The Ecology School at River Bend Farm: 100+ acres of Environmental Education, Place-based Learning, Conservation, Farming, Sustainability and Community Contribution

SACO — Located along the Saco River on 105 acres at River Bend Farm, The Ecology School, a 501c3 non-profit, is a unique place-based living and learning campus committed to environmental and farming education, advancing sustainability, and making a positive impact.

 With a previous 20-year history operating as the Ferry Beach Ecology School, the education center has been part of the Saco community for a quarter of a century, yet it has been post-COVID-19 that the school has garnered increased national attention. The school’s constructed dining commons and dormitory built to Living Building Challenge standards (https://living-future.org/lbc/), and their idyllic location offering a fully comprehensive ecosystem with easy access to Saco’s coastal habitat for additional teaching opportunities have helped to expand the reach of the school’s educational mission. 

In the past year, the learning center has welcomed visitors from across the United States. It hosted the first ever “Regenerative Real Estate Gathering” attended by 43 innovation leaders within the real estate industry from all across America. Seventy-four teachers from 36 states came to The Ecology School this past summer to attend the second annual Poland Spring sponsored “Teacher Institute for Watershed Science and Conservation.” Additionally, notable visitors such as American actor and Maine native Patrick Dempsy, have helped shine a bright spotlight on the center.

When asked what it means for the living and learning center to be operating within such a clear example of a thriving ecosystem here in Saco, Drew Dumsch, president and CEO of The Ecology School and Saco resident, spoke to the good fortune of the timing of the Merrill family’s desire to sell their farm, and the non-profit’s evolution to be ready to steward the property into the future. Dumsch also shared what it means to be a partner with the city of Saco in sharing opportunities with the community. 

 As a condition of the learning center’s contract zone agreement with the city, The Ecology School committed to a $45,000 per year education contribution to Saco Public Schools, which in 2022 they surpassed.

“In addition to providing our 3 day food-source education program for Saco middle schoolers, last summer we were happy to be able to offer 49 Saco student-campers free participation in our summer ecology program,” said Dumsch.

Saco Assistant Superintendent Margaret Parkhurst spoke of the financial and academic contributions of the relationship with The Ecology School.

 “Without the financial contribution, the scope of programming for students wouldn’t be the same. While we might be able to provide a few experiences at grade levels here or there, this financial contribution means that every single Saco School student has an experience related to the Ecology School every year,” she said. “This funding means that all students can access these programs equitably, and the learning builds over multiple years, creating a cohesive understanding of science and human interaction with the environment. Without this funding, not all students would be able to participate at the same scale. If we were able to fund it locally in one budget year, it would still be susceptible to annual review, making it hard to plan for multi-year programming.”

 Parkhurst visited the learning center to observe seventh graders in their overnight program, in addition to participating in her own professional development.

“It is a truly magical place where students and staff members can reconnect with the natural world while making learning relevant and meaningful,” she said.

The farm partnered with Saco Bay Trails to create the “Mary Merrill Trail” on their grounds offering visitors a short hike with a scenic view of the Saco River. The farm’s reach of contribution also expand to the greater southern Maine community, with the farm donating more than 1,200 pounds of produce to the York County Shelter Programs Food Pantry in 2022.

Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry Executive Director Jim LaBelle said he is thrilled to have The Ecology School within the Chamber’s membership.

“To have such a world-class educational offering right here in Saco is spectacular,” he said. “The Ecology School offers the next generation an education in ecology, environmental science, and climate change that is second to none; reaching formative learners through hands-on experiences on the river, in the forests, fields, and on the farm…that’s pretty amazing.”

LaBelle said he has visited the learning center at past open house events, and The Ecology School hosted a Chamber event.

“It’s important to remember these are not deep pockets. They do what they do without huge endowments, they can use our local financial and volunteer support,” he said.

In addition to donors, foundations, and business partnerships such as Poland Springs and LL Bean, Dumsch said the center has had to be resourceful in accomplishing all they have done.

“We have worked diligently to secure financial support through CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.), Southern Maine Finance, and the USDA to help make our recent investments possible,” he said.

Looking down at The Ecology School logo, Dumsch points out the connection between the words “ecology” and “economy”, both derived from similar Greek and Latin roots one pertains to the logic or science of home (ecology), while the other is used to reference the management or distribution of home (economy). For the school's mission, there is little separation between the two. In addition to being environmentally conscious, investments such as the  approximately 200 solar panels are done with both sustainability and long-range financial impact in mind.

“As a non-profit, we take the stewardship of our limited financial resources seriously,” said Dumsch.

The staff of the Ecology School will be busy throughout the next few months planning for the upcoming summer 2023 education camps, and more immediately preparing in partnership with edible Maine for their “Artisan Weekend at River Bend Farm” (https://theecologyschool.org/calendar-of-events/artisanweekend ) scheduled to take place the weekend of April 15 and 16. The event will be a chance for participants to enjoy delicious farm to table meals while engaging with local food growers, makers and artisan, in an environment that has been sustainably built.

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