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May 2018
Spring Warbler Walk
Join John Weinrich and Dennis McKenna of Mid-Coast Audubon at the Pleasant Point Nature Preserve in Cushing to seek out migratory birds, particularly warblers. Warblers are small, colorful songbirds that often use the coastal peninsulas in Maine as foraging stops during migration. This makes the Pleasant Point Nature Preserve the perfect place to listen for their distinctive songs and watch for their bright flashes of color. Beginners and children are welcome, and attendees are encouraged to bring binoculars and dress…
Find out more »June 2018
National Trails Day Hike
Georges River Land Trust and Midcoast Conservancy are teaming up on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 2, to meet at the summit of Hogback Mountain in Montville. You will have the choice of two routes to take you to the summit where the two groups will meet for a picnic with a view! If you've only hiked up one side before, we encourage you to take the trail from the other side. Both groups will meet at 10 am at…
Find out more »July 2018
Public Access Land Use Forum
Georges River Land Trust will host a public forum at the Finnish Church in South Thomaston on Saturday, July 21st from 9:00 to 11:00 am to discuss its on-going land conservation efforts to preserve open farm fields along Route 131 just south of the railroad tracks, and to introduce plans for a new trail that will enable visitors to get out and enjoy this incredible landscape. The public is invited to provide comments on the proposed “Bobolink Trail” which features…
Find out more »August 2018
Wheeler Bay Shore Walk
Join us at the Wheeler Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for a shoreline walk to learn about bird phenology with wildlife biologist Ron Joseph. We will meet at Scraggle Point Road, Spruce Head, at 1030 am. From the turn off on Clark Island Road, go about .6 miles and park on the side of Scraggle Point Road. This walk will have uneven footing on rough woods trails and along the potentially wet marshy shore. We recommend you wear rubber boots or appropriate…
Find out more »September 2018
Saving our Apple Heritage
Join us for a presentation by John Bunker on his mission to save Maine's apple heritage. Bunker is known in Maine as “The Apple Whisperer,” or simply “The Apple Guy,” and, after laboring for years in semi-obscurity, he has never been in more demand. Through the catalog of Fedco Trees, a mail-order company he founded in Maine 30 years ago, Bunker has sown the seeds of a grassroots apple revolution. Fedco Trees every year takes a selection of rare heirloom…
Find out more »November 2018
Forestry Interpretive Trail Grand Opening
Join the Georges River Land Trust for an easy walk on the new forestry interpretive trail at the 124-acre Appleton Preserve in Appleton. The tour, led by Jim L. Robbins, retired President of Robbins Lumber Company and former Land Trust Board President, will start at 1 pm on Sunday, November 4. The rain date for this event is Sunday, November 11. This event is the third opportunity for the public to experience a guided tour of the demonstration timber harvest…
Find out more »February 2019
Guided Full Moon Snowshoe Walk
Bring your snowshoes and join us Sunday, February 17th at 6:00 pm for a 1-mile guided adventure in the moonlight on a private conservation easement on the shore of Mansfield Pond in Hope! Come out for the full moon, listen for owls, and see tracks of other local wildlife in the snow. We'll head out through the woods, cross a moonlit meadow, and if conditions are right, walk out on frozen Mansfield Pond for a view of the Central Highlands…
Find out more »Fun Facts for Kids: Animals’ Amazing Adaptations
Join Georges River Land Trust for a family-friendly event about Animals’ Amazing Adapations. Bring your kids and grandkids and meet at the Searsmont Town Library on Tuesday, February 19, at 10 am, with a snow date of Thursday, February 21. Maine wildlife have an amazing variety of physical characteristics that enable them to survive and do their jobs within their environment. You’ll learn about Maine habitats, why moose and deer grow antlers, why birds have different shaped bills, why turtles…
Find out more »March 2019
The Quintessential Guide to Hiking Maine
For more than half a century, the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Mountain Guide has been hikers’ and backpackers’ quintessential printed resource for trails in Maine’s spectacular mountains. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, featuring 175 new trails, 50 new mountains, and 13 additional in-text maps, capturing Maine’s booming trail building and expansion during the past five years.
Find out more »Waterlovers! Meet the St. George River Canoe Trail
The St. George River boasts some amazing boating opportunities including fast rips, large, wide lakes, tranquil pools under nearly closed tree canopies, and six portages. The river is the lifeblood of the watershed that winds its way from its headwaters in Lake St. George and Frye Mountain in Waldo County to its mouth where it flows into Muscongus Bay in Knox County.
Find out more »April 2019
The Langlais Art and Conservation Legacy
Cynthia Trone, Youth Program Coordinator and Annette Naegel, Director of Conservation, both of Georges River Land Trust, will weave a story of how the Langlais Sculpture Preserve in Cushing came to be. The home of Bernard and Helen Langlais, including artist's studios, sculpture collection and 90-acres of preserved land, is a living tribute to their creative and exuberant legacy. It is one of the gems in the Land Trust's portfolio's of conserved properties and offers unique opportunities for all ages…
Find out more »May 2019
Early Bird Walk on the Bobolink Trail
Join Kirk Gentalen, naturalist and environmental educator, on an early bird walk on the new Bobolink Trail in South Thomaston on Thursday, May 16 at 7 am. This will be an easy walk to look for birds and learn about the ecosystem of hayfields, woods, and wetlands on the Riverview Hayfields Preserve that stretches from the banks of the St. George River to the Weskeag Marsh. Kirk has worked for 25 years as a naturalist via environmental education and ecotourism…
Find out more »June 2019
Photographing in Nature
Bring your camera, a picnic lunch, and take a walk in our beautiful Appleton Preserve with professional photographer Ben Magro. Park in the lot at the Georges River on Route 105 in Appleton. Whether you are interested in close-ups of forest details or in broader scenic views, Ben will help you learn how to control depth of field and focus on the most interesting aspects of what you are seeing. He can answer questions about your camera, discuss common pitfalls,…
Find out more »Dharma Walk: Love Letter to the Earth
Join Rockland Shambhala and The Dancing Elephant for a Dharma walk on the Ash Point Preserve in Owls Head. Led by Cynthia Trone, this mindfulness walk will awaken our senses and open our hearts. As in the ancient Buddhist tradition, practicing outdoors helps us feel and understand our interdependence with the Earth and all sentient beings. This event is free and open to everyone comfortable with hiking on a moderate wooded path. Please wear walking/hiking shoes. “Each time we practice…
Find out more »Loons and Brews!
