ALTON — Bordering the forest and field at Hirundo Wildlife Refuge will be a new outdoor classroom, one University of Maine seniors helped build.
The 24-by-30-foot screen room was designed to support the refuge’s nature education programs and accommodate up to 30 people. The structure includes screened walls, wood siding and both standard steps and an ADA-accessible ramp.
The University of Maine’s Construction Engineering Technology program helped build the classroom in the fall as part of their senior capstone course. Students have assisted Hirundo Wildlife Refuge with many projects since 2016. On-site labor using tools and equipment were supplied by the program, while Hirundo provided the materials.
Brianna Guy ’20, Hirundo’s program director, said the classroom is nearing completion and should be usable later in the spring. Before assuming her current role, Guy volunteered and visited Hirundo many times over the years. She has watched UMaine students build several additions that made the refuge more welcoming to all visitors, like the accessible hard packed gravel Pond Trail and screen building along the Meadow Trail.
“We’re grateful for the continued partnership with the CET program and the students whose work leaves such a lasting impact here,” said Guy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology from UMaine.
Each spring, various nonprofit groups visit campus to pitch project ideas to students. They outline needs ranging from structures to trail improvements. Students then form teams and select which project they want to pursue. The annual capstone effort, running since 2014, gives students essential experience in planning, scheduling and building while working directly with local nonprofit organizations.
Students often cite engagement as a highlight of their education. Team members collaborate, respond to changing conditions and coordinate directly with community partners.
“It is driven mostly by the students. They have the opportunity to pick the project they want to work on,” said Will Manion, director of the School of Engineering Technology and a faculty member in construction engineering technology.
The construction engineering technology capstone is designed to bring seniors out into the field and build projects that benefit people in their backyard and across the country, while learning construction management skills.
In addition to design and scheduling challenges, students who worked at Hirundo in the fall have had to manage the logistical demands of building in a remote location, including transporting and installing large structural materials far from the nearest drop-off point. These constraints have required careful planning, precision and teamwork to keep the project moving forward safely and efficiently.
“One of the most challenging aspects of this project was transporting materials. Specifically we utilized 8-inch by 8-inch hemlocks,” said Jack Blais, a construction engineering major at UMaine. “Pairing this with having to precut the material made it more complicated. We have to be precise — there was no messing up.”
Students on the roofing crew faced a different set of technical demands, particularly precision work and coordination during roof installation. William Barry, who was a member of the roofing crew, said installing the rafters required careful measurements and teamwork to meet tight tolerances.
“I’m really proud of the teamwork that especially went into the rafters,” Barry said. “You need the measurements for the ridge beam slots to be nearly spot-on, as well as between 4 and 5 people to get the rafters hoisted up on top of the framing. We got all of them put up in the equivalent time span of one workday, which was a huge accomplishment for us.”
Owners often adjust plans during the build, requiring students to adapt. Hirundo expanded the original concept from a 16- by 20-foot room to a larger 24 by 30-foot design and selected a location nearly 300 yards from the nearest material drop-off point.
“As the project is being built, we are also getting feedback from the owners about what they would like to change,” Manion said.
Working with a nonprofit client has also shaped how students approach the capstone, emphasizing accountability beyond the classroom and reinforcing the community impact of the finished structure.
“Building for a nonprofit allows a tangible result for the community,” Blais said. “A physical project, especially for a nonprofit, ensures the work is for a cause. In turn, doing the work changes your approach from a grade to the greater good of the community.”
Lecturer Grahm Freme, a former student in the program, said the hands-on experience is one of the most rewarding components of the curriculum.
“You start off in the spring semester with the different owner pitches and try to figure out which projects to work on. It is pretty rewarding. We get to work with the students one-on-one in a different setting than just a classroom,” Freme said.
Past projects have included work with Habitat for Humanity and returning clients who request new additions after seeing what earlier classes built.
In a different summer version of the same course, students travel to Juneau, Alaska, where they hike eight miles with heavy packs to reach primitive camps on the Juneau Icefield. There, they build and repair facilities for the Juneau Icefield Research Program while adapting to challenging weather and remote conditions. Manion said the experience is demanding, but unforgettable.