Pierce School third-grade teacher Jenn Sutton, the 2022 Harris Center Environmental Teacher of the Year Award winner, recently gave a talk about salamanders at the Bennington Depot

The Bennington Conservation Commission sponsored the talk, which had about about 25 people in attendance, Sutton differentiated the various varieties of salamanders, how to hold them, threats to them, where to find them, where and when their migrations take place and many other items during her talk. She also spoke about the salamander project her third-grade class began last spring and which her current third-graders are continuing. Last spring, with the help of Antrim Lumber and Conservation Commission member Joe MacGregor, the students placed a grid of square boards in the Bruce Edes Forest to do a survey of how many salamanders live in the forest. They monitor the boards regularly, lifting them and tallying what they find. Then they use their math skills to analyze the data. 

The Bennington Conservation Commission has two talks coming up in the next few weeks. On Wednesday, Oct.  9, a representative from NH Fish and Game will present “Moose in our Woods.” On Thursday, Nov. 7, students from Franklin Pierce University will present “The Economics of Climate Change.” These are free talks open to the general public. They are held at the Bennington Depot.