Activities

Field Trips and Programs

Nature Time for Children: Spring Session

For Children Ages 2 to 4 with parent

Every other Thursday 11-noon April 17, May 1, 15, 29, June 12
Leaders: Tina Roberts, Holly Twining
Cost: Parents free. $24 for series for children of members and $28 for children of non-members. Advance registration required for series. 989-2591 or [email protected]
Join us for a nature-based program with stories, creative play, hands-on activities, or a nature/art project. Parents participate in the program. Be prepared to be outside for at least a portion of each program.

Family Walks in Nature
Saturdays from 1-2:30pm, April 19, May 3, June 14
Leader: Holly Twining
Cost: Parents free. Children $4. No registration necessary.

Bring the family to explore nature on the grounds of Fields Pond. Parents and children will enjoy the exercise and fresh air, as well as learning the science and poetry of nature. A creative indoor project will be offered after the walk.

April School Vacation Camp
For children ages 8 to 12
April 22-25; 10:00am – 3:00pm
Leader: Ruth Perry
Cost: Members $36/day; Non-members $40/day
Advance registration required. Call 989-2591 for information.

Tues. Apr. 22 Wildlife and Native Americans
We’ll spend the morning tracking deer and watching for eagles, looking for birch and ash trees as Native Americans did! Then we’ll welcome a Native American, who will do a show and tell of wildlife mounts, their Native American names, and stories about them for you and also for some younger children.

Wed. Apr. 23 Birds
We’ll spend the morning looking for bird nests, birds, including owls, out in the woods. Then we’ll welcome Owl Man from Birdsacre and help him bring in his owls; then he’ll do a show and tell about his owls for you and some younger children. Afterwards you’ll help carry the owls back into Owl Man’s truck.

Thurs. Apr. 24 Fish
We’ll spend the morning finding fish, with nets and minnow traps. We’ll keep them in an aquarium or two, study their behavior, and identify them. In the afternoon, we’ll show them to younger children, and perhaps participate in a fish puppet show. Afterwards, we’ll let the fish go.

Fri. Apr. 25 Amphibians
We’ll spend the morning looking for Spring Peepers, Wood Frogs, and salamanders, and their eggs. We’ll learn about vernal pools. In the afternoon, games and crafts will feature frogs and salamanders.

Special Public Programs during April School Vacation at Fields Pond Audubon Center.
Cost is $3/person for each program, no registration required.

Tues., April 22, 1-2 pm – James Francis of the Penobscot Nation will be sharing Native stories about the local animals on display in the building.

Wed., April 23, 1-2 pm – Stan Richmond of Birdsacre and his traveling Owls will be visiting us.

Thurs., April 24,1-2 pm – Local Fish will be featured by the Fields Pond Staff and invited guests.

Fri., April 25, 6-8pm – An evening program, where Judy Markowsky and Fields Pond volunteers will take you outside to listen for frogs, owls, and other creatures.

All About Frogs & Salamanders
Mon., June 30, 2008 9 am – 3 pm
Children ages 8-10, $40/child
Learn how to find, identify and gently handle frogs and salamanders. Then go outside to find, catch, count, identify, examine and then release them. This program is expected to fill fast, so reserve a space for your child by contacting the Fields Pond Audubon Center at 989-2591 or [email protected].

Orienteering and Geocaching
Tues., July 1, 2008 9 am – 3 pm
Children ages 11-13, $40/child
Learn how to read a compass and map to find your way through the woods. Use GPS hand-held units and compasses to locate hidden “treasure.” Reserve a space for your child by contacting the Fields Pond Audubon Center at 989-2591 or [email protected].

Children’s Drawing Class
Ages 4-10
Saturdays April 5, May 3, and June 7, 9:30-10:30am
Teacher: Carolyn Wallace-Zani of Main Street Studio
Cost: $10 members, $12 non-members (1 Adult/1 Child)
This class will introduce children to nature drawing by recognizing basic shapes as the building blocks to creating artistic forms found in nature. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate. Bring your favorite art supplies and enjoy our group of budding artists in discovering the natural world around us.

