe, and each will spend three days on a solo campout on Chewonki Neck. They will experience so much more, too, from weekend trips and speakers to Outdoor Leadership Weekend. And they will get to know their teachers and each other in ways they’ll never forget. Semester 61 is already well underway! Scroll down to see photos from the first 14 days of this adventure.

Opening Day
Portraits of Semester 61 taken on their very first day:

Big Harvest
The first full day of every semester is devoted to farm work. This semester, students spent the day harvesting potatoes and onions.

First Work Program
During Work Program, students, staff, and faculty work side-by-side to take care of this special place. Students often work on the farm, in the kitchen, or with our facilities crew.

Science Field Lab at Pemaquid Point
As part of their science class, Natural History of the Maine Coast, students visited Pemaquid Point in Bristol, Maine, last week to study coastal ecology.

Climate March
Students from Peter Sniffen’s Environmental Issues class joined the Climate March in Portland, Maine, last weekend. One student dressed as a lobster and carried a sign reading “Moving to Canada”; another marched as an invasive green crab.