What Erie Gives Makes Possible: Presque Isle Audubon

The best classrooms don’t always have four walls. 

Sometimes, they’re found along a forest trail, beside a marsh, or beneath the branches of a tree where a child spots a bird they’ve never seen before. Those moments of discovery often become the beginning of a lifelong appreciation for the natural world. 

That’s the kind of learning Presque Isle Audubon is working to inspire. 

Part of the organization’s mission is to educate the community about birds, wildlife, and the habitats they depend on. While that work reaches people of all ages, Presque Isle Audubon knows one of the most effective ways to create lasting impact is by investing in educators who can carry that knowledge into classrooms for years to come. 

Thanks to the generosity of Erie Gives donors, even more teachers will have that opportunity. 

This year, Erie Gives support is helping send four educators from Erie and Crawford counties to National Audubon’s renowned Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine for “Sharing Nature: An Educators Week.” The immersive experience equips teachers with hands-on activities, teaching strategies, and creative approaches to help children connect with nature in meaningful ways. 

For years, Presque Isle Audubon has been able to send one or two educators annually. Erie Gives has made it possible to double that impact, expanding the opportunity to four teachers who will each return home with new ideas, resources, and inspiration to share with hundreds of students. 

The ripple effect is remarkable. 

A single teacher may introduce dozens of children to birdwatching, conservation, and environmental stewardship each year. Over time, those lessons reach hundreds of young people, encouraging curiosity about the natural world and helping students understand the importance of protecting the places and wildlife that make our region unique. 

Those experiences often begin with something small—a child recognizing a bird’s song for the first time, asking questions about a nest, or discovering that nature exists just beyond their own backyard. Moments like those can spark interests that last a lifetime. 

Erie Gives helps make those moments possible. 

By investing in educators, Presque Isle Audubon is investing in future generations of environmental stewards who will care for our forests, waterways, wildlife, and parks long after today’s lessons have ended. It’s a reminder that some of the greatest community investments aren’t measured by what we build today, but by the knowledge and curiosity we pass on to tomorrow. 

This story is part of The Erie Community Foundation’s What Erie Gives Makes Possible series, celebrating the lasting impact of Erie Gives and the power of collective generosity across our community.