Connecting to the natural world at Prescott Farm

LACONIA — Phoebe VanScoy-Giessler first learned of Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center when her youngest child was a preschooler. 

Prescott Farm, located on White Oaks Road, has an interesting history, and part of that is the existence of the nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about the natural world around them.

“I saw that Prescott Farm was opening Fledglings Nature-Based Preschool," VanScoy-Giessler said. "I remember lamenting that the logistics of enrolling my son would be too complicated, given the required commute from our home in Tuftonboro. The summer after he attended kindergarten, though, I was able to register him for the WildQuest Camp and he commuted to Laconia with me for a few weeks of camp. He was our family’s first program participant. A few months later, the role of development and communications director opened up at Prescott Farm, and everything came together.”

VanScoy-Giessler has worked in her job at Prescott Farm for about four years.

“The mission is what first drew me to the place," she said. "I want to engage in work that makes an impact on the world. With a focus on helping people understand and expand their connections to the natural world, Prescott Farm is also opening eyes and minds to ways that we can protect it. Given the climate crisis, what could be more fundamentally important than that?”

Learning about the world around us and offering diverse programs for children and adults with everything from walks on the Prescott property to how to build a campfire, the programs draw people of all ages with different interests.

“After a very short time [of working at Prescott Farm], I was also blown away by the staff, volunteers and program participants,” VanScoy-Giessler said. “They are incredible. Committed. Joyful. Curious. Generous. Open. Tireless. Caring. There’s a wonderful diversity in our skill sets, perspectives and work styles, which make our organization stronger. Every time we widen our circle through a new employee, volunteer or program guest, things just get better.”

Prescott Farm is a scenic place to work at each day, and VanScoy-Giessler is aware of how lucky she is.

“The breathtaking views, the 1883 barn, the sustainably constructed Samuel P. Pardoe Program Building are great,” she said.

These days there is something new afoot at Prescott Farm. VanScoy-Giessler explained, “Anyone who has driven up White Oaks Road in the last few months has certainly noticed that something is going on at Prescott Farm.”

The building project, approved by the city planning board, has three major components: a 3,610-square-foot Innovation Center that will include a five-station teaching kitchen, maker space, screened porch, restroom facilities, storage and maintenance area; a 1,150-square-foot finished space in the ell connected to the barn that will include public restroom facilities, a small classroom and meeting room, and a small office; and an expansion of the parking areas with improvements to the current driveway that will improve traffic flow and safety during drop-off and pickup times.

The new learning spaces will vastly increase the number and scope of onsite programs that Prescott Farm educators and guest instructors can host. 

VanScoy-Giessler is excited to be part of the changes.

“I come from a long line of educators and community-minded citizens," she said. "Even before I knew what kind of career I wanted to pursue, I knew I would only be satisfied if I could find a way to do work that was meaningful to me and made a positive impact. I have spent the majority of my working life as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations like Lakes Region Community Services and Prescott Farm, which scratch that itch of doing meaningful work.”

As development director, VanScoy-Giessler likes that no two days are exactly alike. With programs welcoming attendees from preschoolers to adults, the space is filled with people who enjoy learning and the leaders there to teach about nature in all its forms.

“If you ask anyone on our team what our jobs entail, the first thing they will probably do is laugh," she said. "Because we are a very small nonprofit with 10 full-time staff members, we each have a certain set of core responsibilities but, of course, there is a very large ‘other duties as assigned’ asterisk on our job descriptions. It’s honestly part of why we love the place — no day is ever the same as any other. On any given day, you might find Jude Hamel, our executive director, teaching some teens about how goats are a great consumer of invasive species. Meanwhile, maybe the educators are creating a scavenger hunt through the forest trails for use with an upcoming school field trip while the pre-K staff is working with our maintenance coordinator to ensure the classroom space is ready to go for the first day of school. Everyone on staff is always ready to help in whatever way necessary.”

These many programs and the upcoming additions of more building space come with a price tag, and VanScoy-Giessler plays a part in that aspect of Prescott Farm’s mission.

“In my role as development and communications director are fundraising and marketing. In other words, I need to make sure people know we are a nonprofit, that we are a great place for them to invest their time and treasure, and that our programs are top-notch," she said. "While the work is a healthy challenge every day, it’s made much easier because the staff, board, volunteers and community members who attend our programs make the sales pitch practically unnecessary. Mostly we just need to tell people ‘come and see,’ and they are hooked.”

The pandemic caused things to change at Prescott Farm, and like many other places where people gather, it meant revamping programs somewhat.

VanScoy-Giessler explained, “There is a very definite ‘pre-COVID’ and ‘navigating-with-COVID’ aspect to my time here. Because our focus is on getting people outside in nature, we were uniquely positioned during those early, uncertain months of the pandemic. There was a lot we didn’t know about the disease, but it was clear from early on that outside was safer. With so many folks feeling isolated, our outdoor programs, as well as those we held in our well-ventilated barn, provided an opportunity for fun, safe and much-needed social connections.

“We’ve also had the opportunity to think deeply about our mission and vision for the organization. As our leadership team considered the best ways to engage the community, we challenged ourselves to identify three things that make our organization and programs unique. We realized everything we do is focused on one or more of three things: education, wellness and social connections. As we talk about current programs or consider expanding into others, we ask ourselves how it fits into those ‘buckets’ of our missions.”

Prescott Farm has ambitious programs, and VanScoy-Giessler estimates there are over 3,000 participants each year attending community connections programs, Fledglings Preschool, WildQuest Day Camps, Naturalist in the Classroom and field trip programs.

Once the expansion plans are completed, the staff at Prescott Farm estimates they will see the number of participants in various programs increase further. 

When VanScoy-Giessler comes to work each day, Prescott Farm is a bustling place. As well as construction on the expansion, there is the Fledglings Preschool, the popular 12th annual Harvest Festival on Sept. 17, the second annual Friends of Prescott Farm Breakfast on Sept. 22, as well as the Powerhouse Theater Collaborative: Arborlogues Botanical Recital Performed for One Tree on Sept. 24-25. 

VanScoy-Giessler is happy to be part of Prescott Farm, where there is always something meaningful and educational happening. She reflects, “The Hamilton lyrics 'Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now’ return to me very often. I truly am lucky to find myself living and working in a time and place where I feel useful, appreciated, challenged and fulfilled. There’s plenty left to do, and I couldn’t ask for a more wonderful group of people with whom to take the next steps in our organization’s journey. In other words, if they’ll have me, Prescott Farm is stuck with me for some time to come.

In conclusion, VanScoy-Giessler said, “Very few job sites actually make your shoulders and breathing relax when you arrive, but these 160 acres are a balm in a stressful world.”