Spring Fest: A Celebration of International Migratory Bird Day For All Ages
Saturday, May 10, 7:00am-7:00pm
Cost: Free
Join our celebration of International Migratory Bird Day. We’ll offer children’s walks, a children’s activity area, Music Together for children, and children’s nature discoveries. Lunch will be available for a small fee. Get out in nature and spend some time with us!

Drawing Nature at the Orono Bog
Adults & Children
Sunday, June 1, 9-11:00am
Leaders: Travis Baker, Holly Twining
Cost: $8 members, $10 non-members
Travis Baker will instruct participants on capturing the essence of the plants of the bog via sketchpad and pencil taking time to focus on the fascinating details. Holly Twining will remark on the abundant facets of the nature alive and well at the bog. Bring your favorite art supplies and a creative spirit.

Nature Writing at the Orono Bog
Adults & Children
Saturday, June 7, 9-11
Leader: Holly Twining
Cost: $8 members, $10 non-members. Advance registration required. 989-2591 or [email protected].
Holly Twining, Audubon Naturalist, will lead a writing workshop at the Orono Bog. The workshop will focus on using all five senses and most of all, your imagination. Participants will be given writing exercises and time to draft a quick story, poem, or essay on their own. The group will be given the option to share their work.

Birding for Parents and Their Children
Wednesday, June 25, 5-6:30pm
Leader: Ron Joseph, Wildlife Biologist
Cost: $5 parents, Free for children. Please register in advance at 989-2591 or email [email protected]. Bring binoculars. We have a few extra pairs for children.
Parents, bring your children to enjoy birding in the lovely environs that surround the nature center. Ron Joseph, birding expert/enthusiast, will be your guide. Ron will have his ipod handy to call in some special birds to view. Towards the end of the program we’ll head inside to look at slides & sounds of some of the birds we’ve seen outside.

Nature Time for Children: Summer Session
For Children Ages 2 to 4 with parent
Every other Thursday 11-noon, June 26 – September 18
Leaders: Holly Twining, Tina Roberts
Cost: Parents free. $24 for series for children of members and $28 for children of non-members. Pre-registration required for series. 989-2591 or [email protected]
Join us for a nature-based program with stories, creative play, hands-on activities, or a nature/art project. Parents participate in the program. Be prepared to be outside for a portion of each program.

Wild Movement
For Adults and Children (anyone who loves to move!)
Saturday, June 28, 10:00am-noon
Leader: Holly Twining
Cost: $10 adults, $5 children. Please register in advance at 989-2591 or email [email protected]
Young and old(er) come and join Holly, who has a dance and choreography background, as she leads you through fun nature-based movement exercises. No judgement, just let yourself go. For part of the class, if the weather is right, we’ll take our creative moves outside in the fields of Fields Pond.

Programs for Adults:

Art Lessons for Adults: Drawing from Nature
Saturdays, May 3, and June 7, 11:00am-noon for adults with natural object selected by teacher, 1:30-2:30pm with natural object selected by student.
Teacher: Carolyn Wallace-Zani of Main Street Studio
Cost: $10/lesson for members, $12/non-member
Learn drawing techniques to capture the essence of the local fauna and flora species with pencil on paper. Bring a regular school pencil, sketch pad, eraser and your enthusiasm for drawing and nature.

Book Discussion Group: Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs and Human Imagination by Barbara Hurd
Thursday, April 10, 7pm
Leader: Joyce Rumery
Cost: Free.
Location: Dirigo Pines in Orono, call 866-3400 for directions.
This collection of essays was inspired by Maryland’s Finzel and Cranesville swamps. Unusual analogies and clever parallels between swamp and human life provide lively reading. Hurd evokes the landscape through a series of unexpected and sometimes fascinating physical and mental wanderings.

Restoring a Landscape, Restoring Community: Writing Workshop and Discussion
Saturday, April 12, 12-4pm
Presenters: Cheryl Daigle, Holly Twining
Cost: $5 members, $6 non-members
Location: Eddington Salmon Club
Pre-registration required. 989-2591 or email [email protected]
Join Cheryl Daigle of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust and Holly Twining, Audubon Naturalist, in a writing workshop and discussion to explore the theme of ecological restoration and what it means to be part of the Penobscot River landscape. We’ll spend some time along the river bank below the Veazie Dam and reflect on our connections to the local landscape while working through several writing exercises.

