Cultivating Curiosity

The most important tool in the naturalist's knapsack is not binoculars, a hand lens, or a field guide--it's curiosity! In this workshop, as we explore HVNC, we'll practice opening ourselves to curiosity, asking questions of the landscape, and feeling comfortable with not knowing the answers. Through a series of writing exercises, we'll capture the experience of noticing, wondering, and discovering, and we'll come away with short poems or prose generated through following where our curiosity leads us. 

Andrea Lani is the author of Uphill Both Ways: Hiking toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail. As a Maine Master Naturalist, she teaches nature writing and nature journaling workshops around Maine.

A note to educators

There is immense value in getting students outside, even for short amounts of time, to explore the natural world. Research is continuing to show that taking kids outdoors benefits social-emotional learning and leads to greater focus when students return to the classroom. For many teachers, this may seem daunting for a plethora of reasons from short class blocks, behavioral concerns, ticks, access to trails, and the perceived difficulty of meeting learning goals in an unconventional setting. Teachers may also be new to learning about the ecology of their setting. This Naturalist Workshop Series is designed to help address the concerns and challenges of taking students outside and grow your comfort level facilitating class learning goals within and beyond the playground. 

Each program will provide an opportunity to observe an educator teaching to a group of students. We will provide supplemental materials for teachers to bring back to school, content you can use with students, and time at the end to ask questions and brainstorm ways you can transfer the lesson to your school's unique setting.

We hope you will step outside with us and bring what you experience back to your schools!     

Registration

Refund Policy.

Join us for a full moon hike (or snowshoe, if there is snow on the ground) at Hidden Valley Nature Center.

Enjoy an evening illuminated by the glow of the full Beaver Moon. Discover a new way of being in the woods, when sounds become more pronounced and sight takes a backseat to our other senses. The group will take moments of silence to listen for owls and nocturnal foragers along the trail, chat as we hike and revel in the brightness of earth’s closest celestial friend. 

Meet at the Welcome Center at HVNC; hikers should wear shoes with good grips and bring a hiking stick if desired, along with a snack, drink and flashlight or headlamp. Your guide will lead the group on a moderate hike of 2-3 miles along some of the many trails at HVNC. We will be out for 2 hours.

Registration is required and space is limited so sign up today!
Review our refund policy here.

Registration

Cost: $130 ($150 for non-members)
Age limit: 16+
Registration required, limit of 8 students

Rain Date: November 3.

This one day course is designed for folks who have some previous experience with a saw and are looking to practice skills that are beyond the Level 1 Course offering.  Much of the material from the beginner’s course will be reviewed, such as Personal Protective Equipment and safe handling, which will serve as a great and important refresher.  More attention will be paid to saw maintenance, and the primary focus will be put on cutting techniques for bucking and directional tree felling.  The goal of this course is for participants to leave prepared to do a significant amount of work with their saw.  This course will be great for folks who intend to manage their woodlot and process firewood.

Completion of Level 1 training or a considerable amount of previous experience with a chainsaw is strongly recommended. Anyone with questions about their suitability for the course can contact the instructor, Tim Libby, at tim@midcoastconservancy.org.

We are pleased to partner with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) on our Chainsaw Safety Courses. MOFGA members may also take advantage of discounted pricing.

Registration

Refund Policy.

** This event has been canceled**

"Things That Go Bump in the Night"

When the sun goes down and we're getting ready for bed, many of our seldom seen animal neighbors are just getting up.  Why are so many animals nocturnal?  Does being active at night have advantages over being active during the day?  Does it bring disadvantages?  If so, how have nocturnal animals evolved to mitigate the disadvantages?  Join Luanne and Dan Weekes of Pollination Station as they discuss these and other questions to build a new appreciation of Maine's nocturnal wildlife.  This family friendly powerpoint presentation will look at common nocturnal species including bats, owls, skunks, and a relative newcomer to Maine, the Virginia opossum, and will include a meet and greet with Willow, an Eastern Screech Owl, and plenty of time for Q&A.

