#Maine #StatePark #FirstDayHikes, part of the nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors, are a combination of led and self-guided hikes, and virtual visits for 2026.

Guided Program Listings:

#CamdenHills State Park, #CamdenME - 9:00 a.m. Meet at the visitor center. Join us for a scenic 2.6-mile hike on the #Megunticook and #Adams Lookout Trails with Park Ranger Erik Hallsey to ring in 2026. The Megunticook Trail is a moderately difficult hike that leads to the easy Adams Lookout Trail. Both trails provide scenic points that include excellent views of #PenobscotBay. Leashed pets are welcome. Read all the details and view the flyer. FMI: (207) 236-0849.

#HolbrookIsland Sanctuary, #BrooksvilleME - 1-4:00 p.m. Meet at the Backshore Trail parking lot on Indian Bar Road. Join us for a leisurely 2.85 mile walk for all ages to ring in the New Year! Meet and Greet at 1:00 - Warm beverages, water, and snacks will be on hand at the start and finish of our walk. The guided hike will begin at 1:30 or explore on your own anytime during the afternoon. Please wear warm clothing and sturdy footwear. Leash pets are welcome. Read all the details and view the flyer. FMI: (207) 326-4012.

#SebagoLake State Park, Campground Side of Park, #Naples<E. Meet at 1:00 p.m. at the campground booth. Join us for a leisurely 1-mile walk for all ages on January 1 to ring in the New Year! Meet at campground booth on the Naples side of the park, for snacks and beverages, which will be provided. This will be an easy to moderate 1- mile hike around Horseshoe Bog; a mostly flat, and slightly rocky trail. All ages are welcome, but parents should be prepared to carry their children if they tire. Parents must accompany children under 12 years old. No pets on this hike, please. Park entry and program are free to First Day Hikers. Read all the details and view the First Day Hike flyer. FMI: (207) 693-6231.

#TwoLights State Park, #CapeElizabethME - 6:30-9:00 a.m. The park is off Route 77. Meet at High Head at the rose garden. Arrive at 6:30 for the sunrise. Hike begins at 7:30. This is a leasurely 3/4-mile loop hike along the shoreline and woodland paths. Parents must accompany children under 12 years old. Leashed pets are welcome. Read all the details and view the flyer. FMI: (207) 799-5871.

Self-guided Hike Guides:
#BradburyMountain State Park, #FreeportME
Camden Hills State Park, Camden
#PophamBeach State Park, #PhippsburgME
#ReidStatePark, #GeorgetownME
#WolfesNeck Woods State Park, Freeport
Share your self-guided hike photos and comments with us by tagging @mainedacf to Instagram and Facebook.
Stay Informed with Safety Updates.

FMI (includes link to guides):
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/discover_history_explore_nature/activities/first-day-hikes.shtml

#MaineParks #NatureEvents #NatureHikes #NewYearsHikes #SpendTimeInNature
#MoreGreenTimeLessScreenTime #MaineEvents

First Day Hikes: Activities & Events: Discover History & Explore Nature: State Parks and Public Lands: Maine DACF

#FirstDay Hikes at Select #MaineStateParks with Guided and Self-guided Options

"Maine State Park First Day Hikes, part of the nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors, are a combination of led and self-guided hikes, as well as virtual visits to help you kick off 2026.

Join in on the fun and start out your New Year within the beauty and solace of a Maine State Park. Program listings are provided below. You can also download materials for self-guided hikes and view the virtual visits at BPL's First Day Hike page.

Program Listings - Join Us on January 1, 2026:

#CamdenHills State Park, #CamdenME
#HolbrookIsland State Park, #BrooksvilleME
#SebagoLake State Park - Campground side of park, #NaplesME
#TwoLights State Park, #CapeElizabethME

Enjoy the free park entry and program for First Day Hikers!"

