Looking for events on specific dates? Click here to see our public calendar.

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 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 trail 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.

Homeschool Programs

with Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Independent Downeast Educational Alliance (IDEA)

  • Wednesday, March 4th, 1pm-3pm - Bird Adaptations and Life Cycles

    • How do birds survive in their environment? What are birds up to here in late winter? In this program, participants will build some birding superpowers by learning what to look for when observing birds to learn about how they survive. Bring binoculars, bird field guides, and nature journals if you have them; otherwise, supplies will be available to borrow.

  • Wednesday, April 8th, 1pm-3pm - Amphibians and Macroinvertebrates

    • What species rely on wet places at different times of year? What are amphibians and what do they need, especially in the spring? Participants will look for vernal pools and get to know the creatures that rely on hiding in wet places, especially in the spring. Bring bug nets, nature journals, magnifying glasses, and identification resources  if you have them; otherwise, supplies will be available to borrow.

  • Wednesday, May 6th, 1pm-3pm - Coastal Orienteering and Map Reading

    • Increase your comfort and confidence with using and making maps as well as using a compass to identify spots on the landscape. Bring a local map and compass  if you have them; otherwise, supplies will be available to borrow.

This program series is designed for the Independent Downeast Educational Alliance (IDEA) of homeschoolers. For more information and to register, email independentdowneast@gmail.com.

Hospitality Hike: Try It Before You Recommend It

Saturday, April 25th, 11 am - 12 pm

Work at a hotel, B&B, campground, or other lodging business in Hancock County? Come experience a guided hike with Maine Outdoor School—so you know exactly what your guests could sign up for.

This hike, led by a Registered Maine Guide, will be free to anyone who works in the hospitality industry in Hancock County, and will serve as an experiential introduction to our guiding services.

Our Hospitality Hike will take place at the Jordan Homestead Preserve in Ellsworth on Saturday, April 25th, from 11 am - 12 pm. 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. Register here

Map & Compass Basics

with Women for Healthy Rural Living

May 2 - May 3

Map and Compass Basics is open to all who are 16 years or older. 

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 2, 2026, from 10 am-2 pm.

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 3, 2026, from 12-4 pm.

Compasses will be available to borrow if you don’t have your own. Register Here

Teaching That Moves: Outdoor Learning Made Easy

with the Washington County Education Consortium

Thursday, May 21st 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. Whether you're new to outdoor education or have attended Maine Outdoor School workshops or programs before, you'll be sure to add something new to your teaching toolbox.

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 Owner, Naturalist Educator, and Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark in collaboration with the Washington County Education Consortium. Register Here

Youth Summer Day Camps

Registration Opens April 1st

  • OWLette Camp with Women for Healthy Rural Living, June 22nd - 25th

  • Volucrine Camp with Downeast Audubon, Dates TBA

  • Watershed Camp with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, August 10th - 13th

  • Woods & Wetlands Camp with Bangor Land Trust, August 11th - 14th

Space is limited, and camps use a lottery system to select participants. Please register to be considered and spots will be confirmed in early June.

Guided Outings with Maine Outdoor School

Sunday mornings from 10 -11 am. Locations and themes TBD.

  • Sunday, June 14

  • Sunday, June 28

  • Sunday, July 12

  • Sunday, July 26

  • Sunday, August 9

These one-hour walks are crafted for adults who want meaningful experiences in nature without a major time commitment. Stretch your legs, clear your mind, and learn something new with Haley, Registered Maine Guide and Naturalist Educator.

Registration opens in May

Day Camp--for adults

  • Saturday, June 27th: Native Plants

  • Friday, July 3rd: Animals of Maine

9:30 am - 1:30 pm each day at Bangor Land Trust’s Walden-Parke Preserve

Are you an adult who misses summer camp? Here's your opportunity to make some new summer camp memories as an adult!

Summer camp opportunities to learn, have fun, and grow shouldn't just be for kids!

These one-day summer camps will dive deep into Maine’s natural world through games, exploration, and art with Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark. Camp is for participants 18+ and priced per participant.

Camp is $199/day. Registration opens in April.

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.

Summit for a Cause is a unique opportunity to hike Katahdin, an elevation of 5269′, within a supportive community of women. It’s a way to connect with nature and one another while working to achieve a goal that offers a deep sense of accomplishment.

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.

Apply here

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

  • 5th Annual New Year’s Eve Sunset Hike with Crabtree Neck Land Trust, Winter ‘25

  • OWL Outing Club for Women foraging, learning about unique organisms, and winter survival with Women for Healthy Rural Living, Winter ‘25

  • Community Hike with the Out in the Open and Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Fall ‘25

  • Little Cranberry Naturalist Camp with Islesford Boatworks, Summer ‘25

  • Riverside Family Scientist Series with Ellsworth Public Library, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, and Woodlawn Museum, Summer ‘25

  • Forest Camp Day, thanks to community support, Summer ‘25

  • Watershed Camp with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Summer ‘25

  • OWLette Girls Camp with Women for Healthy Rural Living, Summer ‘25

  • Map & Compass Basics for Women and their Families wth Women for Healthy Rural Living, Spring ‘25

  • “Take Any Subject Outside” Workshop at Dear Teacher Conference with Island Readers and Writers, Fall ‘24