A note to educators

There is immense value in getting students outside, even for short amounts of time, to explore the natural world. Research is continuing to show that taking kids outdoors benefits social-emotional learning and leads to greater focus when students return to the classroom. For many teachers, this may seem daunting for a plethora of reasons from short class blocks, behavioral concerns, ticks, access to trails, and the perceived difficulty of meeting learning goals in an unconventional setting. Teachers may also be new to learning about the ecology of their setting. This Naturalist Workshop Series is designed to help address the concerns and challenges of taking students outside and grow your comfort level facilitating class learning goals within and beyond the playground. 

Each program will provide an opportunity to observe an educator teaching to a group of students. We will provide supplemental materials for teachers to bring back to school, content you can use with students, and time at the end to ask questions and brainstorm ways you can transfer the lesson to your school's unique setting.

We hope you will step outside with us and bring what you experience back to your schools!     

Join us for a full moon hike (or snowshoe, if there is snow on the ground) at Hidden Valley Nature Center.

Enjoy an evening illuminated by the glow of the Super Hunter's Moon. A night when the full moon will be closer to the earth than on any other day of the year and visible from dusk until dawn. Discover a new way of being in the woods, when sounds become more pronounced and sight takes a backseat to our other senses. The group will take moments of silence to listen for owls and nocturnal foragers along the trail, chat as we hike and revel in the brightness of earth’s closest celestial friend. 

Meet at the Welcome Center at HVNC; hikers should wear shoes with good grips and bring a hiking stick if desired, along with a snack, drink and flashlight or headlamp. Your guide will lead the group on a moderate hike of 2-3 miles along some of the many trails at HVNC. We will be out for 2 hours.

Registration is required and space is limited so sign up today!
Review our refund policy here.

Registration

With over three miles of trails, 365 acres, and a variety of habitats, Burkett Mill Preserve in Waldoboro offers a wide range of natural diversity to enjoy.  Our hike with Maine Master Naturalist Susan Cottle will be able to cover only a portion of the lovely woods, rock outcroppings, babbling brook, and other natural features.  But with some autumn color tossed in with the silvery granite ledges, green mosses and pines, and more, it will be a lovely walk.  And there will be even more to come back to enjoy on another day.  We will meet at the parking area and trailhead off of Burkett Mill Road, which diverges from Goshen Road in Waldoboro. 

Directions: From Waldoboro village:  Head north on Main Street, and bear right onto Old Route One. In 2.6 miles, turn right onto Goshen Road. Stay on Goshen Rd. for 1.8 miles, then go straight onto the unpaved Burkett Mill Rd where Goshen curves sharply left. Parking for the preserve is located on the left about .3 miles down the road.

This is the last of our 2024 Wednesday Wanders and Saturday Saunters scheduled for this year.

While there is no age limit for this program, children under 18 should be accompanies by an adult.

This is a free event, registration is encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome.

View the full Wednesday Wanders & Saturday Saunters Schedule.

In 2023, Friends of Haystack Mountain successfully purchased Haystack Mountain in Liberty with outstanding donor support to keep Haystack open to the public. Come see why so many people have joined together to save this special place with its wooded south side, blueberry covered north side, and its panoramic views from the top for miles around.  We’ll go up the short but moderately steep, 1.1-mile footpath that forms a loop and winds through a mixed northern hardwoods forest that includes oak, pine, maple, birch and hemlock. Near the top a short spur trail takes hikers to the open summit. Haystack is the only vantage point for miles around that offers such expansive and unobstructed views via a trail maintained by Midcoast Conservancy allowing public access.

Directions: From Rte 3 between South China and Belfast, take Rt. 220 south for 0.8 miles. Turn left at the sign for the Vena M. Roberts Memorial Ball Field. Park in the dirt parking lot behind Walker Health Center in Liberty, right next to the Ball Field. The group will meet in the parking lot and then walk around the ball field to the trailhead.

