Wild About Our Community, open house, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Center for Wildlife, 385 Mountain Road, York. Staff, volunteers and live animal ambassadors will welcome participants with a map of the property and a schedule of events for the day. $5 admission for adults, free for kids. All proceeds from the event go directly to medically treating and spreading awareness about local wildlife. FMI: www.yorkcenterforwildlife.org.

Hawk Watch with Loon Echo Land Trust, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today on Hacker’s Hill in Casco. This field day will be led by expert birders Dick Anderson and Don Hudson. There is no existing data on hawk migrations from this vantage point, so this watch will be a bit of an experiment. Hacker’s Hill is off of Quaker Ridge Road, accessible by Route 11 (about 1 mile away) or Route 302 (about 4 miles away). Parking is available. To learn more, got to www. loonecholandtrust.org or call 647-4352.

Bug Maine-ia at the Maine State Museum in Augusta, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday. Entomologists, environmental educators, foresters, artists and others will be on hand to guide students through the world of insects. Free admission all day. FMI: Call 287-2301 or go to www.mainestatemuseum.org.

Loon Echo Trek for cyclists and hikers, Shawnee Peak ski area on Saturday. Choose a 25-, 50- or 100-mile bicycle ride through lakes and mountains or hike six miles across the ridge of Pleasant Mountain. Fees are $60 for hikers and $75 for bikers until 11:59 a.m. Monday. After that, it’s $10 more. Participants under 18 pay $30. All proceeds benefit Loon Echo Land Trust’s land conservation in the northern Sebago Lake region. Register at www.loonechotrek.com or call 647-4352. All participants receive a barbecue meal, beverage, massage and performance T-shirt.

York County Audubon field trip, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Scarborough Marsh with Ed Hess. Meet at the trail head parking area on Route 9, south of Scarborough Marsh nature center. FMI: 324-4528.

Bald Eagles of Merrymeeting Bay, Maine Audubon field trip, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. $50 for members, $75 for non-members. Expect eagles, raptors, seals, sturgeon, shorebirds and waterfowl. To register, call 781-2330 ext. 273.

Guided paddle with the Georges River Land Trust on Stevens Pond in Liberty, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Bird enthusiast Douglas Prescott will be on hand to point out avian species. Canoes and kayaks are both welcome. Meet at 10 a.m. at the public landing on Route 173, a mile south of Liberty Village and .4 miles south of junction of Trues Pond Road and Stevens Pond Road. Bring your boat, binoculars, lunch and bug repellent. Rain date will be Sept. 18. FMI: Call 594-5166 or go to www.grlt.org. 

Looking Ahead

Tree Identification Program, 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 18, Beaver Park Lone Pine Lodge, Lisbon. Free. Enjoy a fall walk at Beaver Park while learning to identify trees and shrubs. Expect to walk at least 1 to 1.5 miles. Hot drinks and refreshments will be available at the lodge after the walk. Please register by Sept. 15 by calling Beaver Park at 353-9075 or emailing vbrooks@lisbonme.org. This event is scheduled rain or shine. 

“Best Nature Sites of Midcoast Maine,” authors Tony Oppersdorff and Kyrill Schabert will give a slide show presentation on their book at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20, Lithgow Public Library, 45 Winthrop St., Augusta. FMI: Call 626-2415 or go to www.lithgow.lib.me.us.

Sportsmen’s Forum, with Chandler Woodcock, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, begins with potluck supper at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21, hosted by the Norway-Paris Fish & Game Club, Buckfield Road, South Paris. Woodcock will talk about his role in the department’s efforts and answer questions about hunting, fishing and outdoors-related topics. The public is invited to participate in the free event. FMI: Visit www.npfg.org.

Hunter Safety Course, Monmouth Fish & Game. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 20, 22, 27 and 29; noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 24. $10. If you’ve never had a Maine hunting license or haven’t had one since 1976, you must pass this course before you can buy a hunting license. Students ages 10-12 must be accompanied by an adult. Class is limited to 40 students. Attendance at all sessions is required. Pre-register by calling Doug Beck at 215-9639 and leaving a message. The club will provide mid-afternoon refreshments Saturday.

Saco Bay Chapter of Ducks Unlimited annual dinner and auction, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 23, Dunegrass Country Club, Old Orchard Beach. Rebekah LaCourse, Maine’s winning 2011 Duck Stamp artist, will speak and has donated artwork to the auction. Proceeds go to conservation programs. $50 for a single, $75 per couple, $35 for a Greenwing (16 and under), $275 for a Bronze Sponsor, $300 for a sponsor couple and $550 for a corporate table. To buy tickets or to learn more, call Craig Evans at 934-2052.

Community Bike Ride in Yarmouth to celebrate Livestrong Day and raise awareness of people living with cancer. 10 a.m. Oct. 1. Check in at the Log Cabin, 196 Main St., starting at 9:30 a.m. All riding abilities are welcome. Cyclists may choose from 12- or 23-mile rides and are encouraged to wear yellow. There is no registration fee, but donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation are encouraged. Refreshments will be served after the ride. Please register in advance via email at Yarmouthlive strongday@gmail.com or call Maura at 841-3327 or Deb at 846-0955.

Ongoing

Guided trail walks at Inland Woods/Pine Ridge trails in Waterville. 8 a.m. Mondays through October. Free; all welcome. Meet at trailhead behind Inland Hospital, 200 Kennedy Memorial Drive. FMI: www.kmtrails.org or 861-3292.

Discovery Trek series, Portland Trails. Guided walks are free to Portland Trails members, with a $5 suggested donation for nonmembers. Register for any trek by emailing info@trails.org or calling 775-2411. For information or to check for cancellations, go to www.trails.org.

The Kennebec Land Trust Outing Club offers events for active adults age 21 and older. Excursions are free for trust members or $5 for nonmembers. For a schedule, go to www.tklt.org. Call 377-2848 or email Theresa Kerchner at tkerchner@tklt.org to register.

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.

Casco Bay Bicycle Club hosts several weekly road bike rides in the Portland area, and special one-time rides, often with an opportunity to socialize after. Members and nonmembers are welcome. FMI: Go to www.cascobay bicycleclub.org.

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