A Year of Growth, Education, and Impact
2025 marks another year of growth, learning, and collaboration for Great Pond Foundation. Over the past year, we have continued to expand our impact through strengthened partnerships, participating in community engagement, and expanding our educational initiatives.
In addition to continuing our annual outreach events, we have broadened our educational programs by collaborating with Island students of all ages from early learners to high schoolers. Through hands-on activities and immersive field experiences, these programs help students understand the importance of our ponds, water quality, and the vitality of our coastal ecosystems. These educational collaborations are central to our mission of cultivating the resilience of the Island’s coastal pond ecosystems through science, collaboration, and education.
2025 Outreach and Community Engagement RECAP:
April 19th
Earth Day
GPF participated in the 3rd Annual Earth Day Conservation Festival hosted by the MV Museum.
This was an opportunity for GPF to connect the community to the ponds through hands-on activities.
May 1st
MV CYANO Public Presentation
GPF joined by local municipal health agents, hosted the 2024 Annual MV CYANO Presentation.
This public presentation was on the MV CYANO program and the results from 2024.
May 23rd
GPF Open House
After settling in from moving into a new space in 2024, GPF hosted an open house!
This gave the public an opportunity to tour the new lab and office space and ask pond questions!
June 2nd – 4th
Edgartown School Youth Outreach
GPF piloted a youth outreach program with the 3rd grade students from the Edgartown School titled “Is Our Water Healthy”.
The program was split into 3 days; a seine net day and two classroom days.
July 9th
Trustees Intern Swap
The Trustees high school summer environmental interns joined us for a day on in the field on Edgartown Great Pond followed by lab work.
July 12th
Beach Seine Science Day
GPF continued to host the Annual Beach Seine Science Day.
This is a public event at Sengekontacket Pond to learn about a seine net and identify species.
September 9th
Montessori School Outreach
Second – Sixth graders from the Montessori School joined GPF to learn about water quality.
The morning involved a seine net event followed by lab activities in the afternoon.
October 20th
Charter School High School Outreach
High schoolers from the Charter School joined GPF to learn about water quality and measuring abiotic components in an ecosystem.
After collecting samples in the field, students processed them back in our lab.