23rd annual Maine Bike Rally, concludes today at Brunswick High School. This event features road rides, mountain bike rides and an accredited time trial. Food, rides, entertainment. The Maine Bike Rally is a combined effort of local enthusiasts, Casco Bay Bicycle Club, Merrymeeting Wheelers Bicycle Club and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. Go to www.mainebikerally.org for details.
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Parker Pond Headland family hike, 9 to 11 a.m. today, Kennebec Land Trust. Bring snacks, cameras and binoculars. Free. Co-sponsored by the Parker Pond Association. Call 377-2848 or email tkerchner@tklt.org. Go to www.tklt.org for a full schedule of events.
Firefly Flirting, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. today, Great Works Regional Land Trust, Savage Wildlife Preserve in South Berwick. Bring a flashlight or headlamp. FMI: Visit www.gwrlt.org. To register call 646-3604.
Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count will be conducted Saturday between 7 and 7:30 a.m. Counters are given areas to count from shore or by boat, and regional coordinators will compile the results and send them to Maine Audubon for analysis. For more information about the Maine Loon Project or volunteering, contact Susan Gallo at 781-2330, ext. 216, or sgallo@maineaudubon.org.
The Somerset Bowhunters will have their monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the clubhouse on the Eaton Mountain Road. New members are always welcome. Also, the Central Maine 3D State Shoot will take place Aug. 8.
Furry Friends in the Night Sky, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Center for Wildlife and Mount Agamenticus conservation program. Meet big brown bat ambassadors from the Center for Wildlife and learn how bats keep ecosystems in delicate balance. $5 suggested donation, ages 5 and older recommended. Reservations required. Visit www.yorkcenterforwildlife.org/news.htm.
Timber-framing class, Saturday and July 10, and July 23 and 24. Expert timber framer Bob Lear will give students the confidence and experience necessary to take on a building project themselves. The program, at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, costs $450, including breakfast and lunch and all materials. The class is co-sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, which offers some scholarships. No previous carpentry experience is necessary. FMI: Contact www.hvnc.org, 586-6752 or gary@hvnc.org.
Greater Lovell Land Trust Guided Walk at the Kezar River Reserve, 10 a.m. Wednesday. FMI visit www.gllt.org or call 925-1056.
The Wildlife of the Brownfield Bog, talk by David Brown, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library. Visit www.gllt.org or call 925-1056 for more information.
Greater Lovell Land Trust Guided Walk at the Heald-Bradley Ponds Reserve, 9 a.m. Thursday. For more information visit www.gllt.org or call 925-1056.
Nature Hikes at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, Route 26, New Gloucester, Saturday. Morning hike begins at 10; the afternoon hike begins at 1:30. Carol Beyna, a trained naturalist, will guide participants through the Shaker farm fields, the woods down to Sabbathday Lake and Loon’s Point and then back over the footbridge at Aurelia’s Cascade. Reservations recommended. Cost is $5/adults; $2/children; free for under 6. 926-4597 or visit www.shaker.lib.me.us.
Looking Ahead
Hunter safety course, Fairfield VFW, July 19, 21 and 23 at the post home. For details and registration call Don Perrine at 660-6382.
Learn about wildflowers, ferns and aquatic plants, 1-5 p.m. July 23, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson. Cost for one session is $25 for HVNC members, $30 for all others. FMI: Visit www.hvnc.org, email gary@hnvc.org or call 586-6752.
Maine Lobster Ride & Roll will return to Rockland on July 23. Sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the ride will start and end at Oceanside High School, with staggered start times beginning at 8 a.m. Participants may choose from four distance options: 16, 30, 50 or 100 miles. Pre-registration costs $85, with a $20 discount for coalition members. Children ages 12 to 17 pay $25, and those under 12 ride free. Participants will receive Maine Lobster Ride socks. For registration, a video about the ride and more information, visit www.BikeMaine.org or call 623-4511.
Paddle for Pine Tree Camp Challenge, Aug. 13, Wolfe’s Neck Farm, Freeport. The sea kayak paddle will offer routes adaptable for all skill levels. A lobster and steamer back and barbecue will follow the paddle. All money raised will benefit Pine Tree Camp for Maine children and adults with disabilities. For the schedule and more information, visit www.pinetreesociety.org/paddle_challenge.asp.
Basic pistol, rifle and shotgun muzzleloading shooting course, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 14, at Pooh Corner Farm, Greenhouse & Florist in Bethel. $200. FMI: Visit www.wmepropertyprotection. com or call 739-9774.
Borestone Mountain Meditation Retreat, Sept. 9-11, at the lodge operated by the Maine Audubon Society in Elliotville Plantation. The cost is $320 for the weekend. FMI: Visit www.yogainmaine.com.
Sunset Puffin Cruise, Sunday, July 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m. from New Harbor. $35 for Maine Audubon members and $50 for nonmembers. Led By Pete Salmansohn and Eric Hynes. Call 781-2330 to register.