Wildlife Adventures in Alaska
Wednesday, April 16, 7pm
Presenter: Ron Davis, Emeritus Ecology Professor, University of Maine
Cost: $5 members, $6 non-members
Ron Davis will give a PowerPoint presentation about his wildlife adventures with Lee Davis in Alaska. The presentation will include close-ups and habitat/scenics of plant and animal wildlife in their natural habitats, ranging from the exquisite display of tundra wildflowers north of the Arctic Circle in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the glaciers and marine mammals along the Inside Passage in southeastern Alaska. He will cover aspects of Denali National Park, including grizzly bears.

It’s Not Enough to Know Your Carbon Footprint
Tuesday, April 22, 6pm
Presenter: Mark Anderson, UMAINE School of Economics faculty member, Coordinator of Ecology and Environmental Sciences undergraduate degree program
Cost: Free. Bring your favorite dish to share, it’s a potluck!
Many of us concerned about climate change and other important environmental threats know something about our “footprints,” measures of how we affect the environment. Now we need to get beyond knowing to acting. Could your household meet the greenhouse gas reduction standards of the Kyoto Protocol? Mark will demonstrate a tool for moving from “knowing” to “acting.”

Earth Day CleanUp
Saturday, April 26, 1-3pm
Leaders: Elizabeth Payne, Joyce Rumery, Holly Twining, Judy Markowsky
Cost: Free
Come to Borders or Hannaford’s at the Bangor Mall and clean litter before it blows into the Penjajawoc Stream, an important wildlife corridor from the Penobscot River to the Penjajawoc Marsh. At most cleanups, an Eagle has flown overhead to validate our work.

Peepers, Owls & Woodcocks
Wednesday, April 30, 8-9:00pm
Leader: Judy Markowsky
Cost: $4
Come to the grounds of the nature center and hear Spring Peepers, see the woodcocks dance and hopefully see and hear Barred Owls calling. We guarantee nothing but a fun packed hour searching for our favorite early springtime critters. Children are more than welcome to attend.

Penobscot Valley Chapter Program: Butterflies and Dragonflies
Friday, May 2, 7:30pm
Presenter: Richard Hildreth
Cost: Free
There are over 115 species of butterflies native to Maine and over 150 species of dragonflies and damselflies documented in the state. Richard Hildreth has been president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club and is a key contributor to Maine’s Butterfly, Dragonfly, and Damselfly Surveys. This meeting is also the chapter’s annual meeting, with a slate of officers and board members to be voted on prior to the presentation.

Book Discussion Group: Silence of the Songbirds: How We Are Losing the World’s Songbirds and What We Can Do to Save Them by Bridget Stutchbury
Thursday, May 8, 7pm
Leader: Joyce Rumery
Cost: Free
Location: Dirigo Pines in Orono, call 866-3400 for directions.
Stutchbury, an avid bird researcher and biology professor at York University in Toronto, paints a complex picture of the current condition of songbirds and their habitats. As songbirds diminish in number, fragile environments may be “shaken to the core.” Stutchbury highlights positive action that people can take. Her affection for the birds is contagious.

Spring Fest: A Celebration of International Migratory Bird Day For All Ages
Saturday, May 10, 7:00am-7:00pm
Cost: Free
Join our celebration of International Migratory Bird Day. We’ll offer bird walks, a pollinators presentation, a native plants walk, an organic & native plants sale, a photography workshop, etc. For the younger crowd, they can enjoy a children’s activity area, children’s walks, and children’s nature discoveries. Lunch will be available for a small fee. Get out in nature and spend some time with us!

Organic Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 10, 10:00am-1:00pm (part of Spring Fest)
Presenters: Julie and Peter Beckford of Rebel Hill Farm
Come to a terrific plant sale of Organic Native and Medicinal plants from Rebel Hill Farm in Clifton. The certified organic growers will sell hardy, field grown perennials. Julie and Peter will be on hand to answer any gardening questions you may have.

