Guided bird walk, 8-11 a.m. today. Join Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply and learn about the many species of birds that make their home on Portland’s Eastern Prom. Meet at Fort Allen Park bandstand. Sponsored by Friends of the Eastern Promenade. Donations welcome. Information: freeportwildbirdsupply.com, friendsofeasternpromenade.org.
Trail run, 1 p.m. today, annual 7-mile run in the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands in Orland. Registration is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hothole Brook Trail parking area. Entry fee is $10 per individual and $20 per family, and all proceeds benefit Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. To register or volunteer, please contact Peter Keeney at pktrldrt@myfairpoint.net or 288-3909. Trail maps will also be posted at www.greatpondtrust.org.
Book signing event and discussion, 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Hubbard Free Library in Hallowell, about “Between Person and Place: Conservation Histories from the Kennebec Land Trust.” Trust executive director Theresa Kerchner and conservation assistant Nathalie Woolworth will lead the discussion. The book will also be presented and discussed at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Lithgow Public Library, 45 Winthrop St., Augusta.
Looking ahead
You, Birds and Birding, 7 p.m. Nov. 3, nationally acclaimed authors Don and Lillian Stokes will present their new national field guide, the Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, and tell how they designed it for today’s birders. Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm, 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells. Co-hosted by the Wells Reserve and York County Audubon. Suggested $5 donation. www.yorkcountyaudubon.org/
Handgun safety course, 6-9 p.m. Nov. 4, Sportsman’s BARR in Gardiner. This class fulfills the requirements before applying for a concealed firearms permit. The cost $50. For more information, call 588-0888.
Birds in the Chimney? 7 p.m. Nov. 16. A “flying cigar,” the chimney swift is rarely seen perched. The swift’s high-pitched twittering, once a familiar sound during summertime, is now becoming scarce. Ted Allen, a leader in swift conservation, will talk about this unique species and what is being done for its conservation. Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm, 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells. Free. www.york countyaudubon.org/
Maine Guide Training Program at the Skowhegan Community Center, 39 Poulin Drive, Skowhegan, Dec. 2-5. The course prepares students for taking the state’s licensing exam for recreational, hunting and fishing guides. The cost is $475 per person, and a $200 deposit is required upon registration. To register, call Carroll Ware at Fins and Furs Adventures, 474-5430.
Wetland Species ID in Winter, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 3, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay Harbor. Instructor Lauren Stockwell builds knowledge and skills for recognizing wetland trees and shrubs in winter. Some familiarity with common wetland plants and taxonomy is helpful. Co-sponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. $44 (member) / $55 (nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary. Call 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Ongoing
The Portland Water District invites preschoolers to join it for environmentally themed stories, activities and crafts. The sessions include: Harvesting at Home, Nov. 19; Forest Friends, Dec. 17; the Wonders of Water, Jan. 21; Incredible Insects, Feb. 18; Plants and Their Parts, March 18; Fun with Frogs, April 15. The programs will run from 10 a.m.-noon at the Sebago Lake Ecology Center in Standish. Register now and pay $10 for the series. To register, e-mail sebagolake@pwd.org or call 774-5961 ext. 3319 or 3320. Donation supports local loon preservation. Scholarships available, snacks provided.
Weekly Bird Walk, Thursday mornings at Gilsland Farm, Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, 7 a.m., $5 for Maine Audubon members, $8 for nonmembers. All skill levels. Bring binoculars and a field guide and meet in the visitor center parking lot. 781-2330, ext. 209.
Bird Walks, 10 a.m. Thursdays, starting at the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor. With naturalist and student Anna Stunkel, through Nov. 18. For information, contact astunkel@coa.edu or call 288-5395.
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