Women in the Outdoors Learn to Shoot a Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun Day, Aug. 13, starting at 8 a.m. at the Durham Rod and Gun Club. The event, hosted by the National Wild Turkey Federation’s state chapter, will teach the basic skills for each firearm and there will be appropriate range time afforded each participant. Firearms and ammunition is provided. For details and sign-up call Robb Cotiaux at 926-5392 or email dedbird0@gmail.com.
Island Institute president Philip Conkling, author event and book signing, at 7 p.m. July 19 at the Trefethen-Evergreen Improvement Association, Peaks Island Branch Library. Conkling has recently published a rewritten and updated edition of his classic book, “Islands in Time: A Natural and Cultural History of the Islands of the Gulf of Maine.”
Ongoing
Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center is open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. seven days a week through Labor Day and the first two weekends in September. Guided and self-guided walks and canoe and kayak tours of the marsh and its wildlife, plus exhibits, a nature store, and canoe and kayak rentals. Full schedule of programs: www.maineaudubon.org/scarbmarsh.
Discovery Trek series, Portland Trails. Guided walks are free to Portland Trails members, $5 suggested donation for non-members. Please register for any trek by emailing info@trails.org or calling 775-2411. For more information or to check cancellations due to the weather go to www.trails.org. “Yoga and Walking Meditation on the Fore River,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. July 22; “Explore the Eastern Cemetery,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5; “A Bit of History on the Eastern Promenade,” 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24; “Indian Trail in the Peaks Island Land Preserve,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2; “Bird Walk at the Quarry Run,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30.
The Kennebec Land Trust Outing Club offers events for active adults age 21 and older. The club is a great way to explore the outdoors, get to know Kennebec Land Trust properties and socialize. Excursions are free to trust members or $5 for non-members. For a schedule, go to www.tklt.org. Call 377-2848 or email Theresa Kerchner at tkerchner@tklt.org to register for outings.
Kayaking Series, every Saturday in July, led by Michelle Moody, an Appalachian Mountain Club Maine Chapter leader. Preregistration is required. Call Moody at 319-7355 or go to www.amcmaine.org. This series is a joint effort with the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust (www.btlt.org), Cathance River Education Alliance (www.creamaine.org), Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (www.fomb.org) and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (www.kennebecestuary.org).
Maine Guide training programs: July 28-31 at the Phippsburg Sportsman’s Club. The course prepares students for taking the state’s licensing exam for recreational, hunting and fishing guides. The cost is $475, and a $200 deposit is required upon registration. To register, contact Carroll Ware at Fins and Furs Adventures at 474-5430.
Weekly Bird Walk, 7 a.m. Thursdays at Gilsland Farm, off Route 1, Falmouth; $5 for Maine Audubon members, $8 for nonmembers. Bring binoculars and a field guide and meet in the visitor center parking lot. FMI: Call 781-2330, ext. 209.
Guided trail walks with local Kennebec Messalonskee Trails volunteers at various locations in the Waterville area, offered several days a week throughout the summer and fall. Free; all welcome. For walk locations and times, visit www.kmtrails.org.
Fundraiser Fridays rafting trips with Northern Outdoors. Every Friday, Northern Outdoors will contribute $20 per person in a rafting group to their designated charity. Groups must pre-register, and each member chooses a designated nonprofit. For more information on Northern Outdoors and Fundraiser Fridays, visit www.northernoutdoors.com/site/groups/fundraiser-fridays.html.
Casco Bay Bicycle Club hosts several weekly road bike rides in the greater Portland area, and special one-time rides, often with an opportunity to socialize over a meal after the ride. The Wednesday night ride in Yarmouth, with its moderate 12-15 mph (no drop) pace is most popular, featuring a different route each week. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to ride with us. See www.casco baybicycleclub.org for additional information.
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park in Freeport offers daily nature programs at 2 p.m. through Labor Day, weather permitting. Starting at the benches at the end of the second parking lot, one hour guided programs may include a walk, short talks, and other activities. No reservations needed, free with park admission. Admission is $1 for ages 5-11, $3 for Maine residents ages 12-64; $4.50 for nonresidents ages 12-64; $1.50 for nonresidents over 65; under 5 and Maine residents over 65 are free. For more information, please call 865-4465.
Applications for the 2011 any-deer (antlerless) permit lottery are now available online from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Online applications are due by midnight on August 15. Paper applications may be submitted in person or by mail no later than July 29. To apply online, visit www.mefishwildlife.com. The drawing will be held in September.
The Chewonki Foundation offers two five-day summer camps — one for girls, one for boys — for ages 8-11, Aug. 22-26. Cost is $1,200, financial aid is available. For more information, visit: http://www.chewonki.org/camp/camp_vacation.asp. The Chewonki Foundation is a nonprofit educational institution whose mission is to foster understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the natural world.
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