Field Trip Description
Fall is a great time to watch the miracle of bird migration. And no place along the coast is better for watching migrating hawks than Whaleboat Island. And if the weather is kind and supplies the day with a northerly wind, hundreds of Merlins, Kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks and several other species may be spotted as they pass over the meadows and spruce woods. Spotting and identifying will be made easy with the help of Paul Donahue, an accomplished birder who spends his summer studying local raptors.
Directions & Where to Meet
PARTICIPANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION TO THE ISLAND. Whaleboat Island is located in South Harpswell (see Map 6, D-2/E-2 in the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer) roughly a mile from the Dolphin Marina boat launch (launch and parking fee required). We will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. in the small cove (near the grassy meadow) on the east side of the island.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. There are no trails on the island, so we'll stick to the shore. We'll be walking over uneven shoreline ledges that are sometimes steep and high. Good sense of balance required.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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The Basin Preserve is the result of a 20-year conservation effort on Vinalhaven Island. We'll enjoy a pleasant 1.5-mile loop walk while taking in views of the stunning 80-acre tidal basin and making a stop at our new observation platform to scan ledges for seals and the shoreline trees for local Bald Eagles and Osprey. From Pitch Pine to shoreline the walk will take us through a variety of habitats where we'll soak in the finest of what nature has to offer.
Directions & Where to Meet
The tour will begin at the Vinalhaven Land Trust parking lot located in Vinalhaven's Skoog Park. From Skoog Park we will carpool to the preserve's trailhead (see Map 9, A-1 in the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer).
If you plan on attending please email Kirk Gentalen at kgentalen@mcht.org by Wednesday, September 2.
For those arriving from the mainland, follow Route 1 into Rockland and follow the blue "Ferry Terminal" signs to the state ferry terminal. Parking at the Rockland Ferry Terminal is ten dollars for the day and a roundtrip passenger-only adult ticket costs $16.
There are three morning trips available for the one hour and fifteen minute crossing to Vinalhaven. The one departing 11:15 arrives closest to the tour's start. Upon departing the ferry, turn left and walk a few hundred yards to reach Skoog Park on the left. The tour will end in time for participants to return on the 4:30 pm ferry to Rockland.
For more information: Vinalhaven Ferry.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Aldermere Farms is famous for their cows and nice people - and rightly so. But the 136-acre farm has a variety of habitats that any nature observer will enjoy. On this trip we'll not only focus our sights on the waves of birds migrating south, but we'll make sure to see whatever the woods have to offer. Fungus, insects, we'll check it all out!
Pre-registration required because space is limited
Call 1-207-236-2739 to reserve a spot.
Directs & Where to Meet
From the junction of Route 1 and 90 in Rockport head 0.3 mile east on West Street. Turn left at the intersection. Drive 0.5 mile and then veer right onto Russell Avenue. The Farm is located 0.6 mile on the right at 70 Russell Avenue. Parking available on the side of the road only. Participants will walk to the trailhead together with the presenter once everyone has arrived.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Great Cranberry is a wonderful island fortified with magnificent views and a picturesque village. Our walk will allow us to explore 64 acres of conserved land and the trail that winds through forests and bog-bridged wetlands to an undeveloped cove with gravel beaches and rocky headlands. Plus, there will be time afterwards for exploring the village, including its popular historical museum.
Directions & Where to Meet
Travel to Great Cranberry Island by personal boat or take Beal and Bunker Ferry from Northeast Harbor Marina on Mount Desert Island, leaving @ 12 noon. Return trip times - 3:15, 5:15, and 6:45. We will meet at Cranberry House and Historical Museum at 1 pm. The museum is approximately ½ mile south of the town dock on the main road.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include bog bridges, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Let a MCHT steward/naturalist show you the tidal pools, sand beaches, and nearly 11 miles of trails on this stellar island, Maine's largest undeveloped island. With its rocky shores and continual swell, Marshall has a rugged feeling that gives you a different sense of the coast. Plenty of mushroom potential!
Directions & Where to Meet
PARTICIPANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION TO THE ISLAND. We will meet at 9 a.m. at the Ringtown Cove dock on Marshall Island.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Join MCHT for a day of exploration on the 970-acre Frenchboro Preserve. After an enjoyable 45-minute early morning ferry ride, we'll walk along miles of trails cutting through maritime forests and along shoreline trails. Bold coastal cliffs and rocky headlands offer great views of Mount Desert Island, its off-shore islands and the open ocean. There will be plenty of time for personal exploration of the protected property and the village around Lunt Harbor, with its history museum and dockside restaurant.
Directions & Where to Meet
Take Route 3 out of Ellsworth towards Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. After crossing the Mount Desert Island Narrows stay right and pick up Route 102 towards Southwest Harbor. Continue on Route 102 through Southwest Harbor and then turn right onto 102A towards Bass Harbor. Follow the signs for the "Swan's Island Ferry Terminal."
You may park at the Maine State Ferry for $7 (rate subject to change) but you'll have to be there by 7:30 am as the lot fills up quickly.
The passenger-only ferry operates on Friday's only with only a 8am departure from Bass Harbor and a 6pm return trip from Frenchboro (No others ferry trips are run that day)
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Join MCHT as we explore more than 45 acres of protected land along the Bagaduce River. We'll be following the mile long Tills Point Preserve Trail through a Maritime Spruce forest interspersed with Red Oak and White Pine, with plenty to discover along the way. We'll time our stroll to pass the protected shoreline and mudflats of the Bagaduce River and Tills Cove at lowtide to get great views of shorebirds feeding and fattening up on their southern migration.
