FREEPORT — As spring turns to summer in Maine, park rangers are welcoming some familiar faces. Along with the tourists, the state will once again become home to thousands of birds of different species. 

The 16th annual Feathers Over Freeport birding festival at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfe’s Neck Woods state parks on Saturday and Sunday celebrated their return with a community event for all ages. 

“The focus is on just inviting people to come with their whole family to enjoy,” said Wolfe’s Neck park manager Andy Hutchinson. The highlight, he said, are the returning ospreys that nest high up in the trees on Googins Island every year.

Other event highlights included a do-it-yourself birdhouse making station, a leave no trace presentation, a bird footprint making workshop, and a wildflower walk. The live music event was rained out Sunday, but the weather held up enough for a two-hour morning walk for the early birds.

“If you went without a guide, you’d miss them,” Hutchinson said of the ospreys spotted on the morning walk. “It was really nice for people to see (the osprey) on her eggs and hear the male in the background making his call.” 

The group saw about 12 to 15 different species, but the true focus this year for Hutchinson was hearing the different calls.

The festival, originally held in April but changed to late May in hopes of better weather, had a modest mid-day turn out with many families hoping to connect with the community.

“I think we have a lack of community, maybe not just in Maine, but in general,” said Megan Kressbach. She came to the festival with her husband, Aaron, and their 2-year-old daughter to get her involved at a young age.

“It’s important to show up to events like this to continue that, and to get kids interested in the world around them,” Kressbach said.

Rangers and park employees echoed that sentiment, adding that during and after COVID, state parks saw a significant increase in yearly visitation. For the last five years, the parks have welcomed more than 3 million people, which is twice the year-round population of the entire state. 

“There’s been a disconnect, and in 2020 when the pandemic hit there wasn’t anything else for people to do, other than go outside,” said Tamson Bill, a park ranger and leave no trace instructor. “It’s a passion to keep open spaces and to educate people about what they have,” he said.

Park interpreter Jocelyn Hubbell added that the environment has brought people together in recent years through conversations about climate change. Preserving the natural world has become more of a priority for visitors, she said.

“Some people think about the decline, but I always try and teach from the positive aspect and not doom,” Hubbell said.