Saugus students connect with nature at Wheelabrator

SAUGUS – Students from the Ballard Early Childhood Center got up close and personal with nature on a tour of the Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary at Wheelabrator Saugus on June 12.The tour was guided by Northeast Wetlands Restoration’s Geoff Wilson, who oversees the sanctuary for Wheelabrator.More than 110 students, teachers and parent chaperones walked the nature trails of Bear Creek, learning what types of birds, other animals and plant life inhabit the 160-acre parcel located adjacent to the renewable energy plant. They also enjoyed a presentation about bees from beekeeper Jay Falcone, who maintains the 10 hives located at the sanctuary.”We are very proud of Bear Creek and pleased to have the opportunity to expose Ballard students to it and teach them about the various wildlife that inhabit the sanctuary,” said Wheelabrator Saugus Plant Manager Eric Lucier. “We take pride in being an engaged partner with Saugus schools.”After the tour, the students enjoyed pizza from Prince Pizzeria and had the opportunity to get their faces painted.”The kids love coming here,” said Ballard Lead Teacher Barbara Wall. “Wheelabrator does a great job of making an educational field trip fun. The kids learned a lot and had a good time doing it.”Wheelabrator Saugus began planning for Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in 1992 and has spent more than $2.2 million in restoring coastal habitats, capping the landfill with native grassland species and implementing methods to prevent the growth of invasive plants. The sanctuary has blossomed into one of the largest bird-migration staging areas on the North Shore and a habitat for nearly two dozen bird species labeled as endangered or threatened, as well as other wildlife, such as coyotes, deer, foxes, raccoons and snakes.”The kids learned a lot on the nature walk, as did the adults,” said chaperone Caroline Knowles, whose son, Vance, is a Ballard student. “It was exciting for them to experience a new environment.””It’s definitely beautiful out there, especially when you consider what it used to be,” said chaperone Dawn Herbert, whose son, Connor, is a Ballard student. “It was a great trip for the kids. They enjoyed learning about bees and flowers.”To develop the sanctuary, Wilson and Northeast Wetlands Restoration planted 17,000 trees and created nine coastal ecosystems to attract nearly 200 different types of birds.The site has been certified since 2008 by the Wildlife Habitat Council in two separate categories – Wildlife at Work and Corporate Lands for Learning – for its land management practices and educational outreach programs.As part of its ongoing partnership with the school, the Wheelabrator Saugus field trip marked the third visit from Ballard students.