SANFORD — Been birding lately? Are you interested in learning more about the birds we see in Maine and where we see them?  How about some new ideas for hiking?

With spring finally in the air, two Maine outdoor enthusiasts will bring  their expertise to Goodall Library later this month, in a bid to whet the appetite of those seeking to learn more about their natural surroundings.

Josh Fecteau, who was raised in Biddeford and now calls Kennebunkport home, is an avid birder who maintains a website and natural history blog (joshfecteau.com) and takes pleasure in sharing his love of the wild with others by leading walks and workshops and presenting to audiences large and small, according to Goodall library director Jackie McDougal.

How many species of birds can one see in a year in Maine?  In 2017 Fecteau sought to answer that question, and in  a program set for 6:30 p.m. April 17, Fecteau will  share photos and stories that takes attendees  on a statewide journey of avian appreciation.  

“Along the way, he’ll pass on some of his essential bird seeking strategies, on the off chance that you catch the birding bug,” said McDougal.

Fecteau, on his blog, talks about his interest this way:

“I left the state in 2001 to attend college in eastern Massachusetts,” Fecteau wrote. “At about the time I graduated with a degree in Mathematics from Stonehill College, I discovered my passion for the natural world. For most of my 20’s, I spent countless hours exploring New England with the curiosity of a child, observing and interacting with my suburban surroundings in fresh, exciting ways. In 2013, I returned to Maine with a deeper appreciation of the coastal and inland sites I explored in my youth and a growing desire to share my love of the natural world with others hungry for wild connection.”

Two days later, at 6 p.m. April 19, Greg Westrich, who lives in Glenburn with his wife and children,  will be at the library to talk about hiking. Westrich is the author of four hiking guides published by Falcon and is currently working on several others. He’s mapped more than 500 hikes in Maine. 

As well as his hiking guides, Westrich has also published more than fifty stories in newspapers, anthologies, and magazines, including Canoe & Kayak and Down East.  

He’s written about everything from backyard mushrooms to wedding traditions in Aroostook County, according to his website.

Westrich has also worked as a carpenter, sous chef, newspaper carrier, fence installer, stay-at-home parent, children’s educational book editor, bookstore manager, and warehouse supervisor in an Alaskan salmon cannery. 

He  earned an MFA in Creative Writing from University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast Program and teaches writing at Husson University and Eastern Maine Community College.  Currently, he’s working on Hiking New Hampshire  — set for release in May 2019 — and guides to downeast  Maine and the Bangor region.

 — Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].