Programs are held at Scarborough Audubon Center, Pine Point Road (Route 9), Scarborough. The center is open daily June-Labor Day and weekends Memorial Day-October. For registration and details call (207) 883-5100.
WEEKLY PROGRAMS
Advance registration unnecessary
Canoe Tours
Discover the wildlife and plants of Scarborough Marsh as you paddle the Dunstan River. Gliding through the marsh, you will be exposed to its many inhabitants, from the snowy egret catching fish along the edge of the river to the mummichogs swimming in the water. A trained naturalist will show you the numerous marsh plants and even give you a taste of an edible one. This tour is suitable for both novice and experienced paddlers.
Daily
10-11:30 a.m., additional Sunday tour 1-2:30 p.m.
Members: $10/adult, $8/child (12 and under)
Nonmembers: $11/adult, $9/child
(Deduct $1.50 per person if providing your own canoe.)
Family Nature Walk: Mummichogs and Marsh Muck
Explore the marsh for plants and animals through discovery-oriented, fun-filled activities that use all five senses. Participants will touch the marsh fish, the mummichog, look for the many migrating and resident birds, and look through algae to discover the minute creatures living there. This program is for “children” of all ages.
Wednesdays
10:30 a.m.-noon
$5/member, $7/nonmember (family discounts available)
Early Morning Birding
The best birding is often early morning when birds are busy feeding. Look and listen forsnowy egret, glossy ibis, herons, willet, sparrows, and more. We start our tours at the Audubon center and carpool to birding “hot spots” in the immediate area. Birders of all levels are welcome to join.
Wednesdays starting June 22
7-8:30 a.m.
$5/member, $7/nonmember
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Advance registration necessary, unless noted. On all canoe tours, please deduct $1.50 per person if providing your own canoe. Paddlers of all abilities welcome on all tours.
Full Moon Canoe Tours
Experience the sights and sounds of marsh creatures under the full moon. Watch for black-crowned night heron along the bank or snowy egret flying back to a nearby island for the evening. We may even see a harbor seal or a muskrat playing in the water.
July 19, 20, 21
Members: $11/adult, $9/child (12 and under)
Nonmembers: $12/adult, $10/child
Early Morning Canoe Tour
Explore the marsh at this magical time of day when it’s coming alive with the sounds and sights of birds and other marsh creatures. See the sun, low over the marsh, reflecting off the dew on the grass as flocks of sandpipers scurry along the bank.
Thursday, July 7
6:30-8 a.m.
Members: $11/adult, $9/child (12 and under)
Nonmembers: $12/adult, $10/child
Sunset Canoe Tour
This sunset paddle provides a unique opportunity to observe herons, ducks, and shorebirds as they return to their roosting spots for the night. As dusk approaches, listen to the creatures of the marsh prepare to settle in for the evening, or set out on their nightly forays.
Tuesday, July 12
7-8:30 p.m.
Members: $11/adult, $9/child (12 and under)
Nonmembers: $12/adult, $10/child
Nature Walk: Edible and Medicinal Plants
Revive the lost art of foraging by learning to recognize common wild plants. Naturalist Gary Roberts will point out these plants and tell participants about their many uses. A list of edible and medicinal plants will be provided.
Saturday, July 16
2-3:30 p.m.
$7/member, $9/nonmember
Snowy Egret Day
Experience a full day of family fun, including a bird walk or edible and medicinal plant walk, canoe tours, nature walks, a used-book sale, nature craft-making sessions, and more. There will be programs for children as well as displays and information about the marsh’s unique ecosystem. At 4 p.m., stroll with the local Volksmarch club, one of hundreds of walking groups around the country. Afterwards, return to the center for refreshments and the club’s July meeting, which is open to all. Come for all or part of the celebration.
Saturday, July 16
9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Free admission; fee for some tours
Advance registration necessary for plant walk only
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
Advance registration necessary
Nature Art
Through various art forms we will discover some of the secrets of the marsh. Children ages 7-10 explore the marsh, and then participate in a craft activity. All sessions offer different activities.
Tuesdays, July 12 and 26
10:30 a.m.-noon
$5/member, $7/nonmember (family discounts available)
Interpreting the Salt Marsh Through Pottery
This program designed for children ages 8-11 will begin with a treasure hunt of the marsh. We’ll search for natural artifacts such as shells, grass, and flowers, and then incorporate the treasures into the pottery we make.