FMI: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/discover_history_explore_nature/activities/first-day-hikes.shtml

#MaineParks #NatureEvents #NatureHikes #NewYearsHikes #SpendTimeInNature
#MoreGreenTimeLessScreenTime #MaineEvents

First Day Hikes: Activities & Events: Discover History & Explore Nature: State Parks and Public Lands: Maine DACF

#Maine - Local businesses poised to help residents during #SNAP funding pause

Maine Public | By Michael Livingston
Published October 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM EDT

"Local businesses are stepping up across Maine to provide food and supplies for people who will go without SNAP benefits in November due to the government shutdown.

"Nearly 170,000 Mainers are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which provides an average of $572 per family every month.

"#SamsItalianFoods, which has multiple locations in the #LewistonAuburn area, plans to give away 10' cheese #pizzas to SNAP families with children in November.

"Store manager Trisha Cottrill said she's watched the generosity spread to other businesses ever since state officials announced the federal government warned them that it will not be distributing benefits last week.

" 'I opened my Facebook this morning and saw that #JustInTime is doing something. #NuttyNettiesCafe is also doing something,' Cotrill said. 'It's really great that the community, as a whole, is pitching in to help ease the burden on families.'

"Receiving a pizza at any Sam's location will require proof of I.D. with a SNAP or #EBTCard with the child present. If a parent wants to eat with their child, Sam's will offer a 10% discount.

"Over a third of all SNAP households have children, according to state data.

"Grocery stores like #MegunticookMarket in #CamdenME are also giving away free food and supplies.

"Owner Nishant Patel said he gave away dozens of bags of fresh produce over the weekend which included tomatoes, onions, bananas and bread."

[...]

"According to Maine DHHS, SNAP benefits already loaded onto EBT cards in October remain available for use to purchase food. Those who need additional resources are encouraged to call their local #FoodPantry or #Call211.

See below for additional businesses that have announced food assistance initiatives via social media:

- Taj Indian & Indo-Chinese Cuisine (#SouthPortlandME)
- Nutty Nellies Cafe (#AuburnME)
- Fresh off the Farm (#RockportME)
- Just-In-Time Recreation (#LewistonME)
- Family Time Dine and Play (#AuburnME)
- J&H Pizza (Auburn)
- Marvelous Macarons (Auburn)
- Bucksport Nutrition (#BucksportME)
- Provender Kitchen & Bar (#EllsworthME)

Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/business-and-economy/2025-10-28/local-businesses-poised-to-help-residents-during-snap-funding-pause

#SNAPCuts #MutualAid #FoodInsecurity #FoodAssistance #FreeMeals #Mainers #MainersHelpingMainers

Local businesses poised to help residents during SNAP funding pause

Federal food assistance for nearly 170,000 Mainers is likely to halt next week due to the government shutdown. Some local businesses are stepping in to provide free food and supplies to fill the gap.

WMEH

#OwlProwl at #CamdenHills #StatePark

Division / Program: Parks and Lands
Date: September 14, 2025
Time: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Location: Camden Hills State Park, 280 Belfast Road #CamdenME 04843

"Look and listen for Owls with Ranger Arzu Pahl. Meet at the park entry booth."

Contact Name: The Park
Contact Phone: (207) 236-3109
Cost: Programs are free with park admission. Day use: $1.00 ages 5-11, $4.00 Maine residents age 12-64, $6.00 non residents age 12-64, $2.00 non residents 65+; persons under 5 & Maine residents 65+ free

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/discover_history_explore_nature/activities/eventinfo.shtml?id=13235088

#SolarPunkSunday #LunarPunkSunday #SpendTimeInNature #Nature #MaineEvents #MaineParks

#OwlProwl at Camden Hills State Park

Division / Program: Parks and Lands
Date: August 3, 2025
Time: 8:30 PM - 9:35 PM
Location: Camden Hills State Park, 280 Belfast Road #CamdenME 04843

Look and listen for Owls with Ranger Arzu Pahl.

