The removal of the dam provided the community with a wonderful resource for learning more about the ecology of the Sackett Brook waterway. Mass Audubon worked with local schools and provided programs for the public to help foster a greater connection with this restored waterway and it's wild inhabitants.

Community Resources

Public Radio

Listen to a public radio program about the Sackett Brook Restoration Project, originally broadcast in May 2014 on WAMC.  Listen Now >

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School & Teacher Lesson Plans

Mass Audubon worked with nearby schools to use the Sackett Brook Restoration Project as a teaching tool. Elementary students explored the stream’s ecology, and high school students recorded before-and-after footage.

Armed with newfound knowledge, they will help encourage a healthy future for all our waterways.

Owl Pellets (Grades 3–5)

Students will dissect owl pellets and draw conclusions about an owl’s diet and quantity of consumption.

Dams and Dam Removal- Highwater events (Grades 3–5)

Over the past decade there have been an increasing number of extreme highwater events affecting Sackett Brook. Using stream tables, students design and “play out” several scenarios of the effects of flashy flooding. 

Fish and History (Grades 3–6)

By examining the transition from a cold-water, anadromous population to the warm-water stocked fish of today, students understand how human influences have changed the river’s species.

Intro to Canoe Meadows (Grades 3–5)

This class examines maps and a slide presentation about the natural and human history of Canoe Meadows, including the archeological dig conducted in 2013 and the dam removal project. Power Point presentation of archeological dig and dam removal work is shown to students. It is based upon the Topo Twister lesson, but customized for Canoe Meadows. 

Macroinvertebrates and Water Quality (Grades 3–5)

Students learn how some species of aquatic macroinvertebrates can be an indicator of water quality.