Tuesday, July 19
10:30 a.m.-noon
$5/member, $7/nonmember (family discounts available)
Tiny Tot Tour
Introduce your wee folk ages 3-5 to the unique marsh habitat through interactive, hands-on activities. They will experience the marsh firsthand, looking through algae for small critters, jumping on the mud, and feeling the marsh fish, the mummichog. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday, July 14
10:30 a.m.-noon
$5/member and one child, $7/nonmember and one child. Each additional child is $3/member, $4/nonmember.
Cat Tales
Bring your preschoolers ages 3-5 for a fun and exciting morning of stories, nature exploration, and activities. This program includes story time and a craft activity related to the marsh or nearby ocean.
Wednesday, July 27
10 a.m.-noon
$5/member and one child, $7/nonmember and one child. Each additional child is $3/member, $4/nonmember.
GILSLAND FARM PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Advance registration necessary, unless noted. All programs are held at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth. For registration and details call (207) 781-2330, ext. 215.
Summer Bird-banding Demonstrations
Again this year, Maine Audubon staff will be banding birds at Gilsland Farm. Every ten days, “mist nets” are set up around the property to capture songbirds that are using it during the breeding season. Before being released, each bird is measured, weighed, examined for health and indications of breeding, and fitted with a numbered leg band. This information becomes part of a continent-wide database to help researchers better understand bird biology. All banding sessions are open to the public and are fascinating to observe for adults and children alike.
Falmouth
Friday, July 1; Saturday, July 16; and Thursday, July 28
9-11 a.m.
Free
Weather permitting
Advance registration unnecessary
Family Program: Fields Abuzz with Bees
Maine Audubon’s beekeeper Davida Sky will be at Gilsland Farm to teach you all about these social creatures. Learn about the life cycle of honeybees, how they make honey and find food, and a swarm of other information on these fascinating creatures. After the program, come into the Children’s Discovery Room and see if you can spot the queen bee in our observation hive. This program is designed for families with children over the age of four.
Falmouth
Saturday, July 23
10-11 a.m.
Members: $6/adult, $3/child
Nonmembers: $8/adult, $4/child
Family Nature Walk
Stroll around Gilsland Farm and take in the season’s beauty, enjoying flowers, frogs, butterflies, and birds.
Falmouth
Saturday, July 9
10-11:30 a.m.
Members: $6/adult, $3/child
Nonmembers: $8/adult, $4/child
Workshop: Tree Identification
Taught by naturalist Chris Lewey, this workshop at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center will teach you the skills and joys of tree identification. With a little practice using a “tree key” you’ll be able to identify all the common and not-so-common trees of New England. We’ll look at both deciduous and evergreen trees and practice and test our skills on twig specimens from some of our native woody plants. Identification keys not only help to identify species but allow for some close investigation into some of the structures and details of these interesting plants. Participants should dress for the outdoors.
Falmouth
Saturday, July 30
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
$32/member, $40/nonmember
MAINE AUDUBON TRIPS
Advance registration necessary, unless noted. For registration and details call (207) 781-2330, ext. 215.
Introduction to Fly-fishing at Claybrook Mountain Lodge
Fly-fishing has long been one of the great outdoor pursuits. To be good at this consuming pastime, one has to know not only the techniques, but also the habits and habitats of the fish themselves. On this special weekend retreat based at Claybrook Mountain Lodge, Registered Maine Guide Greg Drummond will present an introduction to the techniques and secrets of fly-fishing. We’ll start off Friday evening with some inspiring videos and fish stories. On Saturday, Greg will help you work on your casting technique at the lodge and then lead the group to the water for some real fish catching. There is bound to be an evening hatch of flies in progress, so you will learn how to tie that special fly on Saturday night. Price includes lodging and meals beginning Friday evening. Fishing equipment can be rented at the lodge.
Highland Plantation
Friday, July 1 at 7 p.m. to Monday, July 4 at 1 p.m.
