Birding by canoe
AREA — These birding by canoe or kayak have been scheduled:
- 7 a.m. Saturday, May 23, Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, with Rad Mayfield. Includes talk about Hirundo’s bird habitat and birds you might encounter over breakfast. Reserve a seat in one of the 28- foot canoes, in a 16-foot canoe or bring your own boat. To register,394-2171. Registration deadline, Friday, May 22.
- 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 13, Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge, with Daniel D’Auria. To register, 394-2171. Registration deadline, Friday, June 12.
- 8 a.m. Saturday, June 20, Fields Pond, with Holly Twining. To register, 989-2591. Registration deadline, Friday, June 19.
The cost for each excursion is $5 Audubon members; $10 others.
Pentecost celebration
BANGOR — The Apostolic Lighthouse Church will celebrate Pentecost 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at the church, 517 Hammond St. Activities will include an outdoor service, food, games,prizes, music and a bounce house. Admission is free.
Air museum opening
BANGOR — The Maine Air Museum, 98 Maine Ave., announced that its hours will be open 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon- 4 p.m. Sundays, May 24, through Sept. 27. The museum features displays, pictures and artifacts for civilian and military aircraft from World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and the Cold War. Information and pictures about military plane crashes in Maine are available. Free parking. Admission is $3, $1 children under 12, $6 family, free to active military and their families. For information, call the museum at 941-6757.
On Memorial Day weekend, May 23-24, admission to the museum will be free to veterans. Attendees are advised to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the museum’s picnic area, which has picnic tables, table cloths and umbrellas. Bring your camera to take pictures of aircraft taking off, landing, and taxiing.
Family trees
BANGOR — “Online Family Trees at FamilySearch.org,” a talk presented by Gail Kill at the Penobscot County Genealogical Society monthly meeting, will take place 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, in the Relief Society Room of the Bangor Family History Center, 639 Grandview Ave. The meeting is open to the public. For information, contact Elizabeth Stevens at 947-8336, ext.103, or esteve@bpl.lib.me.us.
Fundraiser
BANGOR — Sunbury Village will sponsors a fundraiser for the Maine Troop Greeters noon-3 p.m. Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, at Sunbury Village. 922 Ohio St.
The event will include and Antique and Classic Car Show organized by the Greater Bangor Motor Club and Central Maine Street Rods and a barbecue lunch noon- 1:30 p.m.
Admission is $10. Organizers of the event said the goal is to raise $1,500 toward purchase of special commemorative coins for Vietnam Veterans being honored at the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Celebration in June.
To RSVP, call 262-9600.
Food drive success
BANGOR — Organizers of NEWS CENTER’s 10th annual Feed Maine Food Drive to benefit Good Shepherd Food-Bank report that Mainers showed their great generosity once again.
WCSH 6 and WLBZ 2 personalities greeted the public on May 9 at Hannaford Supermarkets in Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Sanford and Scarborough.
Good Shepherd Food-Bank estimated the total number of meals from this year’s drive at 60,820. Cash donations in the amount of $13,665 came in, as well as 7,343 pounds of food.
This was the first time viewers could make a donation via text on their mobile phones.
“There are so many stories I could tell about the generosity that happened on Saturday,” said Steve Carter, president and general manager of WCSH 6. “At one location, two people stopped and asked what we needed. The folks from Good Shepherd Food-Bank told them, and they went into the store. A few minutes later they returned with three shopping carts just overflowing with those foods. Another man handed Good Shepherd a check for $100; he said that several years ago he needed food, but now he wanted to give back. And a dad brought along his 5-year-old son to drop off their donations; he said this was a great opportunity to teach his little boy about how important it is to help others.”
Nearly 15 percent of households, or approximately 200,000 people in Maine, are food insecure, ranking 17th in the nation, and first in New England. One in four Maine children are food insecure. Thirty-six percent of Maine’s food insecure population makes too much to qualify for Food EBT so must rely on Good Shepherd’s network of partner agencies. The Food-Bank helps to provide meals for tens of thousands of Mainers every week, according to information at the good Shepherd Food-Bank website.
For information or to make a contribution, go to gsfb.org.
Viewing platform
BANGOR — Chuck Byrum, president of the board of directors of the Maine Air Museum in Bangor, announced that the museum is raising funds to build a 9 foot high viewing platform where visitors can stand to photograph aircraft taking off and landing at Bangor International Airport. The fundraising goal is $10,000.
For information, call Byrum at 942-9324. To make a donation, mail a check to: Maine Air Museum, Viewing Platform Fund, P.O. Box 2641, Bangor ME 04402.
Birding by bicycle
BRADLEY — Sandi Duchesne will lead a birding by bicycle trip to Leonard’s Mills 7-9 a.m. Saturday, May 30, Government Road. Participants will bike and bird through multiple habitats at a slow-pace ride over a relatively flat road, with stops along the way. Total bicycling trip length will be in the 3 to 5 mile range. The road surface is coarse gravel, so hybrids or mountain bikes with wide-tread, puncture-resistant tires are most appropriate. Bike helmets and binoculars are recommended for all. This trip will cancel if it is raining at the start time, even if just a light drizzle.
The trip is free.
Plant and bake sale
BUCKSPORT — The Bucksport Garden Club will hold its annual spring plant and bake sale 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 30, on Main Street, across from the Community Pharmacy. In addition to plant selections from the gardens of club members, 12 local nurseries will have plants available for purchase.
The bake sale will offer pies, cupcakes, cookies, bars and other homemade items. The event also will offer books on gardening, cooking and related subjects.
A highlight of the sale will be a raffle for a display donated by Wiswell’s Farm.
Garden Club members will be on hand to answer gardening questions.
Social justice grants
CASTINE — The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine announced recently the timelines and criteria for the 2015 Pulliam Social Justice Grants. The grants, which can run from $1,000 to $5,000 each, are made annually in honor of the late Deborah Pulliam, a longtime member of the UUCC and staunch supporter of a variety of social justice causes.
“We are pleased once again to be able to honor Deborah’s memory through concrete action,” said Lynn Parsons, president of the UUCC’s governing board. “This is only one example of the many ways in which her spirit has guided us since her passing.”
Information and application procedures for the 2015 Pulliam Grants may be found at UUCastine.org.
Chainsaw safety course
ORLAND — Join forester and certified logging professional Tom Fox on Saturday, June 6, at Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in East Orland for a one-day course covering chainsaw operation and felling, from basic to precision. The course is sponsored by Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust.
The cost to attend the course is $100, which includes lunch; or $75 to Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust volunteers. Bring a chainsaw, safety gear and sharpening equipment.
Class size limited to 12. Register in advance by calling Brian at 812-2044 or emailing brian@greatpondtrust.org.
Day trip
VEAZIE — The Maine Atlantic Salmon Museum has organized a day trip to the Rangeley and Oquossoc Outdoor Heritage Museum, leaving the Veazie Salmon Club at 7 a.m. and returning by 4 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Email Claude Westfall for details at CZWestfall@aol.com.
The cost for the trip is $20 club members, $25 others. Lunch and museum entrance fee are not included. Space is limited and advance registration required. For information, go to maineatlanticsalmonmuseum.org/events/.
Plant sale
WINTERPORT — The Winterport Woman’s Club will hold a plant sale 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the fire station on Main Street. The sale will offer perennials and other garden plants, with prices starting at $2. Proceeds will benefit local projects sponsored by the club.