While there is no age limit for this program, children under 18 should be accompanies by an adult.

This is a free event, registration is encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome.

View the full Wednesday Wanders & Saturday Saunters Schedule.

Join us for a morning “above it all” on Clarry Hill, from which you can see for miles around you–the far-off reaches of Muscongus Bay to the south, the back side of the Camden Hills to the east, and a ridge of working blueberry landscapes to the north.  With both a naturalist and an avid birder familiar with the site to help us appreciate the landscape and the avian fall migration—particularly of raptors taking advantage of the rising thermals of the hills– we hope to enjoy not only the autumn scarlet of the surrounding blueberry fields at our feet but some migrating hawks and others over our heads.  Please join us at this special place where wildlife, agriculture, recreation, and Maine’s natural splendor are all supported. 

This is one of our 2024 Wednesday Wanders and Saturday Saunters scheduled for this year.

Directions: From Route 1, take Route 235 5.2 miles and turn left onto Clarry Hill Road.  After 1 mile, bear left to stay on Clarry Hill Road.  After .5 mile, turn right to stay on Clarry Hill Road.  In .8 mile, turn left onto Elmer Hart Road.  Follow the stone road until you see the trail head sign on the left.

While there is no age limit for this program, children under 18 should be accompanies by an adult.

This is a free event, registration is encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome.

View the full Wednesday Wanders & Saturday Saunters Schedule.

Join us for the 13th Annual Race Through The Woods trail race on Sunday, October 6, at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, Maine.

Racing starts at 9:00AM. Racers will have two course options to choose from: a 13 mile course or a shorter 5 mile distance. (Both share the course with same start time).  The course brings you over steep hills, through the woods, past beautiful ponds and has about 1,000 feet elevation change.

Race fees are $40 for the 13, and $30 for the 5 miler.

Long sleeve technical shirts will be available for purchase with registration, with a limited number available for purchase the day of. Prizes will be given to first place finishers (men and women) and in age categories. Prizes will include a free night stay at one of our Hidden Valley huts and PIE!

We will be pouring beer from Sheepscot Valley Brewing!

Registration IS REQUIRED through our friends at Race Entry and closes one week before race.

REGISTER HERE!

This race is currently capped at 125 entrants, with a waitlist. There will be NO day of registration. 

No refunds, no bib transfers. If you are unable to race, your registration fee will be considered a donation to Midcoast Conservancy.

Ride the historic WW&F railway to Trout Brook Preserve in Alna, then enjoy a guided hike through one of midcoast Maine’s hidden gems! Following the 1.5hr guided hike, the historic steam train will return you back to Sheepscot station.

Ticket price includes the train ride, the guided hike, as well as parking at Sheepscot Station. Note that due to the nature of this event, wheelchairs can not be accommodated; instead please consider WW&F’s Sheepscot Valley Service or a Caboose Adventure. Please dress accordingly for outdoor activities and hiking, the trail can be muddy after recent rains so boots are advised.

Trains depart Sheepscot Station (97 Cross Road, Alna) promptly at the scheduled time. We look forward to seeing you on the narrow gauge and on the trails!

Registration is required. You can register at the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway website via the linked button below.

https://wwfry.org/all-activities/ride-the-rails-to-hike-the-trails/

Take to the trails at Hidden Valley Nature Center on this after school mountain bike ride. Sarah Plummer, local yoga and outdoor adventure instructor from Maine Outdoor Yoga, will lead this group ride along the trails at HVNC. Participants will learn the basics of mountain biking on this fun and challenging beginner-to-intermediate ride.   

Please wear sneakers and bring water in a well-fitting backpack. We will provide you with a mountain bike and helmet unless you prefer to ride your own bike. The group will meet at the Welcome Center at 3pm and return to the Welcome Center before 4:30 pm. For kids ages 8-14. Parents are welcome to check out a bike to ride independently, hike the trails, or leave and return after the program. This program will run rain or shine.

