Nowhere is Marvelwood’s commitment to experiential education more evident than in our science classrooms.

At Marvelwood, students are given many unique opportunities to work with professionals outside the School community and to engage in research and scientific outreach on a global scale.  Our science department has been recognized by the State of Connecticut for its innovative, hands-on programs as well as its contributions to state and local agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection, The Audubon Society and The Kent Land Trust. In 2014, Science Department Chair Laurie Doss was named one of five Aquarion Environmental Champions for her stewardship in environmental education and awareness in the state of Connecticut.

Marvelwood students have worked side-by-side with scientists and conservation photographers locally and globally.  They have helped scientists from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection study amphibians, aquatic insects and avian populations. Globally they have worked with some of the top scientists and/or conservation photographers in the world, including Twan Leenders, Executive Director of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Robin Moore, photographer, filmmaker, author of In Search of Lost Frogs, Dr. Abel Batista a leading herpetologist in Central America, and Clay Bolt, an award-winning Natural History Photographer. Recently Mr. Bolt was in news for his efforts to get the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee on the Federal Endangered Species list and for re-discovering and photographing the world’s largest bee, the Wallace’s Giant Bee, previously believed to have been extinct for nearly 40 years!

Students have also visited with world-renowned Forensic Scientist Dr. Henry Lee and currently are working with scientists from Cornell to customize a Raven Exhibit on the Macedonia Forest Block Important Bird Area (IBA) where faculty and student-driven avian data was instrumental in the designation of this area as an IBA.  Raven Exhibit is an interactive sound visualization and information display portal, and students are using their acoustic recordings, photos, and videos of birds and their habitats in this project.

Ongoing projects, including guide dog foundation, GPS mapping of vernal pools, water quality testing, UConn Natural Resources Conservation Academy, the Purple Martin Conservation Association, and our operation of one of only three licensed high school bird-banding stations in the United States, illustrate Marvelwood’s dedication to innovative experiential education.
 

Science for a Changing World

"Spirits in Color" by Owen Tacy '20

Imagine a place of possibility...

The core mission of The Marvelwood School’s Science Department is to celebrate and encourage student curiosity and to promote life-long learning and acquisition of knowledge in all aspects of science. Our department’s primary goal is to teach scientific and technological literacy, enabling students to compete in the workplace and to make informed, responsible decisions about science-related issues at both the local and global levels. By stimulating the spirit of inquiry, nurturing curiosity, and incorporating real-world science (in addition to other disciplines such as the humanities, math, technology and engineering) into the daily classroom experience, we teach our students to understand that we live in an integrated world, to recognize their responsibility to become global citizens, and to appreciate the unique role that science and scientific collaboration play with respect to creating a world that is sustainable for future generations.

Education...Reimagined