Summer Quest
Gather your supplies, pack your bag, and get ready for adventure! Join in exploring the lands of the Concord watershed to learn about science, history, art and other topics this summer.
Concord Land Conservation Trust with our friends at The Umbrella Arts and Environment Program, Drumlin Farm-Mass Audubon, OARS, Minute Man National Historical Park, and some other area organizations, have created a ton of free summer activities for you to choose from! Complete those activities to collect badges and certificates of accomplishment. Earn enough badges and certificates and you’ll get a Summer Quest patch!
Summer Quest combines the best of each site:
- Minute Man’s history activities
- The Land Trust’s botany explorations
- OARS’ river adventures
- The Umbrella’s eco-art projects
- Drumlin Farm’s nature journaling
Subject activities are also being offered by The Old Manse, Concord Free Public Library, Concord Museum, Walden Woods Project, The Concord Division of Natural Resources, and Ninjas in Nature (Holy cow! That’s a lot of fun places to explore).
We know this summer is different, maybe you won’t be heading to camp, taking a vacation in a far away place, or even seeing your friends as often, but we hope Summer Quest can help make a summer at home a lot more fun. Right here in your own back yard, town, and community you can play outdoors, become an expert on local wildlife, explore history, and create fun art and nature projects.
What will you learn? What new places will you explore? What new skills will you develop? Gather your family, choose some activities and go find out!
To participate, go to each partner organization’s website and find their list of activities (links below). Decide which category or organization interests you and get moving!
There are six categories to choose from:
- Stewardship
- Science
- History
- Social Studies
- Art
- Literacy
A participant who loves nature observation might choose from the list of activities offered here at the Land Trust or if its Science you love, complete science activities at multiple sites. Once enough Land Trust activities are completed, you’ll earn a badge from the Land Trust. If you complete enough science activities, you’ll earn your Science certificate. How many activities is enough to earn a prize? It depends on how old you are… see below:
Activities!
Below you will find the activity grid. For details on each activity and how to complete them, check out each partner’s website:
The Concord Land Conservation Trust – You’re already here! Click on the Land Trust activities below to see the instructions!
The Umbrella Arts and Environment Program
Land Trust Activities:
- Botanical Drawing: the many forms of leaves.
- Herbivory: who is eating this plant?
- Wildflowers: discovering what is around you and naming it.
- Ethnobotany: how do people interact with plants?
- Stewardship: caring for trails and removing invasive plants.
- Explore and Observe: plants on the Land Trust’s properties.
Download all the Land Trust activities in the Land Trust Activities Booklet!
Download the Activities Grid here to track your progress!
Summer Badge Program Earning System
How to earn a certificate:
Subjects: stewardship, art, science, social studies, literacy, history
Ages 5-10: 4 activities within a subject
Ages 11 and up: 5 activities within a subject
How to earn a “badge”:
Sites: The Umbrella, The Land Trust, OARS, Minute Man NHP, Drumlin Farms,
Ages 5-10: 4 activities at a site
Ages 11 and up: All 6 activities at a site
How to earn a patch:
Ages 5-10: 4 certificates or badges
Ages 11 and up: 6 certificates or badges
(This may seem like a lot, but many activities will count toward a certificate and a badge)
*If you complete all of the activities, we’ll feature you on social media!
Submissions
When you’ve completed your activities, please send documents and/or photos showing your work to the Summer Quest e-mail: summerquestprogram@gmail.com. We will review the packet and send out your badge or certificate as soon as we can. We may also reach out to ask if we can share your photos or writing for social media posts or on our websites.
Please include the following information
Subject line: Summer Quest Badge or Certificate completed!
- Name
- Age
- Town
- Which badge or certificate you have earned
- Which activities you completed
- What your favorite activity was and why
- Sign with your name and your parent or guardian’s name
Questions?
If you have any questions about the program or how to complete the activities, please contact us at summerquestprogram@gmail.com with the subject line: Summer Quest info request or call 978-371-0820 x 213.