Calling all Sheepscot River enthusiasts!

Midcoast Conservancy is hosting its second annual State of the Sheepscot event on September 25, from 5 - 7pm at the Whitefield Elementary School gym. You will learn about the State of the Sheepscot in regards to our work in the watershed, including land conservation, stewardship, and water quality, and how you can support the watershed. Whether you live, work, or recreate in the Sheepscot watershed - this event is for you!

We will be joined by special guest Paul Christman, a Marine Scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Bureau of Sea-Run Fisheries, who will present on endangered Atlantic salmon in the Sheepscot River. Paul has over 20 years of experience working with Atlantic salmon in Maine and has been a leader in developing the innovative egg planting technique used to stock salmon eggs in the Sheepscot and other Maine salmon rivers.

The event kicks off at 5pm with informational tables on some of our work in the Sheepscot watershed. Chat with Midcoast Conservancy staff and other members of your community while enjoying refreshments, including pizza generously donated from Sheepscot General and our own ‘Lamprey Lemonade.’

You’ll have an opportunity to get your hands wet with Max Tritt, a Fishery Biologist with NOAA. Max will do a Stream Smart Table simulation, which provides a hands-on visual of the negative impacts undersized road stream crossings have on streams. Learn how appropriately sized crossings allow the stream flow naturally beneath them, keeping the habitat healthier and our infrastructure more climate resilient.

The presentation begins at 5:30pm with the opportunity to chat more with staff and check out the informational tables afterwards. We hope to see you there!

This event is free and open to the public, but we ask that you please register below.

Enchanting the Forest

The word "enchant" comes from Latin roots that mean "to sing upon." To enchant a forest means, literally, to sing to it, and cultures around the world have historically sung to forests and other special landscapes. In this workshop, we'll walk the trails of HVNC, noticing the wild things around us engaging in word play along the way, including rhyming, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. When we reach the barn, we'll turn this word play into poems inspired by those in books The Lost Words and The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane. When we're done we'll speak, or sing for those brave enough, our poems out loud--thus enchanting HVNC's forest.

Andrea Lani is the author of Uphill Both Ways: Hiking toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail. As a Maine Master Naturalist, she teaches nature writing and nature journaling workshops around Maine.

A note to educators

There is immense value in getting students outside, even for short amounts of time, to explore the natural world. Research is continuing to show that taking kids outdoors benefits social-emotional learning and leads to greater focus when students return to the classroom. For many teachers, this may seem daunting for a plethora of reasons from short class blocks, behavioral concerns, ticks, access to trails, and the perceived difficulty of meeting learning goals in an unconventional setting. Teachers may also be new to learning about the ecology of their setting. This Naturalist Workshop Series is designed to help address the concerns and challenges of taking students outside and grow your comfort level facilitating class learning goals within and beyond the playground. 

Each program will provide an opportunity to observe an educator teaching to a group of students. We will provide supplemental materials for teachers to bring back to school, content you can use with students, and time at the end to ask questions and brainstorm ways you can transfer the lesson to your school's unique setting.

We hope you will step outside with us and bring what you experience back to your schools!     

Registration

Refund Policy.

Feel the glow!

Meet your leaders at the Welcome Center 10 minutes before the official start time so that we can start walking promptly on schedule. Hike the 1 mile to the pond and our canoes. With a little luck, the full moon will be rising on the far shore and we’ll paddle the pond, exploring the wetlands, beaver lodges, and shoreline looking for beaver and otter activity, and listening for loons and owls calling.

Make sure you are wearing water-proof or quick-dry clothing; it’s always a good idea to bring layers (a windbreaker or fleece are great options). Try to avoid both cotton and denim as they do not keep you warm once wet and do not dry quickly. Make sure you have sturdy shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and bring your own water bottle. We should be on the water no longer than an hour and a half, and land at the same location we launch from.