Contact Name: The Park
Contact Phone: (207) 236-3109
Cost: Programs are free with park admission. Day use: $1.00 ages 5-11, $4.00 Maine residents age 12-64, $6.00 non residents age 12-64, $2.00 non residents 65+; persons under 5 & Maine residents 65+ free

#MaineEvents #NatureEvents #CitizenScience #NatureObservation #Maine #SolarPunkSunday #NatureBasedLearning

#Wabanaki Voices: Their Stories, Their Art

Friday, August 1, 2025
6:00 to 9:30 PM
Camden Hills State Park
280 Belfast Road #CamdenME 04843 / (207) 236-0849

The Wabanaki Presenters:
Dr. #DwayneTomah#Passamaquoddy language keeper
#LaurenStevens—Passamagquoddy singer & writer/poet
#IsaacSyliboy#Mikmaq & Passamaquoddy dancer & singer
#RichardSilliboy—Mi'kmaq basket maker
#JanPaul#Penobscot storyteller & education specialist

"Experience an evening of Wabanaki art, dance, song, history, and culture.
Each presenter will share their expertise, followed by a short Q&A session.

One night only! Don't miss it.

Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic with you. All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Cost: Programs are free with park admission. Day use: $1.00 ages 5-11, $4.00 Maine residents age 12-64, $6.00 non residents age 12-64, $2.00 non residents 65+; persons under 5 & Maine residents 65+ free

Sponsored by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

#MaineEvents #Maine #WabanakiNations #WabanakiConfederancy #PreservingCulture #NativeAmericanArt #NativeAmericanStorytelling #NativeAmericanPoetry #PreservingLanguage #NativeAmericans #MaineFirstNations

MSN

An excellent resource from #EcoMaine!

#FoodWaste and #Composting

"Did you know that almost a third of what we throw away is leftover or spoiled food? If Maine is to achieve a 50% recycling rate, we need to recover our food waste, too – it’s worth the weight!

"ecomaine added food waste recycling to our sustainable waste management solutions in order to help Maine reach its recycling goal. We continue to build food waste recycling capacity in southern Maine, serving as a central collection point for grocery stores, institutions, and participating cities and towns.

"Collected food waste is transported to #ExeterME’s #AgriEnergy [#AgricycleEnergy] to be de-packaged and anaerobically digested to produce sustainable power, organic farm #fertilizer, and cow bedding for the #Maine family dairy farm #StonyvaleFarm. Any packaging removed from the food waste is delivered back to ecomaine to be burned for energy—keeping all of it out of our #landfills!

"By making #composting, anaerobic digestion, and food waste recycling so easy, we encourage our communities to dispose of their waste responsibly.

"For more on compost that’s 'Worth The Weight,' check out our informational pamphlet!

#BackyardComposting

"Backyard composting is one of the easiest ways to keep organic material out of the trash. It also has some other great advantages:

- It doesn’t weigh your trash down as much.
- It doesn’t get into ecomaine‘s waste-to-energy plant, making our combustion more damp and less efficient.
- It’s easy – and “grass-cycling” (leaving clippings on the lawn) is better for your grass!
- It saves Maine’s towns money on collection and hauling.
- And it saves YOU money on trash bags!

"There are no trucks or driving involved – no carbon emissions! You just walk it out to your bin, and that’s it.

"In the end, composting produces rich #soil for flower and vegetable #gardens – without paying for it (again) at the store.

Drop Off Locations

"If you’re looking for a compost drop-off location, instead of putting it in your backyard, here are a few… If you know of one that’s not here, let us know! (Some facilities may be for residents only; we advise calling ahead if you’re not sure.)

[I've found that transfer stations are usually residents only...]

