This year, the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT) launched a unique educational program called Conservation Connections. The program includes KidsTreks, in-school lessons, and field trips curated to teach local youth about the importance of conservation.

KidsTrek Highlight

One of TILT’s most popular KidsTreks continues to be Ichthyologist for a Day on Governors Island with 40 people in attendance this year. Participants learned how to be a fish scientist (ichthyologist) with the help of the staff at the SUNY ESF Thousand Islands Biological Station (TIBS). On this beautiful August morning, the ichthyologists in training were able to fish, learn about native and invasive fish species in the Thousand Islands, who and what lives in a wetland habitat, and see some of these species firsthand in the wet lab. This KidsTrek always has a wait list, so sign up early in 2024!

Field Trip Highlight

On June 15th, 32 students from the first-grade class at Alexandria Central Elementary School joined TILT for a morning of adventure on the Zenda Farms Preserve. Split into two groups, the students participated in a hands-on activity by building birdhouses. While on a hike to the new Zenda Woods Trail, students paused at the stone bench for a lesson on how to use binoculars as they peered at songbirds flying about. This provided an opportunity to focus on the songbirds found in the grasslands of the Preserve. Rounding off the experience, the groups used their observation skills while walking the new woods trail to learn about the importance of time spent out on the land.