Led by Greg Drummond
$295/member, $310/nonmember
Limited to 10 participants
The Orchids of Northern Maine
Libby Camps on Millinocket Lake north of Baxter State Park makes an ideal base for a weekend quest to find some of the more than two-dozen different orchid species that grow near this remote Northern Forest getaway. Local Registered Maine Guide Toby Montgomery will lead daily forays to visit the bogs and surrounding forest to look for calopogon, checkered rattlesnake, heart-leaved twayblade, and other beautiful orchids and plants native to this northern location. Bring a companion even if he or she isn’t passionate about wildflowers, as there are plenty of moose and birds to watch here as well as great fishing, canoeing, swimming, or just relaxing beside the lake at this classic Maine sporting camp where Teddy Roosevelt once stayed. Libby Camps offers hearty, family-style meals, and rustic but modern accommodations. Participants should be in good condition for moderately lengthy walks over uneven terrain.
T8 R9 (DeLorme Map 57)
Friday, July 8 at noon to Sunday, July 10 at noon
Led by Toby Montgomery
$350/member of Maine Audubon, New England Wildflower Society, or Josselyn Society;
$375/nonmember
Limited to 12 participants
Birding Downeast Maine
The easternmost county in the United States, Maine’s sparsely populated Washington County is breeding territory for many of the most sought-after birds in the country. These include spruce grouse, black-backed woodpecker, gray jay, boreal chickadee, a host of warblers, plus Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common murre, Arctic tern, and other interesting possibilities. Led by ever-popular naturalist Chris Lewey, we’ll bird spruce-fir forests, blueberry barrens, peatlands, tidal flats, and rocky shores, and go offshore to the large seabird colony on Machias Seal Island. Price includes lodging, transportation, and dinner Friday night.
From Bangor
Afternoon of Friday July 8 to Sunday, July 10 at 5 p.m.
Led by Chris Lewey
$375/participant, $90 single supplement
Limited to 12 participants
Sunset Puffin Cruise on Muscongus Bay I
With its colorful, clown-like face and oversized bill, the Atlantic puffin is a most charismatic seabird. Nearly extirpated from the Maine coast more than 30 years ago, this species has staged a significant comeback thanks to the efforts of dedicated biologists who reestablished the birds’ breeding colonies. Now puffins return each year to nest on a handful of offshore Maine islands. This ever-popular evening boat ride sails out of New Harbor to Eastern Egg Rock, the southernmost and most accessible puffin breeding colony in Maine. In addition to the puffins, black guillemot and common murre are good possibilities, as well as gannet, a variety of terns, and shorebirds. As we return to New Harbor we will cruise by the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point. The trip is timed with the sunset, making it a perfect opportunity to combine birding and a lovely summer evening on the Maine coast.
From New Harbor
Friday, July 8
7-9 p.m.
Led by Pete Salmansohn
$27/member, $35/nonmember
Limited to 75 participants
The Birds of Stratton Island II
Stratton Island, about 1.5 miles off the Scarborough shore, is a nesting colony and roosting site for a remarkable diversity of coastal birds. Owned and protected by Audubon and a project site of Audubon’s internationally recognized Seabird Restoration Program, it is not normally accessible to visitors. With the rocks surrounding it a favorite sunning spot for hundreds of seals, the island is home to great blue, little blue, green, and tricolored herons. Snowy egret, glossy ibis, common and roseate terns, wood and black ducks, common eider, and Maine’s only known pair of breeding American oystercatcher all can be found here. The trip is timed so you’ll see the herons return to their island roosts as the sun sets. You’ll also learn from researchers who spend their summers on the island, in tents, collecting data for the seabird restoration program. A portion of the trip fee supports their research. Participants will need to get in and out of boats and inflatable dinghies, so some agility is required.
Scarborough
Saturday, July 16
4-8 p.m.
Led by Linda Woodard
$35/member, $40/nonmember
Limited to 10 participants
Canoeing the Androscoggin River in Oxford County
Spend a day floating down a beautiful stretch of the Androscoggin River west of Bethel as it threads through the foothills of the White Mountains. The river flows through open meadows in an open valley, offering beautiful views in every direction. This is an easy paddle with only a few riffles and good current. Bring lunch and drinks. Price includes flotation devices, paddles, and canoes. If you wish to bring your own canoe, please mention that when you register for the trip.
