Events & Programs
- Thursday Morning Bird Walk
Please join us for our weekly bird walk at Gilsland Farm. In addition to our feathered friends, we’ll be on the lookout for other plants and animals. All ages and abilities are welcome. You only need your curiosity and a sense of adventure.
Learn more - Family Fun
Join us for one hour of playful activity designed to encourage fun, self-discovery,
confidence and a growing understanding of the natural world.Accompanying adults and siblings under two of registered children are welcome at no charge.
- Curious Cubs
Have fun playing and exploring as we celebrate wildlife throughout the seasons, and investigate the mysteries beyond the orchard at our Gilsland Farm sanctuary. We’ll provide a snack and enjoy picnic lunches together from home.
- Family Fun
Join us for one hour of playful activity designed to encourage fun, self-discovery,
confidence and a growing understanding of the natural world.Accompanying adults and siblings under two of registered children are welcome at no charge.
- Nature Time: Spring Session
Nature in spring is a wonderful, mysterious time as life begins to emerge from the cold. Parents with children ages 2 to 4, come to our springtime nature-based program with stories, movement, art projects and an outdoor adventure. Parents take part too. Prepare to venture outside and be nature detectives for a part of each program.
Learn more - Salt Marsh Nature Explorations
In this 1 1/2 hour interactive exploration, students have the opportunity for hands-on learning about the adaptations of plants and animals unique to the salt marsh. Participants will have a chance to catch and release fish, look through algae to find small organisms feeding there, and test the unique characteristics of the marsh mud in comparison to the upland soil.
Learn more - Salt Marsh by Canoe
This 1 1/2 hour program provides a special opportunity for students to explore the salt marsh. During this unique paddle adventure participants become a part of the dynamic Dunstan River habitat, observing its inhabitants in their natural setting. We will see crabs, fish, feeding birds, edible plants and more!
Learn more - Neighborhood Bird Walks – Bangor Area (May)
Unless otherwise indicated, all walks are from 7:00 – 8:30 AM. Rubber boots or waterproof shoes are recommended due to wet grass and occasional muddy conditions. In consideration of wildlife and fellow birders, no pets please on the bird walks.
- Fields Pond Yoga
Come to the nature center to stretch, energize and relax. This weekly yoga class is open to all levels. You’ll enjoy the gorgeous views from the windows.
Leader: Holly Twining, Maine Audubon naturalist, certified yoga instructor
- May
- Bird Walk at Hedgehog Mountain
Hedgehog Mountain is another gem owned by the town of Freeport. Since it’s May, we’ll be focusing on migrating songbirds – warblers, sparrows, grosbeaks, tanagers and more!
Directions: The trailhead is located on Hedgehog Mountain Road off Pownal Road. A gravel parking area is located on the left just before the Recycling Center gate. Trail map available at Freeport Conservation Trust.
- Peatlands of Maine
Picture: Justin Henry via Flicker
Come explore these unique ecosystems through a two-part program that combines an evening presentation with a hands-on field trip to the magnificent Orono Bog. Learn about the role of peatlands in the biosphere and investigate the Orono Bog from top to bottom (including collecting peat samples from 20 feet under the boardwalk).
Learn more - Full Moon Canoe Tour
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.
Arrive no later than 7:30
Advanced Registration Necessary. Call (207) 883-5100
- Saturdays in the Discovery Room
Join FPAC Environmental Educator, Cyndi Kuhn, for a morning of nature explorations. We’ll start in the Discovery Room then head outside for an amazing sensory experience! Suitable for the whole family.
- Full Moon Canoe Tour
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.
Arrive no later than 7:30
Advanced Registration Necessary. Call (207) 883-5100
- Snowy Egret 5K Run/Walk
Run or walk at one of the most scenic and special places in Maine and support the Scarborough Marsh.
The race starts at 9 a.m. at the Nature Center on Route 9. A 1K Fun Run for kids started at 8:30 a.m.
Entry fee:
• $14 preregistration
• $17 race day registration
• $4 Kids 1K Fun Run (12 and under) - Good Night Nature
Please join us for this gentle moonlit hour based around a bedtime story about animals of the night. Come in your pajamas, but prepare to venture outdoors. We’ll play, sing, create art and have a snack before you head home to sleep.
Accompanying adults and siblings under two of registered children are welcome at no charge.
- Grassland Birds of Kennebunk Plains
In heavily forested Maine, large grasslands are uncommon, and so are the birds for which they provide habitat. This ecologically significant area hosts several state endangered species, and provides habitat for some of the rarest breeding birds in Maine. On this morning walk we will look for some of these species, including Upland Sandpiper, Grasshopper Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, Prairie Warbler, and Vesper Sparrow.
Learn more - Understanding the Risks of Tar Sands for Maine
Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, will present the basic background on what tar sands is and why Maine finds itself in the center of controversy regarding tar sands and tar sands pipelines. He will outline the risks posed by tar sands to Maine, including spill risks, route of pipeline in proximity to natural resources and drinking water, toxicity, climate emissions and others. Finally, Voorhees will give basic information on permitting and environmental review (or lack thereof) for use of Maine’s oil pipeline to carry tar sands.
Learn more - June
- Paddle on the Little and Presumpscot Rivers
Join naturalists George Libby and Gary Roberts for a flat water paddle on the Little and Presumpscot Rivers. George and Gary will discuss the natural and human history of these rivers and the surrounding land as you enjoy the scenic beauty.
Learn more - Thursday Morning Bird Walk
Join us each Thursday for an easy stroll through Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Sanctuary. We’ll walk the property looking for birds, and anything else that peaks our interest.
Bring your binoculars and a field guide if you have one. Please dress to be comfortable outside for 2 hours.
Guide: Mike Windsor is the staff naturalist at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Center. An avid birder and outdoor enthusiast, Mike has worked as a field biologist, environmental educator and trip leader.
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- Black-throated Green Warbler © Pam Wells
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- Scarlet Tanager © Pam Wells
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- Ruby-throated Hummingbird © Pam Wells
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- Seabirds of Matinicus Rock
A 32-acre island 18 miles offshore at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, Matinicus Rock is one of Maine’s most important seabird nesting colonies. Here, Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common murres, black guillemots, arctic and common terns, and laughing gulls all gather to nest.