All equipment is provided.

Be sure to bring bug repellent and a headlamp.

Registration

Refund Policy.

The Marsh River Preserve protects 5,500 feet of frontage along the Marsh River and offers a mile of woodland trail with beautiful views of the river and salt water marsh. Such marshes are important systems for filtering water, controlling flooding, capturing carbon, and providing habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. What will we see on an early autumn walk? Come join a Maine Master Naturalist for a leisurely walk to find out. We’ll be meeting at the trailhead, located in a cul-de-sac at the end of Eagle Point Road.

This is one of our 2024 Wednesday Wanders and Saturday Saunters, which will continue through October.    

While there is no age limit for this program, children under 18 should be accompanies by an adult.

This is a free event, registration is encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome.

View the full Wednesday Wanders & Saturday Saunters Schedule.

 Join us for stand up paddleboard yoga on Little Dyer Pond at Hidden Valley Nature Center. Sarah Plummer from Maine Outdoor Yoga will lead this beginner SUP yoga class. No experience needed and no judgment passed as participants accept the challenge and beauty of yoga on the water.

Please wear shoes in which you can comfortably walk the 1.5 miles down to the pond. Bring water and clothes you can yoga in and don’t mind getting wet.

A day of music in the forest, courtesy of four Maine bands!

Schedule (may vary):

• Gates Open at 11:30 am!

• Cowboy Angels (12:00 - 1:00 pm)

• Papa Tim and the Whiskey Throttle Band (1:45 - 2:45 pm)

• Dooryarders (3:15 - 4:15 pm)

• Primo Cubano (5:00 - 6:00 pm)

Local beer and food trucks will be available on site all day to keep your dancing energy up!

Day-of tickets will be available for sale at the festival starting at 11:30am! Day-of tickets are $35.

Interested in learning more about the land and water of the Medomak watershed and what Midcoast Conservancy is doing to care for it? Join Midcoast Conservancy’s Medomak River Watershed Manager, Morganne Price, and other staff for our State of the Medomak event! 

Midcoast Conservancy staff will be presenting on current conditions, emerging threats, and how we’re protecting the watershed. 

Light refreshments will be available.

This event is free and open to the public.

The Whitefield Salmon Preserve is located where the Sheepscot River and its west branch come together.  This preserve, along with protected property on the west side of the West Branch and to the north of Howe Road, supports over 4,000 feet of prime Atlantic salmon rearing and spawning habitat.  We’ll be walking along a beautiful wooded trail right next to the West Branch with Maine Master Naturalists Mary Ellen Dennis and Susan Cottle to learn about the water, its quality, and how important that quality is to so much life that depends on it.  We’ll be meeting at the parking area at the trailhead on the North Howe Road, which is reachable only from Routes 17 and 32 (the old bridge connecting South and North Howe Road is long gone). 

This is one of our 2024 Wednesday Wanders and Saturday Saunters, which will continue through October.    

While there is no age limit for this program, children under 18 should be accompanies by an adult.

This is a free event, registration is encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome.

View the full Wednesday Wanders & Saturday Saunters Schedule.

As the sky darkens on this moonless night we’ll gaze in awe at the stars from the open water on Little Dyer Pond. Participants will meet at the Welcome Center at Hidden Valley Nature Center and walk the 1.5 miles down to the dock where the canoes, paddles and PFDs are waiting. Once in boats we’ll head to the center of the pond to revel in the night sky. Part of the paddle will be spent in silence, listening and appreciating our place in the universe, and part will be spent conversing while we identify constellations and celestial bodies. 

Please wear comfortable shoes for the walk down to the pond and bring water for drinking, quick-dry clothes in case you get wet, and a headlamp.  HVNC will provide boats, paddles and PFDs but if you have a favorite PFD feel free to bring it. It can be fun and helpful to have a star finding app on your phone during the paddle so download one in advance.