#BridgtonME Transfer Station
118 Sandy Creek Rd, Bridgton, ME, USA

#BrownfieldME Transfer Station
Pequawket Trail, Brownfield, ME, USA

#CapeElizabethME Recycling Center
10 Cooper Dr, Cape Elizabeth, ME, USA

#EliotME Recycling Center
468 Dow Highway, Eliot, ME, USA

#FalmouthME Community Park
Winn Rd, Falmouth, ME, USA

#FalmouthME Transfer Station
100 Woods Rd, Falmouth, ME, USA

#FalmouthME Village Park
22 Hat Trick Drive, Falmouth, ME

#FreeportME Recycling Center
100 Landfill Road, Freeport, ME, USA

#NorthYarmouthME Town Hall / #SamRistichNatureTrail, North Yarmouth, ME, USA

#PortlandME: #BoydStreet #CommunityGarden
2 Boyd Street, Portland, ME

Portland: #BrentwoodFarms Community Garden
Brentwood Street, Portland, ME

Portland: #Libbytown Community Garden
175 Douglass Street, Portland, ME

Portland: #NorthStreetCommunityGarden
195 North Street, Portland, ME

Portland: Parkside/King Middle School
In the back of the school near the Fitzpatrick Stadium parking lot
92 Deering Avenue, Portland, ME

Portland: #PaysonPark Community Garden
Dropoff located on Front Street.
Front Street, Portland, Maine

Portland: #ReicheSchool
Dropoff is on the Clark Street side.
166 Brackett Street, Portland, ME

Portland: #Riverton Community Garden
45 Verrill Street, Portland, Maine

#SacoME Dept. of Public Works
15 Phillips Spring Road, Saco, ME

Saco Parks & Rec
75 Franklin St, Saco, ME, USA

#ScarboroughME Public Works Facility
20 Washington Avenue, Scarborough, ME, USA

#SouthPortlandME City Hall
25 Cottage Rd, South Portland, ME, USA

South Portland Code Enforcement Office
496 Ocean Street, South Portland, ME

South Portland Golf Course Maint. Building
221 Westbrook Street, South Portland, ME, USA

South Portland High School
637 Highland Avenue, South Portland, ME, USA

South Portland Transfer Station
929 Highland Ave, South Portland, ME, USA

South Portland: Redback Community Center
95 Macarthur Circle West, South Portland, ME

#StandishME Transfer Station
150 Moody Rd, Standish, ME, USA

#SurryME: #ChickadeeCompost
Jill's Lane, Surry, Maine www.chickadeecompost.com

#VinalhavenME Transfer Station
178 Round the Island Rd, Vinalhaven, ME, USA

#YarmouthME Transfer Station
659 East Main Street, Yarmouth, ME, USA

Curbside Collection

And if you’re really not into the backyard thing, there are some companies who will pick it up for you!

- #WeCompostIt! (Greater Portland)
- #GarbageToGarden (Greater Portland)
- #ScrapDogs (Greater #CamdenME-#RockportME)
- #MrFoxComposting (Southern Maine & #NH)
- #ProjectEarth (Lincoln County)
- #ChickadeeCompost (All of #BlueHillME Peninsula, #DeerIsleME, #EllsworthME)
- #OneEarth Composting (#HampdenME)
- #AgriCycle Energy (Collection from businesses & organizations for anaerobic digestion – all over!)

Other Compost Resources:

Maine Department of Environmental Protection
207-592-0455

University of Maine Cooperative Extension
207-581-3188

Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine – Food Recovery
207-581-3195

Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association [#MOGFA]
207-568-4142

#WormMainea
207-831-3752

#MainelyWorm Bins

#UncleJimsWormFarm
1-800-373-0555

Source (with links):
https://www.ecomaine.org/food-waste-and-composting/

#SolarpunkSunday #Composting #WormBins #ReducingWaste
#Landfills #Maine #WasteToEnergy

Food Waste & Composting at our Facility - ecomaine

Information about composting and digestion of food and organic waste in ecomaine communities.

ecomaine

#MaineVoicesForPalestinianRights

"We are a group of people from #Maine and beyond who stand in solidarity with the #Palestinian people and seek to amplify their movement of liberation from occupation and #apartheid."

