Maine Audubon

Monday-Friday, April 20-24, 9 am-3 pm Gilsland Farm Native Plants Education Center For children currently enrolled in grades K-3 $345 members, $390 nonmembers for 5–day session From returning migratory birds to the newly awakening creatures in the pond, each new sign of spring brings more to discover during April Vacation Camp! Each day will include exploration of different habitats at Gilsland Farm as we learn about wildlife through games, science, art, and teambuilding. Maine Au

Date: April 20-24, 2026 Location: Fields Pond Audubon Center Grades 1-3 Price: $275 member, $325 nonmember for 5-day session. From returning migratory birds to the newly awakening creatures in the pond, each new sign of spring brings more to discover during April Vacation Camp! Each day will include exploration of different habitats at Fields Pond as we learn about wildlife through games, science, art, and teambuilding. Maine Audubon strives to provide inclusive and accessible pro

Explore with us as we turn Maine Audubon at Fields Pond into a 230-acre science laboratory! This 5-week afterschool club will spark curiosity, nurture a love for the outdoors, and help discover how we can protect our planet—all while having tons of fun! This club combines outdoor exploration, guided hiking, and nature-based experiments to deepen your students' connection with the natural world. Sign up your 2nd-5th grader today. While this is designed to be a drop-off program for participatin

Our annual series is back and growing! We will spend 17 weeks covering the essentials of birding. These online sessions are for people newly interested in birding or novices needing a refresher, but even the pros will learn something new. Different topics each week; review the courses and join for the ones that interest you. Free, donations appreciated. Dates and topics listed below. For full topic descriptions, please click here for a PDF. UPCOMING TOPICS (please note some topics have

Explore Gilsland Farm with our Field Naturalist. We’ll stop for birds, bugs, fungi, plants, and anything else that piques our curiosity. These walks are for those folks who make terrible hiking partners. You’re in good company here! Participants will have opportunities to contribute observations to ongoing community science projects through iNaturalist. Binoculars and hand lenses will be available to borrow. 8-9:30am Every other Wednesday (3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/20) FREE Maine

Join Wolastoqey (Maliseet) educator, author, poet, and artist Mihku Paul accompanied by Maine Audubon educators as we celebrate our Earth! We will come together for a trail walk, storytelling, art, and hands-on exploration. This event is best suited for children ages 3–9 and their families and will take place outdoors rain or shine. We will start in our covered Outdoor Classroom and then take a short walk with a mild incline. $15 members, $20 non-members (per family) Maine Audubon strives to

Feathers & Feeders: Backyard Bird Photography for Beginners at Fields Pond Spring Migration Edition Join nature photographer and Registered Maine Guide L’aura Bradford and discover the joy of bird photography in this hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop. Limited to just six participants, this small-group session offers personalized instruction while photographing birds at the Fields Pond Audubon Center feeders. You’ll learn about lens choice, camera settings, focusing techniques, composi

Curious about what critters live in your local streams and freshwater marshes? Come learn about Maine Marsh and Stream Explorers, a collaborative community science project between Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This program trains volunteers to survey for macroinvertebrates, or large aquatic insects, in streams and freshwater marshes statewide. With many macroinvertebrates sensitive to temperature, pollutants, and other environmental stressors, their pr

Join us for a weekly bird walk at Gilsland Farm, led by Maine Audubon's Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and others. Meet in the parking lot, in front of the Visitor Center, where we'll begin a slow walk around the property to look and listen for birds using Gilsland's diverse habitats. Free, no registration required. The walk typically covers between 1 to 2 miles (1.5 - 3 km). Waterproof shoes are recommended as the paths can be damp with dew in the mornings and icy when frozen. Please bring y

Help us wake the peonies from a long winter’s nap. We’ll be spreading compost, weeding, edging, and repairing the trellis, and more as time allows. All are welcome. We will be working outside, please dress appropriately, tools will be provided. Thursday 4/23 12-3 pm Maine Audubon strives to provide inclusive and accessible programs for all members of the community. If you require accommodations to participate in this program, please email [email protected]. Maine Audubon can best mee

Fridays, 8-9:30 am March 6, 13, 20 & 27 April 3, 10, 17 & 24 Free Catch spring migration in action this year! Join us for beginner-friendly walks around the diverse habitats of Fields Pond Audubon Center. Learn the basics of birding or sharpen your existing skills. Each wave of spring migration will bring new species to learn each week! Drop-ins welcome, binoculars for loan are limited. Maine Audubon strives to provide inclusive and accessible programs for all members of the c

Come join Maine Audubon’s Land Steward for an afternoon of sanctuary maintenance at Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary in West Bath. Volunteers will assist with a variety of tasks that include the installation of a series of new bog bridges along the sanctuary’s Green Trail, hauling timber materials for a future bridge project, and trail wide corridor clearing. Volunteers should be prepared to hike several miles, while carrying up to 50 lbs over uneven tread surfaces. Participants should also feel co