Rain date: September 3

Ride the historic WW&F railway to Trout Brook Preserve in Alna, then enjoy a guided hike through one of midcoast Maine’s hidden gems! Following the 1.5hr guided hike, the historic steam train will return you back to Sheepscot station.

Ticket price includes the train ride, the guided hike, as well as parking at Sheepscot Station. Note that due to the nature of this event, wheelchairs can not be accommodated; instead please consider WW&F’s Sheepscot Valley Service or a Caboose Adventure. Please dress accordingly for outdoor activities and hiking, the trail can be muddy after recent rains so boots are advised.

Trains depart Sheepscot Station (97 Cross Road, Alna) promptly at the scheduled time. We look forward to seeing you on the narrow gauge and on the trails!

There is more opportunity to Ride the Rails to Hike the Trails this summer, on October 5, 11 am-1:30 pm.

Registration is required. You can register at the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway website via the linked button below.

https://wwfry.org/all-activities/ride-the-rails-to-hike-the-trails/

Step into the forest and a world before modern technology to gain wilderness survival skills and knowledge!

Track animals through the winter woods, build simple snares, and learn about camouflage. Make a survival shelter worthy of a cold fall night and search for seasonal wild edibles. Focus on fire, from a leave no trace one match teepee to the magic of fire by friction. Learn safe knife handling so you can carve a coal-burned spoon or bowl. Use rope lashing skills to construct a simple stick tripod chair to use by the fire. And walk silently barefoot through the trees observing the natural world in new ways.

Each month will focus on a different earth-based skills topic, building a knowledge of life in the forest throughout the year. 

For 7-13 year olds, 12 kids per outing.

Join us for one class or come each month to immerse yourself in earth-based skills! 

Registration

Refund Policy.

Feel the glow!

Meet your leaders at the Welcome Center 10 minutes before the official start time so that we can start walking promptly on schedule. Hike the 1 mile to the pond and our canoes. With a little luck, the full moon will be rising on the far shore and we’ll paddle the pond, exploring the wetlands, beaver lodges, and shoreline looking for beaver and otter activity, and listening for loons and owls calling.

Make sure you are wearing water-proof or quick-dry clothing; it’s always a good idea to bring layers (a windbreaker or fleece are great options). Try to avoid both cotton and denim as they do not keep you warm once wet and do not dry quickly. Make sure you have sturdy shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and bring your own water bottle. We should be on the water no longer than an hour and a half, and land at the same location we launch from.

All equipment is provided.

Be sure to bring bug repellent and a headlamp.

Rain date: August 19

Registration

Refund Policy.

Everyone is fascinated by wild mushrooms. From foraging and eating, to medicinal use and the use of psychedelics to improve learning and address depression. The only thing standing in the way is acquiring the knowledge and confidence to tell the good mushrooms from those that can sicken you. The good news is that there are a handful of common, easily identified, great edibles or medicinals that can satisfy most peoples hunger for mushrooms. Maine is home to a number of world-class edible mushrooms easily found as you enjoy a walk through the woods and fields.

This day-long class helps to build the basic knowledge needed to identify common mushrooms and to begin a lifetime of wild mushrooming. The class will combine indoor lecture and outdoor experience in the forest to explore identification features, ecology and the seasonal occurrence of mushrooms. We will look at edible as well as common poisonous mushrooms and may end the day by cooking some of the mushrooms we find. Learn a few common edible and medicinal mushrooms and build skills to identify more.

Come prepared for a mild hike and a fun learning day. Participants are invited to bring fresh examples of mushrooms from their local woods and fields. No experience is needed.

Cost: $70 ($80 for non-members)
Age Limit: 12+
Registration Required, below, limit of 22.

