The History

The Thomas Prince Nature Trails were the brainchild of Joann Blum in the early 1990’s when the Center Middle School was merged with the Thomas Prince School.  At that time Mrs. Blum became aware of the wonderful teaching opportunities in our “own backyard”.  The trails were constructed during the summer of 1994 using $10,000 of grant money from the Center for the Enhancement of Science and Math Education. The trails were designed and cut by students, giving them a strong sense of ownership. With the help of the local Audubon director, Mr. Joseph Choiniere, students and teachers were educated to use the trails for studies of nature, wildlife protections, history, ecology, physics and environmental science. Many teachers, (including but not limited to) Theresa Goulet, Louise Jordan, Anita Cook, and Clair Degutis, contributed to the success of the student learning. Throughout the 1990’s, field information was gathered by the students and in 2001, the first Field Guide to the Princeton Nature Trail was published.  It is our goal that this new electronic guide will supplement that original guide and offer new learning experiences for students and teachers alike.