FREEPORT

L.L. Bean kicks off season with free hunter’s breakfast

In celebration of the opening of the Maine deer season, L.L.Bean will once again offer a free hunter’s breakfast from 4:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday, or as long as the food lasts.

The menu includes buttermilk pancakes, game sausages, home fries, scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, a variety of pastries, fresh fruit and plenty of hot, strong coffee and a variety of teas and juices.

The breakfast will be held in the Discovery Lobby in the Outdoor Discovery Center in the L.L. Bean flagship store.

Guests will also be given a coupon good for 20 percent off any purchase of hunting and fishing gear and apparel good for Saturday only at the L.L.Bean Hunting & Fishing Store (firearms and GPS units not included).

For more information, visit www.llbean.com/events, or call (800) 559-0747, ext. 37222.

HEBRON

Middle schoolers learn range of skills for outdoors

The Middle School at Hebron Academy is making the most of almost 1,500 acres at its call with its Outdoor Skills program for students.

Paul Brouwer, director of the program, is a Registered Maine Guide and wilderness first responder, and safety is first on his list.

The sixth-graders, or the “Trackers,” focus on nature observation skills as well as basic safety skills for outdoor travel. Some sample activities include tree identification, bird watching and feeding, Maine flora and fauna, animal tracking, map of Maine, the art of staying found, map and compass skills, hiking and snowshoeing.

The seventh-graders learn the skills covered in the Maine Woodsman/Junior Maine Guide curriculum.

These skills include map and compass use, ax and knife safety, wet-day fires, first aid, outdoor safety, knots, shelters, hiking and snowshoeing.

The eighth-graders work on leadership. They continue learning JMG skills covered in the seventh grade and add canoeing, trust-building exercises and leadership skills to the mix.

Students who successfully complete the Outdoor Skills program will receive the Maine Woodsman certification and will be prepared to pursue the JMG certification, which is achieved through participation in a weeklong testing camp held each summer during the last week of July.

For more information, go to www.hebronacademy.org or call 966-5225.

AUGUSTA

Landowners receive honors for allowing access to public

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife last week honored private, municipal and corporate landowners for their generosity in opening up their land to outdoor enthusiasts.

Fourteen individuals or entities received recognition at the annual Landowner Relations Awards banquet on Oct. 18 in Augusta, hosted by the Maine Snowmobile Association.

More than 90 percent of Maine’s land is privately owned, and the generosity of landowners allows access to hunters, anglers, snowmobilers, ATV riders and other enthusiasts.

The IF&W Landowner Relations Program seeks to maintain and build on Maine’s unique heritage of public access to private land for recreation and sport use, and works to ensure that the relationship between private landowners and the public is one of respect and good judgment.

To learn more about the award winners, go to www.maine.gov/ifw/.

NOBLEBORO

Knox-Lincoln conservation group plans dinner meeting

The Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District annual meeting and awards banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the North Nobleboro Community Hall on Upper East Pond Road.

The meeting provides an opportunity to discuss current conservation issues. It also provides a forum for the district to recognize groups or individuals who have contributed in a significant way to local resource conservation efforts, either by adopting land practices or by promoting other activities that heighten awareness of conservation needs.

The Teacher of the Year Award will be presented in recognition and appreciation of outstanding work with students to educate them about natural resources and help them become good stewards of the environment.

The event is open to the public. The cost for the dinner is $15 per person. Preregistration is required.

Go to www.knox-lincoln.org to print out a registration form, stop by the district’s office at 191 Camden Road (Route 90) in Warren, call 273-2005, ext. 101, or e-mail kathy.ward@me.nacdnet.net.

MONMOUTH

Conservation Corps seeks volunteers for trail effort

The Maine Conservation Corps is seeking volunteers to join a field team crew working on a project in Monmouth in late October and early November.

The crew will work primarily on bog bridging, side hilling, cutting new trail and building bridges. All safety equipment and tools are provided by the MCC and there is no minimum time requirement.

Volunteering with an MCC trail crew is a great way to get outside, help your community and get in shape.

Dates for the Monmouth project are Oct. 26-29, Nov. 2-5 and 9-10. To learn more, contact volunteer coordinator Sarah Gaffney at 624-6092 or sarah.gaffney@maine.gov.

To see all of the MCC’s fall volunteer opportunities, go to www.maine.gov/doc/parks/mcc/volunteer.html.

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