Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

2017 Expansion Grant

Education & Camp Barn
Award: $350,000

Mission: Mass Audubon is the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England. Founded in 1896 by two women who fought for the protection of birds, Mass Audubon carries on their legacy by focusing on the greatest challenges facing the environment today: the loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change. With the help of our 140,000 members and supporters, we protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programs for adults and children, and provide endless opportunities to experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries. Explore, find inspiration, and take action at massaudubon.org.

Felix Neck

Fern & Feather Preschool continues to provide a safe, supportive, natural learning environment that nurtures children’s innate curiosity, the need to explore, and the joy of discovery. Fern & Feather teachers support children to challenge their physical abilities, express themselves, build healthy bodies, discover, practice, and develop a relationship with the natural world. While nature and outdoor exploration comprises most of our curriculum, we also introduce students to early learning and pre-academic skills. We are proud of our new teaching team, as of September 2023, who work hard to incorporate music, art, science, math, literacy, engineering, and social emotional well-being into our daily learning experiences. Fern & Feather students are not only learning to be environmental stewards, but they learning to be creative, cooperative, kind, collaborative, problem solvers. Fern and Feather Day Camp piloted its first year using a sliding scale fee system for all camp registrations. It was a huge success, with an increase in the number of families supported and financial assistance provided. Tiered tuition options, determined by Dukes County household incomes, were offered to families. A lower tier option was provided to local island families due to the high cost of living on the island. Island families were also allowed to enroll their children a week ahead of public registration. The sliding scale model was well received by all registrants and deeply appreciated by those who needed it most. Mass Audubon was able to support camp families to the tune of $45,000 which exceeded the previous year’s total financial assistance by $30,000!

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary continues to serve Island families and children through our school, camp, preschool, and community programs. Here and across the Commonwealth, Mass Audubon’s Action Agenda has provided hope, energy, and urgency to our work, prioritizing inclusive and equitable access to nature, stewarding resilient landscapes, and climate action. At Felix Neck, these imperatives are reflected in our anti-bias preschool curriculum, our Youth Climate Leadership Program (YCLP), and as our role as a Coastal Resiliency Center and guides all of our community-based efforts.

The support of MVYouth allowed us to fast-track the development and implementation of a nature preschool that would serve a community need which has grown even more acute post pandemic. Fern and Feather Preschool is in its fourth year and is off to an amazing start, serving 15 students per day! A new director, Anne Ouwerkerk, has brought extensive expertise in nature education, early education, and special education. Last June we sent off our largest graduating class to date, including one student who was with us since the school’s inception. During the summer of 2022, camp returned to its pre-Covid capacity and we welcomed so many campers that we had missed during the pandemic years. Over $32,000 was provided to Island families for tuition support for our school and camp programs.

Our focus this year will be to hire another full-time lead preschool teacher in order to further contribute to supporting the needs of year-round families.

Felix Neck Sanctuary

Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary opened Fern and Feather Preschool in September, 2019, in our newly built barn made possible by the support of MVYouth. Though our first year was cut short due to COVID-19, we quickly adapted and engaged students and families on a virtual platforms for the rest of the year.

Fern and Feather reopened on September 8, 2020 for in-person learning, serving 18 families. Connecting people to nature is what we do best at Mass Audubon and we developed protocols ensuring the safety of our children, staff, and families. Through the pandemic, the importance of being outdoors and the value of early elementary education for health and well-being became even more clear.

Dedicated and talented staff engage our island community through nature connection and nature exploration. Over the summer of 2021, we served 18 preschool families, 168 summer campers ages 3-14, and hired and mentored 7 seasonal staff members ages 18-25. In total through the entire year, we’ve supported over 1,000 youth (ages 3-14) through school field trips, classroom visits, birthday parties, special events, and other offerings. Over $29,000 in scholarships was provided to Island families this year.

Well into our third year as a preschool, we are serving 21 families, a majority of whom are new to life outside of their homes. The isolation of the pandemic has delayed the unique and foundational social interaction of our young ones. This school year has been integral in supporting their newfound sense of community, overcoming the hardships of the past year and a half, and proving that together we are stronger.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Fern and Feather Preschool welcomed its first class of students on September 7, 2019 at full enrollment in our beautiful new barn. We received financial support from the State and were therefor able to provide financial support and receive financial support to our families. We are excited to offer this deeply important service to the Island community. We enjoyed six months of learning, creating, and exploring the outdoors, and then, on March 13th, the school closed its doors due to COVID-19. Staff was able to launch a virtual platform for our students and families offering nature exploration and connection through short videos, music, crafts, lessons, movement, and one-on-one video chats. It was not how we expected our first year to go, but we completed the year and served Island families during very stressful times. We even gathered for a small, socially distanced graduation to honor our first class of students who were headed off to kindergarten. On September 8, 2020, we opened our doors for in-person learning again. Families were excited and grateful to be able to send their children back. Being outdoors and connecting people to nature has always been what we do best. Being able to do this through early education has been a timely and necessary bonus. As we come to the end of the calendar year we reflect on the amazing courage, adaptability, and commitment of our staff, students, and families. We served 32 families at Fern and Feather Preschool, offered a small summer camp program, outdoor nature adventures for ages 4-14 and outdoor homeschool and afterschool programs for grades 3rd-6th which registered over 150 individuals.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