Penobscot Valley Chapter Field Trip: Birding By Bike
Sunday, May 18th, 7:00am – 10:00am
Leaders: Ron Cote, Sandi Duchesne
Cost: Free. Call Ron 866-2710 or Sandi 827-3782 to register and for directions on where to meet. Be sure to call ahead for final details.
Enjoy a leisurely bike ride along lightly traveled roads in the Bangor area and stop at some “ hot pockets “ to look for songbirds, woodpeckers, birds of prey, waterfowl, etc. The exact route will be determined by the leaders based on weather and road conditions, but will be in the Bangor vicinity. Bring your bike, binoculars, helmet, snacks and water.

Land Trust Gathering
Thursday, May 22, 7pm
Presenters: Bangor Land Trust, Holden Land Trust, Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, Orono Land Trust
Cost: $5 members, $6 non-members
Concerned about urban or suburban sprawl? Open space in your community you’d like to see protected? If so, welcome to the land trust movement! The number of land trusts has exploded in recent years to more than 1600. The protected acreage more than doubled between 2001 and 2006 to 11.9 million acres. Hear representatives of four conservation trusts discuss their challenges and the strategies they employ to meet those challenges.

Penobscot Valley Chapter Field Trip: Birding Sears Island
Saturday, May 24, 7:30am – Noon
Leaders: Jim and Kathy Zeman
Cost: Free. Pre-registration not required but recommended by calling 469-0534.
Meet at the end of the causeway, located at the end of Sears Island Rd.
Come and search Sears Island and its surrounding waters for early spring arrivals. Over 160 bird species have been recorded on and around this 960 acre Island. A moderate hike will be included.

Thoughts on Our Ethical Obligations to Animals
Thursday, May 29, 7pm
Presenter: Greg Fahy, Associate Professor at the University of Maine at Augusta
Cost: $5 members, $6 non-members
Many of us recognize that human beings have ethical obligations to animals. We think we should refrain from causing unnecessary suffering or causing extinctions, for example. But our ethical intuitions in this area are often unclear or inconsistent. Fahy will examine a variety of ethical theories that entail obligations to animals and sort out some of the implications of these theories.

Drawing Nature at the Orono Bog
Adults & Children
Sunday, June 1, 9-11:00am
Leaders: Travis Baker, Holly Twining
Cost: $8 members, $10 non-members. Advance registration required. 989-2591 or [email protected]
Travis Baker will instruct participants on capturing the essence of the plants of the bog via sketchpad and pencil taking time to focus on the fascinating details. Holly Twining will remark on the abundant facets of the nature alive and well at the bog. Bring your favorite art supplies and a creative spirit.

Nature Writing at the Orono Bog
Adults & Children
Saturday, June 7, 9-11:00am
Leader: Holly Twining
Cost: $8 members, $10 non-members. Advance registration required. 989-2591 or [email protected]
Holly Twining, Audubon Naturalist, will lead a writing workshop at the Orono Bog. The workshop will focus on using all five senses and most of all, your imagination. Participants will be given writing exercises and time to draft a quick story, poem, or essay on their own. The group will be given the option to share their work.

The Peculiar Forest of Fray Jorge National Park, Chile
Wednesday, June 11, 7pm
Presenter: Richard Jagels, professor of forest biology at UMAINE
Cost: $5 members, $6 non-members
Northern Chile has very low rainfall and harbors the driest desert on Earth, the Atacama. Yet fragments of forests can be found along the coast that contain tree species that normally grow in the wet, Southern region of Chile or in rain forests of the Andes. Jagels visited this region during our summer, Chile’s winter, of 2007. He will show photos of these rare forest remnants that may disappear with global warming.

Book Discussion Group: A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir
Thursday, June 12, 7pm
Leader: Joyce Rumery
Cost: Free
Location: Dirigo Pines in Orono, call 866-3400 for directions.
When Muir’s sight miraculously returned after an industrial accident, he devoted his time to the great passion of his life, studying plants. He set out alone to walk to the Gulf of Mexico, sketching tropical plants along the way. He kept a journal of this thousand-mile walk and the result is a wonderful portrait of a young man in search of himself and a particularly vivid portrait of the post-war American South.

