The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

A young student participating in the discovery of life outdoors. © The Nature Conservancy

A young student at Carter Preserve discovering the living world...outdoors.

An Outdoor Classroom at the Francis Carter Preserve
Equal in size to Central Park, The Nature Conservancy’s Francis Carter Preserve in Charlestown features oak and pine woods, vernal pools, old homestead foundations, and a large, open meadow – all connected by hiking trails. Its land and waters are well suited to learning and discovery in life science and earth science. We hope, too, that the preserve might lend itself to study through other disciplines such as mathematics, writing, social studies, and the arts.

The Conservancy acquired the preserve in December 2001, largely with the help of a major grant from our longtime conservation partner, The Champlin Foundations. From the start, the Foundations have expressed a keen interest in making the Francis Carter Preserve available to all as an outdoor classroom.

Need Transportation and a Naturalist? Ask The Nature Conservancy!
Thanks to the generous support of The Champlin Foundations, Ocean State Charities Trust and The John Clarke Trust, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is able to cover up to 100 percent of the cost of a qualified school’s round trip transportation to the Carter Preserve. Conservancy staff are available to work with teachers to design an engaging and meaningful experience for the students, ranging from a simple walk in the woods to more rigorous, project-based learning and fieldwork.   Field trips are customized to meet the needs and grade level of the participants and complement learning in the classroom.

Examples of Field Trip Opportunities

• Studying the life cycle of frogs and salamanders
• What plant species comprise a meadow
• Role of the Vernal Pool in Species survival
• Scavenger hunt to find treasures of the forest

Who can apply? 
Public schools in urban districts (Central Falls, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, West Warwick, Westerly, and Woonsocket) and other schools that have Title I status are eligible for bus grants. TNC will provide a naturalist, at no cost, to work with any school or youth group that would like to visit the Francis Carter Preserve. However, grants for bus transportation are limited to the schools described above.

How to apply? 
Grants from TNC’s Bus Fund are available on a first come, first served basis. For details and to arrange a field trip to the Carter Preserve, please contact Tim Mooney at (401) 529-1072 or tmooney@tnc.org.