SCARBOROUGH — The Scarborough Land Trust will be hosting a summer education series for families and children (ages 8 and up) in collaboration with Friends of Scarborough Marsh. This series, “Follow a Raindrop and Explore Living Water in Scarborough,” will take a close look at water and its important role in the environment. It will look at both the living and physical aquatic environments of Scarborough. In addition to looking at aquatic creatures, a refractometer will also be used to measure and track salinity of the water throughout the series. Each session will be two hours long, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Session 1 is themed freshwater and will take place at Broadturn Farm on Wednesday, Aug. 10. Participants can explore streams with dip nets and magnifying glasses and look for macroinvertebrates and fish. Clay stream sediment will be checked and the stream food web will be looked at.

The following Wednesday, Aug. 17, participants will explore Scarborough Marsh at SLT’s Blue Point Preserve. Participants will learn about the biology and chemistry of saltmarshes. Bring binoculars as egrets, blackbirds, and many other marsh birds may be seen.

The third and last session, Wednesday, Aug. 24, will be focused on the ocean. The beach is a great place to witness the power of water. Watching the waves, understanding the tides, collecting seashells are all fun ways to explore and appreciate saltwater systems. Participants will search through intertidal pools and discover beach critters. They will also learn about “Leave no trace” policies and understand what shouldn’t be taken away from the beaches. The location is to be determined.

The cost of this program is free and preregistration is required. The recommended age is 8 years and older. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Participants should expect wet conditions so bring clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting wet.

To register and learn more about this Summer Water Education Series, visit https://scarboroughlandtrust.org/summer-water-series/.

For more information about the Scarborough Land Trust and how to become a supporter, please visit www.scarboroughlandtrust.org or call (207) 289-1199.