Directions & Where to Meet
Delorme Map 15 (Grid A-3) - At the intersection of Routes 175 and 199, head south on Route 199 for about one and a half miles to the Wardwell Point Road, which you will turn left on. Follow the Wardwell Point Road for nearly a half mile to the Till's Point road on the right. This is the road that leads to the preserve, and it traverses straight through the center of a field for approximately a quarter of a mile before bending left; rather than following the bend, stay straight and the parking area will be about 500 feet ahead on the right.
If approaching Till's Point from Castine, the Wardwell Point Road is approximately two miles north of where Route 199 intersects with Route 166.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Join MCHT on a walking tour of the Ned's Point Preserve, 122 acres of protected land at the southwestern end of Friendship Long Island. We'll explore the spruce forests and rocky shore of Ned's Point, and enjoy lunch on the shore while looking for bald eagles, osprey and seals. If time permits, we'll take a look at the old Thomas homestead on the east side of the preserve.
Directions & Where to Meet
PARTICIPANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION TO THE ISLAND. Boats can be launched from public launch sites in Hatchet Cove or Friendship Harbor. Ned's Point Preserve is located at the southern tip of Friendship Long Island. We'll meet at the beach in the south cove just east of Ned's Point at 10 a.m. (see Map 7, B-5 in the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer).
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult walking that will include inclines, uneven footing, and possibly shoreline ledges.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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MCHT holds an easement on this particular Mills Pond property in Machiasport. This 420-acre gem is part of the Moose Snare Cove/Mills Pond MCHT "Whole Place" project. With special landowner permission (this is not a public preserve) we'll be able to take in the 2+ miles of trails that will let us access much of the protected property, while soaking in views of Mills Pond, shoreline and plenty of Yurts! An additional 3-mile roundtrip road walk will be required to reach the protected property.
Directions & Where to Meet
From Route 1 in Machias, turn south onto Route 92 (Machias Road). Follow Route 92 toward Machiasport for approximately 6 miles. Go past the Post Office and Town Office. Just before reaching Bucks Harbor, you will reach a fish processing facility. Pull into this parking area on the far right and follow the rough gravel road that leads out of the back side. Continue about a quarter of a mile to a small parking area. We will meet here to begin the trip.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Discover the stunning array of granite and spruce islands in the legendary Merchant Row archipelago of 40 islands between Deer Isle and Isle au Haut. The islands in this area are recognized as "unsurpassed in beauty," most darkly wooded and fringed with white and pink sloping granite shores. Douglas McMullin, MCHT Regional Steward and Bill Baker, a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide, will share their deep knowledge of the many conserved islands in the area, as well as the natural and human history, and scan for seals, seabirds, porpoises, eagles, and osprey. We'll stop for a picnic lunch on MCHT's Green Island, heading up the stone wharf and short trail to the old quarry, where you may choose to take a dip in the popular swimming hole.
Cost
$55 per person.
Directions & Where to Meet
Contact Old Quarry Ocean Adventures Inc. at 207-367-8977 or info@OldQuarry.com to reserve a spot on this trip and receive directions.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring water, food, sun screen, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera and binoculars.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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MCHT's Boot Head Preserve is a 700-acre gem on the Bold Coast of Lubec. Purchased in 1989, Boot Head is one of MCHT's first preserves. Its headlands offer great views of the ocean and Grand Manan Island, while the woods and bog areas allow for plenty of exploration. Great mushroom potential!
Directions & Where to Meet
From Route 1 in Whiting follow Route 189 for 5.8 miles. Turn right onto Route 191. Drive 2.8 miles and then turn left onto Boot Cove Road continuing for 1.9 miles to the trailhead parking turnout on the right. From downtown Lubec, take the South Lubec Road towards Quoddy Head State Park. At the fork, bear right onto Boot Cove Road. Travel 3.9 miles. The parking lot will be on your left. We will meet at the parking area and then begin the walk.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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Hamilton Cove's nearly 2000 protected acres give you a unique feeling of great expansiveness. With wonderful vistas of open ocean and the 200-foot cliffs of Grand Manan Island (just 10 miles away), Hamilton Cove's views appear to go on forever. With a variety of habitats for birds and other wildlife - grasslands, woodland, cobble beaches - you'll be left feeling the hugeness that is Maine's Bold Coast! And Blueberries in August to boot! Bald Eagles are seen regularly. Bear, moose, whales are all possibilities.
Directions & Where to Meet
From Lubec take the South Lubec Road toward Quoddy Head State Park and bear right onto Boot Cove Road when the road forks. Travel 2.4 miles to a parking area on your left. From Route 1 in Whiting take Route 189 east 5.8 miles. Turn right and follow Route 191 south 2.8 miles. Turn left and travel on the Boot Cove Road 3.5 miles. The parking area is on your right. We will meet at the parking area and then begin the walk.
What to Bring & What to Expect
Participants should bring good walking shoes (not sandals), extra layers of clothing (examples: wind breaker, rain jacket, fleece), water, food, sun screen, insect repellent, and a hat. In addition, you are encouraged to bring a camera, binoculars, and field guides. Participants should expect easy to moderately difficult trails that will include inclines, uneven footing, and rough terrain.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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This trip has been cancelled due to the weather.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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This trip has been cancelled due to the weather.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
]]>Field Trip Description
This trip has been cancelled due to the weather.
More Information
If you have additional questions, please call Peg Adams, Stewardship Assistant, Monday through Friday at 207-729-7366, ext. 117. For last minute cancellation information call 1-207-798-5590, ext 201.
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