Join Kennebunk Land Trust for a guided naturalist walk on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. at Wonder Brook Preserve. The walk is RSVP only and masks required. To register, visit www.kennebunklandtrust.org and complete the registration form listed with the event announcement in the Calendar of Events.

Wonder Brook is a picturesque oasis comprised of trail that threads through upland forest and fern beds, and crosses a brook and streams that lead to the banks of the Kennebunk River. This is a 90 minute to two-hour walk led by land trust board member and former forester, Scott Gasperin, and board member, Master Maine Guide, and Master Naturalist, Tony Ligouri.

The walk is described as moderate in terms of difficulty and is supported by Corporate Principal Sponsor Kennebunk Savings and Naturalist Walk Sponsor Spang Builders.

Directions: Wonder Brook Preserve is just a half-mile east of downtown Kennebunk at the end of Plummer Lane. Parking is available at the trailhead with an information kiosk on site. For more information, email kennebunklandtrust@gmail.com or call 207-985-8734.

Kennebunk Land Trust will host a guided naturalist walk on Sunday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m., at the Oxbow Preserve. The guided walk will highlight local flora and fauna and be led by land trust board member, Master Maine Guide, and Master Naturalist, Tony Liguori. The event is RSVP only and masks required. To register, visit www.kennebunklandtrust.org and complete the registration gorm listed with the event announcement in the Calendar of Events.

Oxbow Preserve is comprised of 14 acres and provides scenic views of the Mousam River with about a half-mile of river frontage. The guided walk along a short, loop trail provides an opportunity to learn more about animals and trees in a mixed conifer forest. The walk is supported by Corporate Principal Sponsor, Kennebunk Savings.

Directions: Oxbow Preserve is located on Spiller Drive off of Cat Mousam Road in Kennebunk. Parking is available at the trailhead.

Kennebunk Free Library celebrates GivingTuesday

Kennebunk Free Library will celebrate GivingTuesday with its 2020 campaign joining millions around the world participating in the global generosity movement.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world. GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring people to give back beginning on Dec. 1,  and throughout the year.

Kennebunk Free Library has experienced a decline in special event fundraising efforts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the library had to cancel or modify some special events such as our literary feast and road race, it has become creative in its efforts to reach out to the community. Thanks to The Friends of Kennebunk Free Library, it has been able to offer ad-free movie streaming for electronic devices using Kanopy and to increase digital collections. Library staff have been very inventive in putting together Take and Make kits for children, teens, and adults with over 400 distributed since this summer.

To keep Take and Make projects and other programming available to everyone, the library is asking for a donation of $20 (or more if inspired to do so) to help as it continues to expand into remote and virtual methods of reaching out to the community. Help the library reach its goal by being one of 200 people to show the Kennebunk Free Library support. To donate, visit https://kennebunkfreelibrary.square.site or KennebunkLibrary.org.

GivingTuesday was launched in 2012 as a simple idea: To create a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, the idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

People demonstrate generosity in many ways on GivingTuesday. Whether it’s helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people, or giving to causes, every act of generosity counts. GivingTuesday has raised billions of dollars for critical causes around the world and gets 21 billion impressions on social media from people and organizations speaking up for the causes that matter to them and encouraging others to get involved in their communities.

“GivingTuesday inspires people all around the world to embrace their power to drive progress around the causes they care about, not just on one day but throughout the year.” said Asha Curran, GivingTuesday’s CEO, and co-founder. “With country and community leaders, millions of organizations, and countless givers of all kinds, GivingTuesday is creating a shared space where we can see the radical implications of a more generous world.”

Those who are interested in the Kennebunk Free Library’s GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.kennebunklibrary.org. For more details about the GivingTuesday movement, visit the GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow @GivingTuesday and #GivingTuesday on Twitter.

Middle school book group

Kennebunk Free Library’s Middle School Book Group returns on Wednesday, Dec. 16, with a Zoom meeting. Meetings will run from 2:15 until 3:30 p.m. and is open to teens in the sixth to eighth grade.

The book club is being offered by Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library and Kennebunk Free Library. Hosts will be Terri Bauld from Graves Library and Jon Roy from Kennebunk Free Library. During the past month, the hosts reported “great discussions” surrounding banned books and are encouraging teens to read a challenged book from the American Libraries Association list of challenged titles and discuss it at the next meeting. For the list, visit  http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/childrensbooks.

Participants are asked to sign up in advance by calling either Graves Library, 967-2778, or Kennebunk Free Library, 985-2173. Participants should read the book in advance of the meeting. For more information, call either library.

First Congregational plans Holiday Food Drive

First Congregational Church of Kennebunkport will host a Holiday Food Drive to benefit the food pantry of York County Shelter in Alfred. Drop off date is Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nonperishable food items can be dropped off at the church on 141 North St., Kennebunkport. Masks and physical distancing required.

The church’s longtime member, Paul Gauthier, who passed away in June 2020, was passionate for giving to those in the community in need. In his honor and his giving spirit, the church wanted to keep this community service alive.

Monetary donations will also be accepted either by mail or in person during the drop-off on Dec. 12. Please make checks payable to First Congregational Church with Food Pantry on the memo line. If mailing, send checks to 141 North St., Kennebunkport, ME 04046. All donations will be given in total to the food pantry of York County Shelter Programs, Inc.

In addition to this event hosted by church members, the congregation welcomes all to attend Sunday worship service on the church Facebook page which begins at 9:30 a.m. All are welcome to tune in. The church’s Facebook page is First Congregational Church Of Kennebunkport. The service will also be posted on the church’s website, www.firstchurchkport.org.

Comments are not available on this story.

« Previous

Guest Column

Next »

Grant aims to help coastal communities cope with rising sea levels, more