Trail walk, on the Eastern Trail, 10 a.m. Monday. Meet at the Scarborough Memorial Cemetery parking lot on Old Blue Point Road. FMI: Contact Jim Monroe at 934-3834 or jmonroe@maine.rr.com. Canceled if raining. 

Solstice hike, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Loon Echo Land Trust’s traditional hike up the Bob Chase Trail at the Bald Pate Mountain Preserve in South Bridgton. A short hike of 20 to 30 minutes, with 300 feet of elevation gain. Participants are invited to play a musical instrument, read a poem or express a thought about summer or their connection to the environment. Meet in the Bald Pate parking lot in South Bridgton (just past Five Fields Farm on Route 107). Bring water, snacks, hiking boots, a rain jacket and bug spray. All Loon Echo hikes are free; however, donations are always welcome and will qualify you for a one-year membership. For more infomation, www.loonecholandtrust.org or contact Jon Evans at jon@lelt.org or 647-4352. 

Additional Photos

Naturalist Wanda Garland, at left, shown leading a previous walk, will take a group on a medicinal plant walk from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday. The exploration will take place on a historic property on the St. George River in Warren where medicinal plants have been collected. The land is now protected with a conservation easement held by Georges River Land Trust. Please call the trust office at 594-5166 to register for this free event and receive directions. Courtesy photo

Hunter safety course, Skowhegan Sportsmen’s Club, 6-9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday. A 12-hour course authorized by Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. FMI: Contact Russ Corson at 474-5361. 

Handgun safety course, Gardiner Sportsmen’s Club, 6-9 p.m. Wednesday. This class meets the requirement for a safety class to qualify for a concealed firearms permit. The cost of the class is $60; call 441-7870 to sign up. 

Kayak capsize and rescue techniques workshop, as part of the Orland River Day festivities, 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Practice wet exits, partnership rescues and self rescue methods. $20 per person. Contact Castine Kayak to reserve a spot, 866-3506 or castinekayak@gmail.com. 

June Jog 5K, Mast Landing School, Freeport, 8 a.m. Saturday. Benefits local recreation and community education child care, scholarships and Port Teen Center. Cost is $15. FMI: 865-6171 or www.rsu5-rce.org. 

5K Ridge Run/Walk, 9 a.m. Saturday, to benefit Equine Journeys at Ring Farm in Bridgton. The cost is $15. For more information, call 647-8475. Register online at www.active.com/running/bridgton-me/ridge-runwalk-5k-2011. 

Botanical Studies, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson. Dan Townsend will continue the exploration of the center’s remarkable diversity by examining many of the herbaceous and woody plants of forest floor, fields and pond margins. $25 for center members, $30 for all others. Sign up for three classes and get a 20 percent discount. To register, call 586-6752, and to learn more, go to www.hvnc.org. 

Family Mountain Biking Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Hallowell Reservoir, Town Farm Road. Join the Central Maine chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association for some healthy fun exploring local trails. Rides for all ages and abilities throughout the day, bike maintenance and safety tips, helmet checks, pizza, prizes and more. Rain date: June 26. FMI: Visit www.cemenemba.org or call Brian Alexander at 441-6227. 

Sustaining Maine Lakes, 41st annual conference, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Colby College, Diamond Building, Waterville. $35 includes presentations, workshops, exhibits and food. Hosted by Maine Congress of Lake Associations. To register or to purchase raffle tickets, go to www.mainecola.org or call 1-877-254-2511. 

Bike the Eastern Trail, 65-mile ride starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Bug Light parking lot in South Portland. Depending on the number of riders, we will encourage a few friends and partners to meet us in Portsmouth, N.H., around 4 p.m. to join us for something to eat and then take us back to Bug Light. We will plan to ride as a group at a relaxed pace. Bring bike in good working order, spare tube(s), helmet, water and lunch/snacks. Sign up by Wednesday. Contact Mogens Ravn at mravn2@gmail.com, 934-1643 or cell phone 730-1164. 

Looking Ahead

Youth Field Day at Phippsburg Sportsmen’s Association, June 26, registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at the association’s clubhouse on Route 209. Fishing, archery, target shooting, kayaking and tracking. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please sign up at 443-9426.

York County Audubon birding field trip, 7 a.m. July 2, at Horton Woods on Route 112. Free. For more information, call Joanne Stevens at 883-6475. 

