By Julia Rosier '18
Canoeing down the St. Croix River, studying and exploring in forests, estuaries, coasts and farms while living in a cabin with six other people for four months is not the typical classroom setting. However, to Ella de Bruijn ’18, this is the ideal classroom.
De Bruijn enrolled in a program Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki in Wiscasset, Maine, located along the coast. The Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki program offers numerous classes and agricultural opportunities for students. The group of students consisted of 43 students who created a strong bond and community during the four months. Each week at the program would consist of four classes with an additional five hour field trip each week.
“I chose to go on it [the program] because I’ve always had passion for the outdoors, environment, and was really interested in learning more about agriculture so this was really the perfect opportunity,” De Bruijn said.
While at the program, De Bruijn enrolled math, language and social studies classes. “There’s an English class called ‘Literature and the Land’ which is a brilliant class focused on the meaning of nature and how humans still play a role in that,” De Bruijn said.
De Bruijn stated that she read essays from authors such as Annie Dillard, William Faulkner and Michael Pollan in her classes. “The other required class I took was a science class called ‘Natural History of the Maine Coast’. This class is so incredible because nature is your classroom,” De Bruijn said. Each week, De Bruijn would take four classes with the addition of traveling on a five hour field trip to locations differing from estuaries to the Rocky Intertidal.
During the program, De Bruijn and the other members lived in cabins. “The cabins are a really interesting aspect of Chewonki because you live with a small group of people and get to know them really well,” De Bruijn said. “When I think about my cabin, I think of it as having gained six sisters.”
For two weeks, De Bruijn’s cabin woke up at 5:45 a.m. to go work on the farm to complete the morning chores. “My job in the morning was feeding the six baby piglets, and then turning the compost,” De Bruijn said.
“I chose to go on it [the program] because I’ve always had passion for the outdoors, environment, and was really interested in learning more about agriculture so this was really the perfect opportunity," -Ella De Bruijn '18
Over the course of her morning chores, De Bruijn learned skills such as crop rotation, composting, nutrient cycling and other valuable farming skills.
According to De Bruijn, returning to Staples has been an easy transition. “I really like all the classes I’m taking now and everyone has been really welcoming upon my return,” De Bruijn said.
“It [the program] gave me a unique opportunity to explore my interests in an immersive and challenging way,” De Bruijn said.