Looking for events on specific dates? Click here to see our public calendar.
Map & Compass Basics for Women and their Families
with Women for Healthy Rural Living
Knowing how to use a map and compass can be the difference between a fun outdoor adventure and a scary one. Your phone or GPS won’t always work, but a compass and your brain will—if you know how to use them! Learn how to use a compass, take bearings, and triangulate your location through this two-part course with Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark.
Day one will be based at Milbridge Commons to learn the basics and get some hands-on practice on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 10am-2pm.
Day two will be in the woods and on the shore out on Beals Island (a bridged island), where you’ll apply your new skills on Sunday, May 4, 2025 from 12-4pm.
Compasses will be available to borrow if you don't have your own. Register Here
Hospitality Hike
Monday, April 28th from 12 - 1 pm at the Jordan Homestead Preserve in Ellsworth
This hike, led by a Registered Maine Guide, will be free to anyone who works in the hospitality industry in Hancock County, and we hope will serve as an experiential introduction to our guiding services.
This is an easy hike less than 1.5 miles long where you'll see what a guided hike with us is like in a beautiful spot. Registration is required as space is limited. Please register here.
HomeSchool Programs
with Independent Downeast Educational Alliance (IDEA) and Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Tuesday, May 13 - Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Tuesday, June 3 - Soil Science and Decomposition
This program series is designed for the Independent Downeast Educational Alliance (IDEA) of homeschoolers. For more information and to register, email independentdowneast@gmail.com.
Spring O.W.L Outings
May 17: Spring Observations at Tide Mill Creek, 1 - 4 pm. Register here
June 22: Canoeing on Orange River, 10 am - 2 pm.
OWL outings are for women ages 16+. Free to participate
Click here for more information on OWL and these outings. OWL is a collaborative project between Maine Outdoor School and Women for Healthy Rural Living.
Using the Outdoors to Make School Fun Again!
with Washington County Consortium
Rescheduled to Thursday, May 29th from 8:30am-2:30pm at the University of Maine at Machias
In this day-long workshop based inside and outside at UMM, Washington County teachers of any grade or subject will learn about the benefits of outdoor learning, experience several activities they can use with their students, and workshop with each other about how to make an indoor curriculum more outdoorsy.
Prepare to have fun, connect with other teachers, feel inspired, and be ready to facilitate meaningful, standards-aligned, outdoor learning with your students tomorrow. This workshop will be led by Maine Outdoor School Co-Founder, Naturalist Educator, and Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark in collaboration with the Washington County Education Consortium.
Attendance is free, registration required. Registrer here
OWLette Camp
with Women for Healthy Rural Living
June 23-26th, Milbridge Commons Wellness Park
OWLette is a summer day camp for girls and non-binary youth, ages 11 – 14.
Campers learn outdoor, naturalist and gardening skills in an inclusive, non-competitive environment.
Watershed Camp
with Maine Coast Heritage Trust
August 12-15, 2025 along the Orange River in Whiting
For youth ages 10-13.
Through activities such as canoeing, hiking, hands-on exploration, active nature games, and mindful journaling, campers will be introduced to their local watershed and equipped with the knowledge and skills for a lifetime of scientific learning. They will also receive a first-hand introduction to the field of conservation and stewardship, while growing confidence recreating outdoors and developing a strong connection to the natural world.
This program is FREE, but there are limited spots and advance registration is required. Registration will be a lottery to give all families a fair chance at a spot in the popular camp. Registration for the lottery opens April 1st and participants will be notified after June 15th if they have been selected.
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
Annual New Year’s Eve Sunset Hike with Crabtree Neck Land Trust, Winter ‘24
OWL Outing Club for Women finding fungi, discovering mosses and mushrooms, and learning tips on winter plant identification with Women for Healthy Rural Living, Fall ‘24
“Take Any Subject Outside” Workshop at Dear Teacher Conference with Island Readers and Writers, Fall ‘24
Community Hike with the Natural Resources Council of Maine and Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Fall ‘24
Family Watershed Program with Beech Hill Pond Lake Association, Summer 24
Riverside Family Scientist Series with Ellsworth Public Library and Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Summer ‘24
Watershed Camp with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Summer ‘24
Forest Camp with Downeast Coastal Conservancy, Summer ‘24
OWLette Girls Camp with Women for Healthy Rural Living, Summer ‘24