Story Trail at Erickson Fields in Rockport (Photo by Joelle Albury)
select Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s Erickson Fields Preserve, located at 164 West Street in Rockport, is hosting a story trail featuring “Do Fairies Bring the Spring?” by local author Liza Gardner Walsh. Pages of the book are posted along the 1.4-mile loop trail. With illustrations by Hazel Mitchell, the book depicts how fairies wake up the earth as the snow melts, enticing the trees to turn green and the flowers to grow.
Visitors are encouraged to follow the CDC’s guidelines for distancing at the preserve. Visit mcht.org/covid-19-update to find tips for preparing for outings.
Castine to consider Negro Island name change
CASTINE Voters headed to the May 8 Town Meeting will decide if they want to initiate the process of changing the name of Negro Island.
The island has borne the name for hundreds of years and is actually two small islands connected by a sandbar in the mouth of the Bagaduce River off Castine. Upper Negro Island is in private hands while Lower Negro Island is owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. The area is popular with kayakers and Lower Negro Island has a short hiking loop and a campsite.
It’s not clear how the island got its name, but the local lore that it was part of the Underground Railroad is a myth, said Lisa Simpson Lutts, the executive director of the Castine Historical Society.
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Hiking in Maine: A sampler of cabin fever-reliever hikes on the coast, from York County to Lubec
With the snow pretty much gone along the coast, these options allow a hiker to enjoy some welcome exercise and soak in some warm sun.
By Carey Kish
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A line of hikers files up the Beehive Trail near Sand Beach at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor in this file photo. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
The mountains may be choked with lingering winter snowpack, but along the coast from the beaches of York County to the pink granite peaks of Acadia to the bold headlands of Lubec, the trails are pretty much clear. Wet and muddy, perhaps, but snow-free for the most part.
LGBTQ+, allied youth artwork sought for Youth Pride Art Show, Pride Walk Fri, 04/23/2021 - 12:30pm
Pride Walk: Maine Coast Heritage Trust will display LGBTQ+ and allied youth creative pieces in a series of display cases along a wooded trail at Erickson Fields Preserve in Rockport. (Photo courtesy Maine Coast Heritage Trust)
Youth Pride Art Show: The Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) will display LGBTQ+ and allied youth artworks in the ArtLab window. (Photo courtesy CMCA)
OUT Maine is seeking submissions of art, photography, and writing by LGBTQ+ and allied youth of all ages (22 and younger) for the Youth Pride Art Show and Pride Walk which will take place during Pride Month (June).
Spring Belted Galloway calves at Aldermere Farm. (Photo courtesy MCHT)
ROCKPORT Saturday, May 8, Aldermere Farm, a preserve of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, will open its barnyard to introduce the newest members of Aldermere’s Belted Galloway herd. Small tours will be held at the top of every hour, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., in the barnyard at 20 Russell Ave, in Rockport. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes peek at the farm operations, meet the spring Belted Galloway calves, and see Aldermere s 4-H club in action.
In keeping with health officials’ recommendations, face masks are required, and space is limited so appropriate social distancing can be maintained. Attendees must also wear closed-toe shoes to walk around the barnyard.