JEFFERSON

Bluebird houses to be built at Nature Center event

The Hidden Valley Nature Center on Egypt Road will hold a bluebird house building event at 2 p.m. today.

The center has the plans and all the pieces and just needs people to put them together.

If you want to take one home, a $10 donation is suggested; if you want to leave it with the center, the event is free.

Please register by calling 586-6752. For more information, go online to www.hvnc.org.

KENNEBUNKPORT

Events to celebrate the world’s oceans

Seas the Day! — a celebration of World Oceans Day — will kick off at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Colony Beach in Kennebunkport with a beach cleanup. The celebration will continue with activities, entertainment and a picnic. Other activities planned throughout the week include:

• Worthy Wednesday at One Dock from 6 to 9 p.m. The restaurant will donate 15 percent of proceeds from Wednesday evening to the Ocean Project. For reservations call 967-2621.

• Community aerial photo at Colony Beach at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

• “Make a Splash” story hour at Louis T. Graves Memorial Library at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday.

• Surf’s Up with Dr. Seuss at the Kennebooks’ story time at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

• Family movie night, with an ocean-themed film, at the Colony Hotel’s Carriage House at 7 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, visit www.seasthedayinthekennebunks.com.

FREEPORT

Paddle sports activities go on all weekend

L.L. Bean’s 29th annual PaddleSports Weekend Friday through Sunday will feature a variety of waterfront activities at Bean’s Paddling Center on Casco Bay.

There will be a free oceanside cookout, boat testing with hundreds of kayaks and canoes and the chance to speak with industry vendors and experts. In addition, there will be live music, GPS treasure hunts and much more.

The L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools will offer 90-minute kayak tours of Casco Bay for $29. Space is limited for the kayak tours, so please call 888-552-3261 to reserve a spot or sign up at the Flagship Store.

The Outdoor Discovery Schools also will offer walk-on kayaking adventures all weekend for $10.

There also will be events and special promotions at the L.L. Bean stores in downtown Freeport.

For more information, please visit www.llbean.com/events or call 877-755-2326.

 

L.L. Bean will host moose hunt drawing

This year’s moose permit lottery drawing will begin at 6 p.m. June 17 at L.L. Bean in Freeport.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will draw names for 3,140 permits for the fall harvest.

Last year, 82 percent of hunters were successful.

No more applications for the lottery are being accepted, as the deadline has passed.

L.L.Bean is planning moose hunt education programs this year, covering topics such as gear, shooting techniques and moose calls.

PRESQUE ISLE

Festival to draw birders of all ages to state park

Aroostook State Park will hold its second annual birding festival from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, with a special focus on birding around the park’s beautiful 70-acre lake.

Maine’s first state park is home to more than 100 species of birds. The festival will feature seven of Maine’s top bird specialists leading guided hikes; birding by boat from Echo Lake; a live raptor demonstration; bird-house building for youngsters; and a group of artisan wood carvers demonstrating nature and bird carving.

The festival will be held rain or shine.

Fees are $2 for adults, $1 for children 5-11, free for kids under 5. Coffee, hot chocolate and water will be available.

For more information, go online to www.parksandlands.com and follow the link to “parks events.”

WELLS

Wildlife Refuge offers weekend nature programs

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, located off Route 9, will host nature programs at 10 a.m. each Saturday and Sunday through mid-August.

Programs are free and open to the public. Each program lasts from 30 minutes to an hour.

Refuge staff will lead guided walks along the Carson Trail, focusing on the history of the refuge, Rachel Carson’s life and legacy, forest and salt marsh ecology and wildflower and tree identification.

The Carson Trail is a one mile long, handicap accessible trail that meanders through forest and salt marsh habitats.

With 11 stops along the trail, there are fantastic views of the salt marsh, the Atlantic Ocean and opportunities for viewing wildlife.

The trail is open every day from dawn until dusk.

For more information, call 646-9226.

NEW GLOUCESTER

Nature walks to take in Shaker Village flora, fauna

One Saturday a month through the fall, the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village offers nature walks from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The next walks will take place on June 19.

The hikes are guided tours of the Shaker fields, forests, Loon’s Point on Sabbathday Lake and the footbridge over Aurelia’s Cascade.

The guide is Carol Beyna, a naturalist with vast knowledge of the flora and fauna at the Shaker Village.

Please come dressed for a hike through the woods with mud and bugs, rain or shine. The cost is $5 for adults; $2 for children; free for kids under 6.

Call 926-4597 to make reservations, or e-mail usshakers@aol.com.

For more information, go online to http://www.shaker.lib.me.us/calendar.html.