Bethel
Saturday, July 23
8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Led by George Libby, Gary Roberts
$35/member, $40/nonmember
Limited to 12 participants
Introduction to Kayaking on Casco Bay
L.L.Bean and Maine Audubon have teamed up again this summer to offer you a half-day kayaking tour in the protected waters of Maine’s beautiful Casco Bay. We begin at the L.L.Bean Paddling Center at Flying Point in Freeport with all the basic safety and paddling equipment and plenty of personal attention from world-class instructors. Out on the water we’ll learn the basics in stable, easy-to-paddle tandem kayaks. Then we’ll explore the Maine coast with an Audubon naturalist along. This is a relaxing entry into the world of sea kayaking, in a lovely coastal setting.
Freeport
Saturday, July 23
9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
$49/member, $55/nonmember
Limited to 14 participants
Sunset Puffin Cruise on Muscongus Bay II
With its colorful, clown-like face and oversized bill, the Atlantic puffin is a most charismatic seabird. Nearly extirpated from the Maine coast more than 30 years ago, this species has staged a significant comeback thanks to the efforts of dedicated biologists who reestablished the birds’ breeding colonies. Now puffins return each year to nest on a handful of offshore Maine islands. This ever-popular evening boat ride sails out of New Harbor to Eastern Egg Rock, the southernmost and most accessible puffin breeding colony in Maine. In addition to the puffins, black guillemot and common murre are good possibilities, as well as gannet, a variety of terns, and shorebirds. As we return to New Harbor we will cruise by the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point. The trip is timed with the sunset, making it a perfect opportunity to combine birding and a lovely summer evening on the Maine coast.
From New Harbor
Friday, July 29
7-9 p.m.
Led by Pete Salmansohn
$27/member, $35/nonmember
Limited to 75 participants
The Birds of Stratton Island III
Stratton Island, about 1.5 miles off the Scarborough shore, is a nesting colony and roosting site for a remarkable diversity of coastal birds. Owned and protected by Audubon and a project site of Audubon’s internationally recognized Seabird Restoration Program, it is not normally accessible to visitors. With the rocks surrounding it a favorite sunning spot for hundreds of seals, the island is home to great blue, little blue, green, and tricolored herons. Snowy egret, glossy ibis, common and roseate terns, wood and black ducks, common eider, and Maine’s only known pair of breeding American oystercatcher all can be found here. The trip is timed so you’ll see the herons return to their island roosts as the sun sets. You’ll also learn from researchers who spend their summers on the island, in tents, collecting data for the seabird restoration program. A portion of the trip fee supports their research. Participants will need to get in and out of boats and inflatable dinghies, so some agility is required.
Scarborough
Wednesday, July 29
4-8 p.m.
Led by Linda Woodard
$35/member, $40/nonmember
Limited to 10 participants
Hidden Wildlands
This special nature walk is set on a private estate encompassing more than 2,000 acres of exceptional wildlife habitat. The mature mixed forests, fields, orchards, ponds, marshes, beaver impoundments, and coastal shorelines ensure a broad range of both flora and fauna. Birds range from terns and “peeps” to thrushes and warblers and such open-country species as bobolink and meadowlark. Abundant wildflowers and edible and medicinal plants are found along the footpaths. A stop at a resident cemetery en route adds historical perspective. This trip, while not a traditional “hike,” involves considerable walking on dirt roads and footpaths. Bring binoculars, comfortable walking shoes, and, if you like, a picnic lunch to eat on a nearby beach following the walk.
Cape Elizabeth
Saturday, July 30
8 a.m.-noon
Led by Gary Roberts, Linda Woodard, Turk Duddy
$12/member, $18/nonmember
Limited to 16 participants
Hog Island Audubon Camp Open House
Come for all or part of the day and explore Maine Audubon’s spectacular coastal camp that has connected people of ages with nature since 1936. Explore the island on a guided hike, tour the camp’s restored 19th century farm buildings, or take a cruise on Muscongus Bay to see eagles, osprey, and other wildlife. There will be a picnic lunch from noon-2 p.m., and boat transportation to and from the island is available all day, so come any time.
Bremen
Sunday, July 31
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Free/member, $5/nonmember
Advance registration unnecessary
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