About Us
Muddy Boots OLC is a not-for-profit group that has created an accessible outdoor classroom and community park in Florenceville-Bristol, NB. This 7.32 acre property provides experiential educational opportunities for students in the area.
FUN FACT: In 2018, when the white and black spruce trees were planted at our centre, it was VERY muddy. This sparked the idea for the organization name Muddy Boots. And a former Florenceville Elementary School student's muddy rain boots are actually featured in our official Muddy Boots OLC logo.
Our Goals
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Our primary focus is to return the 7.32 acre property, owned and maintained by the Town of Florenceville-Bristol, to a naturally wooded wetland. This will be accomplished by maintaining the health of the brook that traverses through the site and by planting native flora, specifically native trees, that will thrive in the pre-disposed site conditions.
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We have created a partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and will continue to foster this relationship. This partnership provides us with additional expertise and resources as we aim to transform the property into a naturally wooded wetland.
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Once the site is in its renewed state of natural reclamation, our ultimate goal will be efficiently and properly maintain the property.
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To create and maintain an outdoor learning centre for the school-aged children of Florenceville-Bristol and surrounding communities.
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We plan to make alterations to the current Department of Education K-5 Curriculum Document that promote the use of our outdoor learning centre. These changes would encourage and help educators use our centre, as this off-site learning experience would directly relate and meet curriculum-based outcomes.
Timeline of Events
2014
A Memorandum of Understanding was established between the Town of Florenceville-Bristol and Florenceville Elementary School, allowing the school to use the property for educational activities.
Valerie Carmichael & Terry Hunter facilitated a meeting with Darrell & Mary Turnbull to formulate a development plan, to turn the pre-exisiting site into an outdoor learning centre.
February 2017
March 2018
The committee sought and were granted a partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). This initial partnership consisted of the "Wetland Field Trip Program" which is an outreach program for grade 4 students. The program provides an experiential learning opportunity about the importance of wetland habitats and their conservation.
June
2018
June 2, 2018 was our official Muddy Boots launch! This was a public ceremony which featured the unveiling of our site plaque and ceremonial tree playing with First Nations elder, Marge Pochies. The trees planted during this ceremony were a red maple (official tree of Canada), a balsam fir (official tree of New Brunswick) and a white birch (a tree of significance for the New Brunswick First Nations community).
222 students from Florenceville Elementary School planted white and black spruce trees at Muddy Boots, on June 5, 2018. The trees were donated by J.D. Irving Woodlands Juniper Tree Nursery. A wooden stake, engraved with the child's name, year, and tree species was placed beside each tree. This event provided the students with a sense of pride around the venue and helped pave the way for Muddy Boots' success.
June
2019
During the spring session of our DUC Wetland Field Trip Program, we hosted educational programs for 368 students from 7 different elementary schools around the area.
September
2019
In early September, Muddy Boots received a Wetland Centre of Excellence (WCE) designation from DUC. We were the 25th site in Canada to receive this distinction.
September 29, 2019 we celebrated our designation with an official site launch at Muddy Boots. National dignitaries from DUC presented the committee with a WCE plaque. Additionally, students from Carleton North Senior High School & Florenceville Elementary School collaborated, on site, to construct nesting boxes. The completed nesting boxes were then secured on metal poles at four different locations throughout the centre.
Committee members, Terry Hunter & Darrell Turnbull attended the Eco Awards Gala hosted by the Conservation Council of New Brunswick - here Muddy Boots OLC was presented with the "Award for Stewardship in Environmental Excellence".
October
2019
November
2019
November 22, 2019 was the launch date for the partnership between DUC National Centre of Excellence & Bank of Montreal (BMO). BMO donated $300, 000 to DUC Wetland Centre of Excellence programs. There are 25 schools granted with that designation; Muddy Boots OLC was recognized at this event as the most recent WCE.