If you've been to one of Maine's many lakes on a spring or summer evening, you've probably heard the mournful call of Maine's iconic Common Loon. Maine Audubon works to conserve loons through their Maine Loon Project, and 2018 marked the 35th year that volunteers have been participating in the annual Maine Loon Count. For three-and-a-half decades, dedicated volunteers have fanned out across the state to contribute to this important data-gathering event. Tracy Hart, the Maine Loon Project coordinator, will…
Find out more »August 2019
Rescheduled! Paddle Long Cove and Tommy’s Island
Join us for a boating adventure on Long Cove in St. George, just north of Tenants Harbor. We will lead canoeists and kayakers on an exploration of secluded Long Cove, a mile-long tidal inlet. The water here is calm and the shoreline is close enough to offer opportunities for diverse wildlife sightings. It is not uncommon to see eagles, eiders, herons, and sometimes otters! We will circle back around Tommy's Island, and enjoy our lunch overlooking this 1-acre GRLT preserve.…
Find out more »Wildlife Wonders of the Weskeag
Georges River Land Trust and Friends of the Weskeag will cohost a bird, wildlife, and salt marsh habitat walk in the Weskeag Marsh on Thursday, August 15 at 10 am. Our speaker for the event will be Keel Kemper, Regional Wildlife Biologist with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Kemper works to maintain and improve wildlife habitat conditions, maximize biological diversity and protect unique natural areas. He works on various wildlife issues from Bangor to Belfast, to Augusta, to…
Find out more »September 2019
Invaders! Plants, that is…
Join Georges River Land Trust and the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District (KLSWCD) for a walk to identify and discuss native and invasive plants at the Ash Point Preserve in Owls Head. The walk will help people improve their confidence in identifying the most common and emerging invasive plants and recommendations on how to remove and dispose of them. Our trip leader will be Rebecca Jacobs, Program Manager with KLSWCD. Rebecca works with landowners to perform field identification and…
Find out more »Sweet Cider Pressing Day
For the third year, we are hosting Langlais Sweet Cider Day! Charles Waite Maclin, also known as Pastor Chuck, will be bringing his small cider press and the know-how to create some delicious cider with our own organic Langlais apples. Pastor Chuck's dream is to create the best applesauce and apple butter in the world, originated in his own family's kitchen in Cushing. He also works with the Cushing Community School and their Green Team. Bring your kids and your…
Find out more »October 2019
Family Fun Walk at Gibson Preserve
Dr. Kathleen Dunckel, professor in landscape ecology and forested ecosystems at Unity College, will lead us on a guided walk through the Gibson Preserve in Searsmont. She will open our eyes to the evolving forest ecosystem, its hidden history, and possible futures. Forested ecosystems occupy a special place in our psyche and in our evolutionary past. They often elicit a sense of awe and peace, linking us with our tree-dwelling ancestors. Forested ecosystems are home to a myriad of species…
Find out more »November 2019
World Wildlife Fund Speaker
Join us for a very special presentation by WWF US Director of Conservation John Morrison on Wednesday, November 13, at the Union town office meeting room from 6 to 8 pm. For 50 years, WWF – perhaps best-known for its work on behalf of endangered pandas - has been protecting the future of nature. The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million…
Find out more »January 2020
A Winter Family Hike
Explore the wilds of Searsmont with our guides Sarah Crosby and Bill Evans who have been hiking, bushwhacking, skiing and snowshoeing the area for many years. It's a great time of year to listen to the quiet in the woods and look for tracks of our wildlife neighbors. On this family-friendly hike our guides will lead us along the Georges River in an exploration of some of the historic dam areas. Meet at the Searsmont Town Library by 9:45 am…
Find out more »February 2020
Cancelled–Become a Coyote Family – for kids ages 6-12
This event has been cancelled. Please contact GRLT for more information and future events. In partnership with the Searsmont Town Library, and as part of their year-long Maine Outdoors program funded through the Maine Community Foundation, we invite kids ages 6-12 to join conservation biologist Geri Vistein in an outdoor learning experience to become coyotes! Join us at the library at 37 Main St., Searsmont, on Tuesday, February 18 at 10 am. How do we teach our children to understand…
Find out more »March 2020
Canceled: Coyote, America’s Songdog
In an effort to help slow down the spread of COVID-19 in our community, GRLT is canceling all events through April. As always, our wonderful preserves and trails are free and will remain open. Getting outdoors is a great way to lessen the stress in this difficult time, so we encourage you to expolore all GRLT has to offer. In partnership with the Searsmont Town Library, and as part of their year-long Maine Outdoors program funded through the Maine Community…
Find out more »June 2020
Living on the Wind: The Miracle of Bird Migration
Since the dawn of human imagination, we have been spellbound by the migration of birds, in which even the smallest species traverse immensities of space the way we cross the street. New research continually expands our understanding of where birds travel, and their migratory feats. But while the populations of many migratory birds are in drastic decline, there are many things we can do to save them. Naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul explores the wonder and mechanics of migration, and…
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