Greg A Marley Bio

Greg Marley has been collecting, studying, eating, growing and teaching mushrooms for over 45 years. He spreads his love of mushrooms to hundreds through walks, talks and classes held across New England for over 35 years. Marley is the author of Mushrooms for Health; Medicinal Secrets of Northeastern Fungi, (Downeast Books , 2009) and the award-winning Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares; The Love Lore and Mystic of Mushrooms, (Chelsea Green, 2010). As a volunteer mushroom identification consultant to Poison Centers across New England, he provides expertise in mushroom poisoning cases. When not mushrooming, Marley works as a mental health clinician and behavioral health consultant specializing in suicide prevention.

Registration

Refund Policy.

Identifying ferns is fun – and not that hard!

Ferns don’t have pesky flowers to distract from identifying them by their fronds and growth habit - they look pretty much the same all season. And, in our region there are only 10-15 common native ferns that we might encounter on a woodland walk – an easily manageable number! On this ID walk, Hildy Ellis will help participants learn to ID commonly encountered ferns by their fronds, fruiting bodies (sori), growth habit and habitat; share fern lore and ecology; and discuss the fascinating details of fern reproduction. Several fern ID guides will be available for use and all participants will receive a free copy of the “Quick Guide to Common Ferns of New England,” by Ariel Tal.

Hildy Ellis has a BS in Plant Science and Horticulture from UMaine and also conducted graduate research on the invasive characteristics of Euonymus alatus (burning bush). From 2004 – 2008, she was education director at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, PA, after which she returned to Maine and served as program manager for Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District. Since retirement in 2021, Hildy has continued to lead walk-n-talks on plant ecology, in-between working in her garden, walking her dog, kayaking in the harbor and enjoying life in Maine.

A note to educators

There is immense value in getting students outside, even for short amounts of time, to explore the natural world. Research is continuing to show that taking kids outdoors benefits social-emotional learning and leads to greater focus when students return to the classroom. For many teachers, this may seem daunting for a plethora of reasons from short class blocks, behavioral concerns, ticks, access to trails, and the perceived difficulty of meeting learning goals in an unconventional setting. Teachers may also be new to learning about the ecology of their setting. This Naturalist Workshop Series is designed to help address the concerns and challenges of taking students outside and grow your comfort level facilitating class learning goals within and beyond the playground. 

Each program will provide an opportunity to observe an educator teaching to a group of students. We will provide supplemental materials for teachers to bring back to school, content you can use with students, and time at the end to ask questions and brainstorm ways you can transfer the lesson to your school's unique setting.

We hope you will step outside with us and bring what you experience back to your schools!     

Registration

Refund Policy.

Want to learn more about the health of Damariscotta Lake and what Midcoast Conservancy is doing to protect it? Join Midcoast Conservancy’s Damariscotta Lake Watershed Manager, Patricia Nease, and other staff for our State of Damariscotta Lake event!

The event will be held along the shores of Damariscotta Lake at Wavus Camp. Light refreshments will be available.

Learn more about all our events and programs in and around Damariscotta Lake right now by following us on Facebook and Instagram!

This free event is FREE and open to the public but registration is required.

CANCELLED! Fierce weather is promising to make this a less-than-fun outing.

Riverbrook Preserve has over a mile of fresh water frontage on the Medomak River, over 3 miles of trails, and covers over 350 acres.  In addition to lovely woods to walk through and pretty river frontage to enjoy, there are also 40 acres of fields. 

In addition to our usual Maine Master Naturalist accompanying the group, biologist and ecologist Chris Schorn will be joining us to help us learn about what we see, with some time to focus on wildflowers appearing in August.  We’ll be meeting at the parking area at the trailhead on Route 220.

This is one of our 2024 Wednesday Wanders and Saturday Saunters, which will continue through October.    

While there is no age limit for this program, children under 18 should be accompanies by an adult.

This is a free event, registration is encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome.

View the full Wednesday Wanders & Saturday Saunters Schedule.