Sparrow Tour
Sunday, June 14, 7:00am-noon
Leader: John Wyatt
Cost: $5 members, $6 non-members. Call 989-2591 for registration and directions to the meeting point in Winterport.
Need help improving your sparrow identification skills? Sparrows are small and not very “flashy” so they can be challenging to recognize. Join us for a tour of Prospect and Frankfort visiting the Mendall Marsh and nearby blueberry barrens. In addition to the more common sparrows, we’ll look for Vesper’s and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows.

Moonlight Canoeing
Tuesday, June 17, 7pm
Leaders: Judy Markowsky, Holly Twining
Cost: $5/person with your own canoe or kayak; $10 per rental canoe with life jacket and paddles. Sign up and pay in advance.
Float along the lake shore, as waning day becomes moonlit night. Loons, Eagles, bats and frogs may grace your trip. Meet at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden by 7pm sharp. Heavy rain or thunder would cancel the trip, and your payment would be refunded.

Mystery Fish of the Orono Bog
Friday, June 20, 7-8:00pm and Saturday June 21, 8am
Leader: Judy Markowsky
Cost: $12 members, $15 non-members.
There are tiny, sometimes beautiful, fascinating fish in the lagg (the wet area that surrounds the bog). How do they get there? A few years ago, Judy Markowsky found a new fish, before then unknown to be in Maine. She and other biologists published an article about it. This class will have an orientation with informative handouts, and will set live-traps Friday evening. Saturday we’ll see what we caught!

Birding for Parents and Their Children
Wednesday, June 25, 5-6:30pm
Leader: Ron Joseph, Wildlife Biologist
Cost: $5 parents, Free for children. Please register in advance at 989-2591 or email [email protected]. Bring binoculars. We have a few extra pairs for children.
Parents, bring your children to enjoy birding in the lovely environs that surround the nature center. Ron Joseph, birding expert/enthusiast, will be your guide. Ron will have his ipod handy to call in some special birds to view. Towards the end of the program we’ll head inside to look at slides & sounds of some of the birds we’ve seen outside.

Wild Movement
For Adults and Children (anyone who loves to move!)
Saturday, June 28, 10:00am-noon
Leader: Holly Twining
Cost: $10 adults, $5 children. Please register in advance at 989-2591 or email [email protected]
Young and old(er) come and join Holly, who has a dance and choreography background, as she leads you through fun nature-based movement exercises. No judgment, just let yourself go. For part of the class, if the weather is right, we’ll take our creative moves outside in the fields of Fields Pond.

Photography Exhibition

Ecologist and photographer, Ron Davis will exhibit his photographs April through June. “An Ecologist’s Travels” includes photographs taken at several of the world’s continents, and concentrates on a wide range of ecological subjects. Since retiring in 2003 as an ecology professor at the University of Maine, Ron has increasingly dedicated himself to improving his photographic skills, and has recently established EcoPhoto International through which he offers these skills without profit for the benefit of environmental organizations. Ron started his hobby in the 1940’s when, as a teenager he built his own darkroom and photographic enlarger. His photos have been used by various book authors, and are included in several of his own scientific papers. Primarily documentary photography, he rarely misses the opportunity to add an aesthetic touch.

Special Programs

Calling all Girl Scouts
Looking for help fulfilling Girl Scout Badge requirements? The Girl Scouts of Maine will be offering programs the first Sunday afternoon of each month at Fields Pond Audubon Center. For Brownies the following “Try-Its” programs will be offered: Animals, Eco-Explorer, Outdoor Adventurer, and Water Everywhere. At the Juniors level, programs offered will be: Frosty Fun, Earth Connections, Wildlife, and Your Outdoor Surroundings. Contact the Girl Scouts of Maine office (989-7474) for information and registration. Programs will be held Feb. 2 and March 2, from 1:30pm to 4:00pm. These monthly programs will continue thru June.