Recurring Standouts & Mini-Rallies

#BangorME
Wednesday - 12PM Noon
6 State St (Kenduskeag Bridge)

#BelfastME
Sunday - 12PM Noon
Post Office Square

#BlueHillME
Saturday - 12PM Noon
Blue Hill Town Hall

#BrunswickME
Thursday - 12PM Noon
Maine St (at Tontine Mall)

#BrunswickME
Friday - 5PM
Maine Street (by Walgreens)

#BucksportME
Saturday - 12:30PM
Bucksport-Verona Bridge

#CamdenME
Friday - 5PM
Camden Village Green

#DoverFoxcroftME
Saturday - 9AM
Main Street Bridge

#EllsworthME
Sunday - 12PM Noon
Union River Bridge

#FarmingtonME
Saturday - 11AM
Post Office

#HoultonME
Friday - 1PM
Peace Pole

#NewcastleME
Thursday - 3PM
Veterans Park

#PortlandME
Saturday - 12PM Noon
Post Office Park

#RocklandME
2nd + 4th Thursdays - 3PM
Main St & Park St

#SacoME
First Friday, Monthly - 2:30PM
General Dynamics

#WatervilleME
Monday - 11:30AM
Main St & Temple St

https://www.mvprights.org/events#block-a15fa12ef4b264f29ded

#FreeGaza #EndGenocide #HumanRights #Maine #MaineResists
#MaineEvents #FreePalestine
#MaineVoicesForPeace #ResistAuthoritarianism
#ResistFascism #USPol #WorldPol #FreePalestine #Gaza #WorldWarBibi
#BibiIsAWarCriminal #Genocide #MaineCoalitionForPalestine #MaineVoicesForPeace #PeaceActionMaine #MaineDSA #JVP
#Palestine #NoWar #PeaceWorks
#HumanRightsAreNeverWrong

[5/7] #PineTreeActivism Calendar
Events for June 2 – June 8

Details confirmed as of Mon June 2, 8:45AM

Share/Repost so Mainers know where to #RESIST!

JUNE 6, Fri 5-6:00PM (& every Fri) – #BrunswickME
156 Maine St. Opposite Walgreens
Vigil for Peace – Join #PeaceWorks of Greater Brunswick as they call for permanent ceasefire in #Gaza. FMI: 725-7686 www.nenjp.org/calendar/

JUNE 6, Fri 5-6:00PM (& every Fri) – #CamdenME
Camden Village Green, 29 Chestnut St
Camden Stand-Out – held by the people of Camden www.nenjp.org/calendar/

JUNE 6, Fri 5-5:30PM (& every Fri) – #PortlandME
Congress Square Park (across from PMA)
#WomenInBlack Vigil – world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and violence.

JUNE 6, Fri 5:30-6:30PM – #BrunswickME
Brunswick Town Mall, 191-195 Maine St
#VeteransSolidarityRally – In solidarity with veterans, we are joining with events centered on the National Mall and stretching across our country. In the face of the Trump administration’s assault on veterans’ benefits, we’ll gather “to defend the benefits, jobs, and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through their sacrifices.”
https://www.fiftyfifty.one/veterans

SAT JUNE 7

JUNE 7, Sat 10-11:00AM – #PortsmouthNH
2454 Lafayette Rd
Take Down TeSSla! – Hosted by #OccupySeacoast
NOTE: Please don't park in the lot; park on the side street next to the mall and do not block bus stop, fire hydrants or driveways. Thank you!

JUNE 7, Sat 11:00AM – #FarmingtonME
Farmington Post Office, 196 Main St, Farmington, Maine
Weekly Stand Out for #Palestine https://mvprights.org/events

JUNE 7, Sat 11-12:00PM (& every Sat) – #LubecME
81 Washington St, across from IGA
Weekly Peaceful Protest - Using nonviolence & peaceful protest, we stand together to take our country back from the billionaire takeover.

@AIF_Massachusetts @teslatakedown

#Maine #MEPolitics #MaineResists #MaineEvents #BadDOGE #ResistAuthoritarianism
#ResistFascism #USPol #TeslaTakedowns #FreePalestine #NHResists