Looking for events on specific dates? Click here to see our public calendar.
Riverside Family Scientists
with Frenchman Bay Conservancy and Ellsworth Public Library
Explore nature with Maine Outdoor School, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, and the Ellsworth Public Library for Riverside Family Scientists: a series of interactive nature-based science activities at the library. Each week will feature a different topic, from skulls and birds to rocks and plants. This year will also feature a two-hour youth drop-off field trip to Jordan Homestead with hands-on learning about the Union River Watershed.
Day 5 - 7/28, 2-4 pm: 2 Hr Field Trip to Jordan Homestead (youth only--drop-off program)
Free to participate, registration required.
The Observant Explorer
1-hour Guided Outings with Maine Outdoor School
Sunday mornings from 10 -11 am at the Northeast Harbor Trails.
July 26: Plants
August 9: Birds
Learn to notice what most hikers miss with a Registered Maine Guide and Naturalist Educator. Train your eyes and ears while building confidence in identifying the living world around you.
For participants ages 18+. Cost $50/ participant. Register Here
Nature Detectives for Homeschool Families
Pilot Program
Cost: $15/child or $10/child if multiple children in the family
Time & Date: 10 am-12 pm, Thursday, August 6th, 2026
Location: Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s Indian Point Trail, Ellsworth
Aimed for ages 6-10, but the whole family is welcome!
Become a keen observer of the wild world just outside your door! Through hands-on exploration, field guides, drawing, and playful observation games, children and their families will transform into nature detectives by learning to identify and understand their “nature neighbors”—the plants, animals, and ecosystems they share their community with. They will build confidence in noticing patterns, asking questions, and making discoveries, helping young learners develop both scientific skills and a deeper sense of connection to place. Whether sketching a leaf’s tiny details or tracking clues along the trail, Nature Detectives empowers children to explore with curiosity, creativity, and wonder.
Register here. Space limited
Outdoor Women Lead (O.W.L.) Outings
OWL is a collaborative project between Maine Outdoor School & Women for Healthy Rural Living. OWL outings are for women ages 16+ and free to participate. Outings are led by a female Registered Maine Guide with a minimum of a Wilderness First Aid certification. While all ability levels are welcome, please read the outing description to learn more about the location and ensure this outing is suited to you. We offer outings of various difficulties throughout the year.
*To determine the difficulty level of outings, we use Maine TrailFinder's difficulty rating system. For more detailed information about these difficulty levels, including visual examples, explore the rating system here.
Spanish language interpreter service is available, as well as a gear library.
Click here for more information on OWL and these outings.
Upcoming O.W.L. Outings
Rescheduled, Date TBD, 5:30-7 pm: Milbridge Commons Wellness Park — Entomology 101 (Bugs) Register Here
Thursday, August 6th, 6:30-8 pm: Frances B. Wood Preserve — Crepuscular Crawl. Register here
September 19th, 12 -4 pm: Spring River Lake Paddle
Stay tuned for more 2026 outings!
MOS @ Mt Desert Land & Garden Preserve
MOS Naturalist Educators will be stationed at the Boat House at Little Long Pond. Drop in anytime to explore what’s happening in nature that day through hands‑on activities and curiosities for all ages at this beautiful spot.
Saturday, August 22nd: 10-2
Sunday, August 23rd: 10-2
Map & Compass: Practice Your Skills
with Women for Healthy Rural Living
October 25, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Milbridge Commons Wellness Park
Have you used a map and compass before, but are out of practice? Or maybe you’ve forgotten the basics altogether? This program will go over map and compass basics for folks who are new to these tools and will serve as a review for those who are old pros.
Map and Compass: Practice Your Skills is open to all who are 16 years of age or older. Free to participate; registration required.
Summer Camps
Registration closed 6/4
Bird Camp with Downeast Audubon and Birdsacre: Tuesday - Friday, July 21-24, 1:30-4:30 pm. Based at Birdsacre, Ellsworth.
Watershed Camp with Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Monday -Thursday, August 10-13, 9 am-3 pm. Based at Orange River Preserve, Whiting.
Woods & Wetlands Camp with Bangor Land Trust: Tuesday - Friday, August 11-14, 9 am-3 pm. Based at Bangor Land Trust Preserves.
Homeschool Programs
With Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Independent Downeast Educational Alliance (IDEA)
Please stay tuned for future programs!
This program series is designed for the Independent Downeast Educational Alliance (IDEA) of homeschoolers. For more information and to register, email independentdowneast@gmail.com.
Summit for a Cause
With Women for Healthy Rural Living
Ten women will join Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark on July 31 – August 2, to experience the splendor and adventure of Katahdin.
This is a peer-to-peer fundraising event for Women for Healthy Rural Living’s Elaine Hill Memorial Nursing Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to Washington and Hancock Counties residents pursuing a post-secondary nursing education.
Custom Outdoor Experiences
Interested in a guided hike or other outdoor learning experience? Visit our Guiding page to schedule your own personalized event!
Virtual Programs
Check out the Outdoor Women Lead (OWL) series, which aims to teach outdoor and naturalist skills through videos, blog posts, and suggested backyard activities. Also visit our Virtual Programming site, which includes a variety of videos that aim to get you engaged in outdoor learning in your own backyard or at a local park or hiking trail.
Past Events
Rooted Together LGBTQ+ hike with Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Summer ‘26
Keynote speech for UMaine Summer Educators’ Institute and outdoor education workshop day for Washington County Educators, spring and summer ‘26
OWLette Girls Camp with Women for Healthy Rural Living, Summer ‘26
OWL Outing Club for Women paddling, plant ID, and other nature topics with Women for Healthy Rural Living, monthly
5th Annual New Year’s Eve Sunset Hike with Crabtree Neck Land Trust, Winter ‘25/26
Map & Compass Basics with Women for Healthy Rural Living, Spring ‘26