Survivor Camp, Saddleback Mountain is offering a four-day camp July 5-8 with “Survivor” winner Bob Crowley. Crowley, along with his assistant, Maine Guide Peter Christensen, will take participants into the woods to teach fire-building techniques, cooking over fires, gathering food, shelter building and navigation. Families, couples and singles are all welcome. Cost is $500 per person. FMI: Visit www.saddleback summer.com. 

23rd annual Maine Bike Rally, July 8-10 at Brunswick High School. This event features road rides, mountain bike rides and an accredited time trial. Onsite camping, food, all rides, entertainment are all included in an affordable weekend price. The Maine Bike Rally is a combined effort of local enthusiasts, Casco Bay Bicycle Club, Merrymeeting Wheelers Bicycle Club and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. Go to www.mainebikerally.org for registration and details. 

Hunter safety course, Fairfield VFW, July 19, 21 and 23 at the post home. For details and registration call Don Perrine at 660-6382. 

Maine Lobster Ride & Roll will return to Rockland on July 23. Sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the ride will start and end at Oceanside High School, with staggered start times beginning at 8 a.m. Participants may choose from four distance options: 16, 30, 50 or 100 miles. Pre-registration costs $85, with a $20 discount for coalition members. Children ages 12 to 17 pay $25, and those under 12 ride free. Participants will receive Maine Lobster Ride socks. For online registration, a video about the ride and more information, visit www.BikeMaine.org or call 623-4511. 

Borestone Mountain Meditation Retreat, Sept. 9-11, at the lodge operated by the Maine Audubon Society in Elliotville Plantation. The cost is $320 for the weekend. For more information visit www.yogainmaine.com. 

Ongoing

Discovery Trek series, Portland Trails. Guided walks are free to Portland Trails members, $5 suggested donation for non-members. Please register for any trek by emailing info@trails.org or calling 775-2411. For more information or to check cancellations due to the weather go to www.trails.org. “Past and Future in the Evergreen Cemetery,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday; “Portland Trails’ 10K: Trail to Ale Preview,” 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 8; “Yoga and Walking Meditation on the Fore River,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. July 22; “Explore the Eastern Cemetery,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5; “A Bit of History on the Eastern Promenade,” 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24; “Indian Trail in the Peaks Island Land Preserve,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2; “Bird Walk at the Quarry Run,” 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30. 

Cathance River Education Alliance in Topsham is hosting open hours at the Ecology Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays in June. Visitors can learn about the center’s green features, explore field guides, animal specimens and geology, or watch footage from a remote wildlife camera. For more information, visit creamaine.org or call 891-8341. 

The Kennebec Land Trust Outing Club offers events for active adults age 21 and older. The club is a great way to explore the outdoors, get to know Kennebec Land Trust properties and socialize. Excursions are free to trust members or $5 for non-members. For a schedule, go to www.tklt.org. Call 377-2848 or email Theresa Kerchner at tkerchner@tklt.org to register for outings. 

Cathance River Kayaking Series, every Saturday in July, led by Michelle Moody, an Appalachian Mountain Club Maine Chapter leader. To register, go to www.amcmaine.org. This series is a joint effort with the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust (www.btlt.org), Cathance River Education Alliance (www.creamaine.org), Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (www.fomb.org) and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (www.kennebecestuary.org). 

Maine Guide training programs: July 7-10 at the Penobscot County Conservation Association Clubhouse; July 28-31 at the Phippsburg Sportsman’s Club. The course prepares students for taking the state’s licensing exam for recreational, hunting and fishing guides. The cost is $475, and a $200 deposit is required upon registration. To register, contact Carroll Ware at Fins and Furs Adventures at 474-5430. 

Weekly Bird Walk, 7 a.m. Thursdays at Gilsland Farm, off Route 1, Falmouth; $5 for Maine Audubon members, $8 for nonmembers. Bring binoculars and a field guide and meet in the visitor center parking lot. FMI: Call 781-2330, ext. 209. 

Guided trail walks with local Kennebec Messalonskee Trails volunteers at various locations in the Waterville area, offered several days a week throughout the summer and fall. Free; all welcome. For walk locations and times, visit www.kmtrails.org. 

Fundraiser Fridays rafting trips with Northern Outdoors. Every Friday, Northern Outdoors will contribute $20 per person in a rafting group to their designated charity. Groups must pre-register, and each member chooses a designated nonprofit. For more information on Northern Outdoors and Fundraiser Fridays, visit www.northernoutdoors.com/site/groups/fundraiser-fridays.html.

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