February ecology investigations led by the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition Stewards, engaged THMS middle schoolers in the Merlin Club on a search for animal tracks. Using track guides, students identified signs and tracks of grey squirrel, snowshoe hare, and porcupine in the woods shared between the school and the YMCA. Belfast High School freshman Lavinia Welch provided guidance to students as they created terrariums featuring local mosses. A natural teacher, she modeled how to look closely at mosses with a hand lens so they could see how different the various species look. As an intern-teacher in the Merlin Club and as part of the BAHS Extended Learning Opportunities Program, Lavinia will earn credit and a stipend in addition to learning more about nature-based education.