Hunter safety course, Monmouth Fish and Game, 6 to 9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and April 11 and 13; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The course covers 14 hours of required materials, plus three hours of strongly recommended work. Attendance at all classes is required. Register by calling Doug Beck at 513-6772. Registration fee is $10. 

Woodcock Walks, 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, led by Paul Dest. Walk the Wells Reserve at Laudholm at sunset to watch the aerial courtship sky dance. Cost is $5 for York County Audubon Society and Laudholm members, $7 for non-members. Preregistration is required. Call 646-1555 to reserve your space. 

Additional Photos

Jillian Beland of Augusta displays a 15-inch brook trout she caught at Moosehead Lake during a family trip in February. Contributed photo

Devon Dobbins Manson caught this 41⁄2-pound salmon after watching everyone else in her party of four catch fish. It was the biggest catch of the day. Contributed photo

Bird migration presentation, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Friends Community Room at the Rockland Public Library, co-sponsored with Mid-Coast Audubon. Naturalist Bill Goodwill will discuss types of bird migration, preparations for the journey, finding the way, flight plans, hazards and delays, winter homes and finally the return. Free. For more information, call 594-0310. 

Looking ahead

Great Maine Bike Swap, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 10, University of Southern Maine’s Sullivan Gymnasium, 66 Falmouth Street, Portland. Sponsored by Bicycle Coalition of Maine. Bikes for sale should be dropped off at that location between 8 and 9:30 a.m. on April 10. Buy or sell a bike or do both. There will be test riding, exhibits by local bike shops, food and drinks for sale and more. Admission is $3, free for students at the University of Maine, University of Southern Maine, University of New England and Southern Maine Community College, and for children 12 or younger. A small commission on all sales supports the coalition’s work to improve bicycling in Maine. For more information, visit www.BikeMaine.org or call 623-4511. 

Great Pond Mountain Wildlands, group walk, 1 p.m. April 10. Meet at the South Gate (Route 1 just south of Route 176 in East Orland) for this roughly 3-mile moderate walk to a beaver dam. We’ll be walking on gravel roads; bring sturdy footwear (you’ll encounter some mud) and snacks. All ages welcome. For more information, call Connie at 223-5039. 

Maine Guide Training Program, Skowhegan Community Center, 39 Poulin Drive, Skowhegan, April 14, 15, 16 and 17. The course prepares students for taking the state’s licensing exam for recreational, hunting and fishing guides. The cost is $475 per person, and $200 deposit is required upon registration. Contact Carroll Ware at Fins and Furs Adventures at 474-5430. 

Introduction to GPS and geocaching, 9 a.m. to noon April 15, Anderson Learning Center, Springvale. This workshop presented by the Maine Forest Service will cover all the basics and will include an outdoor session. GPS units will be provided for class use. Space is limited to 24 and the cost is $10. Light refreshments will be served. Bring your own bag lunch and join a walk to find nearby geocaches from noon to 1 p.m. To register, call Melissa at 324-0888, ext. 214, or email info@yorkswcd.org. Co-sponsored by York Count Soil & Water Conservation District and 3 Rivers Land Trust. 

Trail & Beach Cleanup Day at Craig Brook Hatchery in Orland, 9 a.m. to noon April 16. Volunteers are invited to help tidy up trails and beaches of trash and winter debris at the fish hatchery. Bring gloves, clippers, loppers or handsaws, and meet at the hatchery parking lot. Friends of Craig Brook will provide refreshments. Groups are welcome — to register a group or for more information, please call Richard Hero at 359-8999 or email richardhero@midmaine.com. 

York County Audubon field trip, April 17, to Green Point Wildlife Management Area in Dresden with Mike Fahay. Meet at 7 a.m. at the Burger King in Saco to carpool, or meet at the green shed at the Green Point entrance at 8:30 a.m. This trip will focus on finding migrating waterfowl and will involve driving. For more information, call Pat Sanborn at 781-9837. 

Spring Nature Day Camp, offered by Friends of Cobbossee Watershed, will be held during April school vacation week at the YMCA Camp of Maine on Cobbossee Lake in East Winthrop. Two two-day sessions will be offered. The first is April 18-19, and the second is April 20-21. Both sessions are open to students in grades 3 to 5 and will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Cost for each two-day session is $75 per person and includes all equipment and a daily afternoon snack. Early registration is recommended. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.watershedfriends.com. Contact Tamara Whitmore at 621-4100 or tamara@watershedfriends.com. 

From Cosmos to the Backyard, 7 p.m. April 19. Free presentation by photographer Kirk Rogers at the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm. Rogers will talk about birding with lenses and observing the heavens with cameras and telescopes. Visit his website at kiroastro.com. 

Handgun safety class, Gardiner Sportsmen’s Club, 6 to 9 p.m. April 20. This class meets the requirements for a safety class to qualify for a concealed firearms permit. Cost of the class is $60 per person. Please call 441-7870 to register. 

Bowhunter safety course, sponsored by the Winslow Fire Department, May 7. Call Don Perrine at 660-6382 to register and for details. 

Chainsaw training classes, hosted by David Jenney and Mike Maines. The first will take place at 9 a.m. May 14 at Jenney’s woodlot in Vassalboro. The rain date is May 21. This class is a basic introduction to using your chainsaw, which will be similar to the Level 1 Game of Logging training. The second class is at 9 a.m. June 4, also at Jenney’s woodlot. The rain date is June 11. This class will focus on reduced downtime maintenance and filing. Both classes cost $75, with a minimum of seven people required for the class to take place. Advance registration and payment required. Contact Jenney at dgjenney@gmail.com or 923-3483. 

Hunter safety course, Winslow Fire Department. This is a 12-hour course. Classes are held 6-9 p.m. May 31 and June 2, and 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on June 4. Call Don Perrine at 660-6382 to register and for details. 

Ongoing

Clean Water for Clams, children’s activity series sponsored by the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust at the Patten Free Library in Bath from 3:30 to 4:40 p.m. each Thursday in April. For ages 6 to 11. Environmental educator Becky Kolak will offer water experiments, discussion and crafts on the importance of clean water for shellfish and for people. No registration is necessary. Contact Kolak at 442-8400 or visit www.kennebecestuary.org. 

The Portland Water District invites preschoolers to join it for environmentally themed stories, activities and crafts. Fun with Frogs, 10 a.m. to noon April 15 at the Sebago Lake Ecology Center in Standish. To register, email sebagolake@pwd.org or call 774-5961, ext. 3319 or 3320. Donations support loon preservation. Scholarships are available, and snacks are provided. 

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. For more information, call 781-2330, ext. 209. 

Kennebec Land Trust Lyceum Series “New England Nature Writers of the Land.” The series, co-sponsored with Colby College, will focus on connections between people and the land. Lectures include “A Party in the Woods, Loss and Celebration Under a Changing Sky,” at 7 p.m. April 11, in the Olin Center at Colby College. Field programs include Earth Week: Birding, Hiking and Nature Writing at Gannett Woods & Wyman Forest, April 23, and New England Nature Writers and Vernal Pool Ecology for Teachers, May 6. Call 377-2848 or visit www.tklt.org. 

Spring Hawk Watch, Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal. Freeport Wild Bird Supply teams up with Nikon Sport Optics to sponsor the project that collects valuable data while providing an enjoyable and educational experience for visitors. Andy Northrup, official counter, will be stationed at the Bradbury summit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until May 15. The hawk watch is free, but there is an entry fee to the park: $3 for Maine residents ages 12-64, $1 for ages 5-11, free for those over 64 and under 5. Go online to www. freeportwildbirdsupply.com for more information.

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