Programs

Downeast Chapter

Serving All of Hancock County

Home to Acadia National Park, forests, wetlands, blueberry barrens, and miles of rocky ocean and island habitat, Hancock County supports diverse species of birds and wildlife, and offers excellent opportunities for enjoying nature, birding, outdoor recreation, and wildlife observation and study.

Monthly natural history programs are typically held the third Thursday of each month in either MDI, Blue Hill, or Ellsworth, and are open to members and the public alike.

Field trips (birding, plant walks, etc.) are offered throughout the year to local and state points of interest. We depend on a dedicated local volunteer board and committee members to plan and implement our activities.

Board meetings are held monthly in Ellsworth and are open to all members. Contact us to get involved!!

 

Programs & Trips / 2008

December

You must sign up for field trips! Programs are free. Field trips are $5 for non-members, free for members.

For more information or to register, email deaudubon@verizon.net or call (207) 664-4400. Please register early, as space is limited on field trips.

The public is invited to participate in all activities. Become a member of Downeast Audubon and get discounts on Maine Audubon field trips and at our nature stores.

December

Special Event:

Double Discount Day
At Fields Pond

Friday, December 5
1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Fields Pond Audubon Center
Holden
Directions- From Ellsworth, take route 1A through Holden. Take a left onto Copeland Hill Road by Myerowitz Chiropractic. Turn right onto Wiswell Road and then left onto Fields Pond Road. The center is about a mile down on the left.

This is a special chance for Maine Audubon members to receive a 20% discount at the nature store. Items include: wildlife books for adults and children, bird feeders, field guides, gifts, toys, games, t-shirts and more! (Optics are not included.) From 6:00-7:00 there will be a potluck dinner so make an evening of it!

Special Event:

Annual Holiday Party
Thursday, December 11
5:30 p.m.
Location: Blue Hill Farm Inn
(2 miles north of Blue Hill village on Route 15)

It has become a tradition to celebrate the Christmas season with friends and good cheer at this beautiful country inn. The festivities will begin with cocktails followed by a potluck dinner at 6:15. Please bring a casserole, salad, or dessert to share and also BYOB. Next, we will have a silent auction of items donated by members that evening. Keep in mind that these items should be nature-oriented crafts or works of art and might include birdhouses, ornaments, a wreath or centerpiece, books, etc. This is a fundraiser for the chapter so bring your checkbooks- in the past we have made over $1,000 at this event! Also, bring a dozen or so slides or digital images of the natural world and we will have an after-dinner show with entertainment provided by the members.

Special Event:

Christmas Bird Count
We need volunteers to participate in the 109th Christmas Bird Count which occurs every winter from December 14 to January 5. There will be four individual counts within our chapter’s area and we hope you will join a team or, if you live within a count circle, keep a tally of birds seen at your feeders during count day. Help contribute to the longest running survey in ornithology, with over 100 years of compiled data. Log on to www.audubon.org/bird/cbc for more information.

Blue Hill-
Sunday, December 14
Contact Leslie Clapp 664-4400

Mount Desert Island-
Saturday, December 20
Contact Michael Good 288-8128

Schoodic-
Thursday, January 1
Contact Bill Townsend 288-5654

Deer Isle-
Saturday, January 3
Contact Chip Moseley 359-2558