Join us for this Earth Day tradition to clean up the Scarborough marsh and beaches. Meet at the nature center; registration is helpful, but not required. Refreshments offered. Groups and companies are welcome. Co-sponsored by the Scarborough Land Trust, Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Scarborough community. Food will be collected for Project GRACE. Saturday April 25, 2026 9 am-12 pm Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center More: Dress in layers, Marsh can be cool. Also wear

Location: Mill Brook Preserve, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Westbrook April 25 from 9:30 am-12 pm Free; registration required Curious about what critters live in your local streams and freshwater marshes? Come join Maine Audubon and Maine DEP for a fun morning of catching and identifying macroinvertebrates at Mill Brook Preserve! Get hands-on training and learn how you can contribute to an important community science project that acts as a screening tool for Maine’s Department of E

Do you want to volunteer your time to care for your local streams? Do you want to learn more about the critters that live in the water? Come and practice your sampling methods and macroinvertebrate identification skills at this in-person training workshop. Learn how to sample a stream for science and identify the organisms you find, to help professional scientists monitor water quality. Marsh and Stream Explorers is our community science project featuring aquatic insects and what they can tell u

Bring your cameras to witness the quiet transformation as the scenic Fields Pond trails wake up from their winter sleep. Guided by nature photographer and Registered Maine Guide L’aura Bradford, we’ll explore shifting light, wildlife activity, and plants as leaves unfurl. This course emphasizes bringing our cameras to bear in a practice of observation and storytelling through photography. This course is open to photographers of all experience levels and all digital cameras - the objective is

Maine Audubon's Advocacy Team just wrapped up months of work in the Maine Legislature protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat. Tune in live on Monday April 27 at 1 pm to hear Advocacy Director Ches Gundrum and Policy Advocate Anthony Erwin talk about the highs and lows of the Second Session of the 132nd Maine Legislature. Celebrate with us! Ask questions! Get a sneak peak of what legislation we've got coming up!

Explore with us as we turn Maine Audubon at Fields Pond into a 230-acre science laboratory! This 5-week afterschool club will spark curiosity, nurture a love for the outdoors, and help discover how we can protect our planet—all while having tons of fun! This club combines outdoor exploration, guided hiking, and nature-based experiments to deepen your students' connection with the natural world. Sign up your 2nd-5th grader today. While this is designed to be a drop-off program for participatin

Join us for an Introductory Workshop on the new CoastWise Approach to tidal crossings. CoastWise is a training program and resource for anyone with responsibility for planning and building road crossings in tidal wetland areas. Modeled after the statewide Stream Smart program for non-tidal crossings, CoastWise supports coastal Maine communities in building safe road crossings that accommodate the tides, sea level rise, and increasingly powerful storm surge, while fostering a healthy ecosystem.

Our annual series is back and growing! We will spend 17 weeks covering the essentials of birding. These online sessions are for people newly interested in birding or novices needing a refresher, but even the pros will learn something new. Different topics each week; review the courses and join for the ones that interest you. Free, donations appreciated. Dates and topics listed below. For full topic descriptions, please click here for a PDF. UPCOMING TOPICS (please note some topics have

Young children and their grown-ups are invited to spend an hour exploring nature together through stories, songs, art, and play. Each week will include outdoor activities and adventures designed to foster a connection to nature, encourage stewardship, and provide an introduction to group learning settings. Weekly on Wednesdays April 29 to June 10 (7 weeks) 9:30-10:30 am OR 10:45-11:45 am $96/member child, $120/nonmember child Ages 2-5, siblings under 2 free Advanced registration is e

Feathers & Feeders: Backyard Bird Photography for Beginners at Fields Pond Spring Migration Edition Join nature photographer and Registered Maine Guide L’aura Bradford and discover the joy of bird photography in this hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop. Limited to just six participants, this small-group session offers personalized instruction while photographing birds at the Fields Pond Audubon Center feeders. You’ll learn about lens choice, camera settings, focusing techniques, composi

Drop in during the first half hour as we watch the feeders around our Visitor Center. Then we’ll hit the trails to the meadow and waterfront. These are for anyone who is new to birding or wants to improve their skills by getting back to basics. Our naturalist will answer questions and make identification less overwhelming to new birders. Binoculars (and binocular tips) will be available. Tuesday mornings 8-10 am (3/3, 4/14, 5/26) Wednesday evenings 5-6:30 pm (4/1, 4/29) Saturdays 9:30-1

Join us for a weekly bird walk at Gilsland Farm, led by Maine Audubon's Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and others. Meet in the parking lot, in front of the Visitor Center, where we'll begin a slow walk around the property to look and listen for birds using Gilsland's diverse habitats. Free, no registration required. The walk typically covers between 1 to 2 miles (1.5 - 3 km). Waterproof shoes are recommended as the paths can be damp with dew in the mornings and icy when frozen. Please bring y

Join us for an Introductory Workshop on the new CoastWise Approach to tidal crossings. CoastWise is a training program and resource for anyone with responsibility for planning and building road crossings in tidal wetland areas. Modeled after the statewide Stream Smart program for non-tidal crossings, CoastWise supports coastal Maine communities in building safe road crossings that accommodate the tides, sea level rise, and increasingly powerful storm surge, while fostering a healthy ecosystem.