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

Fall O.W.L. Outings

  • October 18th, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Klondike Mountain–Foraging Join our Waitlist Here

  • November 15th, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Backfield Park, Great Wass Island–Unique Organisms. Registration to open in October

  • December 13th, 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Hidden Ponds — Winter Survival

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.

Mushrooms, Lichens & Moss at Forbes Pond

with IDEA Homeschool Group and Maine Coast Heritage Trust

November 4th, 12 - 2 pm

Join us for a hands-on exploration of the fascinating fungi, lichens, and mosses that thrive around Forbes Pond in Gouldsboro. Together, we’ll learn the key differences between these three groups of organisms and practice simple tips for identifying them in the field. Students will use their own nature journals (or paper and pencil) to sketch, take notes, and record discoveries as we look closely at these often-overlooked groups of living things.  

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

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

  • 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

  • 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