2019 marked the establishment of Fern and Feather Preschool! Felix Neck kicked the year off by obtaining our preschool license through the Early Education and Care (EEC) Massachusetts. The EEC preschool license allows us to accept up to 20 students 2.9-5 years old, though we are limiting enrollment to twelve students a day. Two community open houses showcased the school and introduced the staff to interested families. The waitlist continues to grow with 85-plus families looking to send their child to our preschool. Two full-time preschool staff were hired, one a past Fern and Feather Day Camp staff, and a part-time teacher joined the Felix Neck preschool team. On September 3, 2019 Fern and Feather Preschool opened its doors at full capacity! Felix Neck welcomed 20 families to our program for 2-, 3-, or 5-days, with extended day options. Tuition support was provided to four families (25% of the student body) and we are able to accept childcare subsidy grants from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development FY19 Community Development Building Grants (CDBG) program. A top priority for Felix Neck is to continue to obtain financial aid funds to support the needs of our year-round community. Felix Neck has begun enrolling students for the 2020 school year, many of whom need tuition assistance. Before the preschool launched, Felix Neck had another great summer of Fern and Feather Day Camp with over 400 campers (ages 4-13) and 14 Leaders-in-Training and camp staff (age 14-25). Financial aid was provided to 16 campers and all requests were able to be accommodated. With four months of nature preschool under our belt and 54 years of nature camp, we have learned a lot and work to improve and adapt as our community requires. We are proud of our accomplishments and grateful to MVYouth for helping us provide services, joy, inspiration, and lifelong learning to the Island community.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Early 2018 brought the last checkmarks to our Education and Camp Barn punch list. With the building completed, we installed two garden beds, a tree border, bird feeders, and an accessible walkway. Inside, staff artists painted animal tracks on the floor and scat examples on the restroom walls. Child artists contributed to a nature peace pole that welcomes visitors in four languages.

During our 54th Fern and Feather Nature Camp season almost 400 campers, (4-16) and ten young adults (16-25) participated in camp activities. Seventeen families were supported with scholarship funds that allowed 24 kids to attend our camp.

Our Education team has been making great progress to launch our new Fern and Feather Preschool and state licensure paperwork was submitted to the Office of Early Education and Care in December 2018. In the New Year, the 42 families on our waitlist and the community will be invited to open houses, and registrations will begin this spring ahead of our school opening in September 2019. Our website has more information about our Nature Preschool.

The Education and Camp Barn has also been a gathering place to develop and strengthen our community partnerships. Event and educational collaborations included a MV Donor’s Collaborative training, an Art Show and Benefit with Old Sculpin Gallery, school vacation week programs for kids, concerts, volunteer events and a Climate Education training with 31 professionals from 20 organizations.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

It was a historic year for Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. Early 2017 brought the end of a very quick and successful fundraising campaign and the construction of the Sanctuary’s first new building in fifty years. The Education and Camp Barn was built in record-breaking speed by Autumn Construction with the assistance of an Amish post and beam construction team. After obtaining permits, the Barn shell was raised in just over two months to accommodate Felix Neck’s Fern and Feather Day Camp which had doubled its participation over the last few years and was bursting at the seams in the existing Nature Center. A very successful 2017 summer camp season served 425 children (aged 4-16) and youth (aged 17-25) who were able to use the insulated barn shell. Contractors began phase 2 (restrooms, electric, heat, etc.) in October. Restrooms are now functional, electricity, heat and lighting are complete, and the last few punch list items were completed by December. The Education and Camp Barn served as a gathering place this past fall for two community events that welcomed over one thousand people. Once final permits are received, planning the space, furnishing the building, and landscaping the area will commence. Two grants totaling $6,500 were received for these purposes and fundraising is ongoing for our future nature-based preschool startup costs, which include staff, educational materials, office and safety equipment, etc. A community survey was developed and distributed to island families and Felix Neck staff have spoken with other Island preschools to identify existing services and needs. Ten families have already expressed interest in our nature based preschool and we have begun to explore the licensing process for the program.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT: Felix Neck was awarded $350,000 to transform a planned three-season barn into a four-season barn in order to accommodate year-round education programs and enable them to host a nature-based preschool. Funds from MVYouth will serve as last dollar funding for a $550,000 capital campaign. Felix Neck privately raised $200,000 for the three-season barn. Funds from MVYouth will enable the barn to be insulated, include plumbing and electricity and be compliant with local and state preschool licensing regulations. These additions will primarily benefit the year-round community. Autumn Construction will begin building the three-season barn in March and it will be ready for summer camp usage. Work to insulate, electrify and plumb the structure will continue in the fall of 2017. 

Felix Neck has been offering nature education on Martha’s Vineyard for 52 years through summer camps and school collaborations. Felix Neck serves as Mass Audubon’s community nature center and wildlife sanctuary on Martha’s Vineyard. Mass Audubon is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife, through the guiding strategies of conservation, education, and advocacy.

During the school year Felix Neck serves preschool, elementary and high school aged children. They have begun offering collaborative vacation week programming for the February and April school vacation weeks to serve working families. In the summer, they provide nature education programs to roughly 125-150 people per day. In the last ten years, Felix Neck has doubled camp enrollment and increased family and school programs. The Nature Center is currently the only indoor space on the property and is no longer large enough to accommodate their successful programs.

Community demand for preschools on Martha’s Vineyard is high and many preschools have waiting lists.  Part of Felix Neck’s Strategic Plan is focused on fostering environmental leadership and stewardship in the next generation. There is a strong desire for a nature-based education from the Island community that Felix Neck aims to serve.