EDGECOMB

Outing clubs urged to apply for Teens to Trails grants

Additional Photos

Butch Phillips, a Penobscot tribal elder, will give a presentation on the building and use of the traditional birch bark canoe at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk. Courtesy Brick Store Museum

If you have a high school outing club or want to start one, Teens to Trails would like to help.

Teens to Trails is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the opportunities for Maine teens to experience the outdoors and form their own connections with nature.

Grants from the organization can help clubs with new gear or equipment rentals, transportation for outings, safety and skills training, recreational and public use fees, and more.

The grant program is supported by L.L.Bean, the North Face Explore Fund and other supporters.

Grants may take the form of financial assistance, usually not more than $500, and/or outdoor gear from L.L. Bean. Applications are due by Dec. 1. All outing clubs, new or established, are encouraged to apply.

For more information, go online to www.Teenstotrails.org, e-mail teens2trails@gwi.net or call Carol Leone at 882-9613.

GRAND LAKE STREAM

Land trust creates online guide to enjoying recreation area

Downeast Lakes Land Trust, in its first 10 years, has been at the center of an effort that has guaranteed public recreational access to 350,000 acres around Grand Lake Stream.

The trust owns and manages the 33,708-acre Farm Cove Community Forest just to the west of the village, and is working to protect another 21,700 acres around the village.

The trust has now created an easy to use website to help everyone from local residents to vacationers plan their outdoor recreation. The Visitors Guide at www.downeastlakes.org emphasizes ways to enjoy the Farm Cove Community Forest. Features the land trust has developed include hiking trails, a short path to a beautiful beach and nine campsites on the Downeast Lakes Water Trail.

The guide also includes links and information on fishing, hunting, canoeing, birding, snowmobile and ATV trails, lodging, Maine guides, camp programs and historical attractions.

KENNEBUNK

Penobscot elder to share art of making birch bark canoe

Butch Phillips, tribal elder of the Penobscot Indian Nation, will give a presentation on the building and use of a traditional birch bark canoe at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Brick Store Museum, 117 Main St., Kennebunk.

The program is a special tie-in with the exhibition, “In the Maine Stream,” featuring the museum’s own 1899 Wabanaki birch bark canoe and a private collection of vintage paddles and oars on loan from Kate Manko.

Phillips will share the art of making a traditional birch bark canoe, a process that has been passed down through the generations. The multimedia presentation includes numerous illustrations on the gathering and preparation of the materials, plus a question and answer session.

In addition to bringing his own hand-crafted 14-foot birch bark canoe, Phillips will show all the natural elements and tools used in traditional canoe construction as well as many items associated with canoe travel, including handmade etched paddles, pack baskets, birch bark and sweetgrass baskets, a 10-foot salmon spear, a drum and rattle, and a Penobscot long hunting bow.

Admission is by donation, a suggested $5 per person. Visit www.brickstoremuseum.org or call 985-4802 for more information.

LEWISTON

Geology walk will trace origins of Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary

Visitors to Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary have easy access to the highest point of land in Lewiston, at 515 feet above sea level, with a view of Mount Washington. But do you know how this urban mountain was formed?

The Stanton Bird Club, owner and manager of Thorncrag, will host a geology walk there from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 14. Join Bates College professor of geology Michael Retelle for a walk to the top of Thorncrag and adjacent areas, to see the rock formations and glacial geology of this unique local feature.

This event is free and open to the public. Meet at the Thorncrag parking lot on Montello Street in Lewiston. For directions and a map of Thorncrag, visit the website, www.stantonbirdclub.org.

In case of inclement weather, call Nancy at 784-8307 for more information.

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