Maine Audubon’s Fields Pond Audubon Center has a month of family fun
Embrace winter through wildlife this season at Maine Audubon’s Fields Pond Audubon Center. We’ve got a month full of activities that can help connect you and your family to wildlife and the outdoors, while still celebrating the holiday season.
Fields Pond Audubon Center, just seven miles from Bangor, is a beautiful 229-acre wildlife sanctuary with a 191-acre pond and trails winding through fields, wetland, forest, and lakeshore. The walking trails are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk daily. More info: maineaudubon.org/visit/fields-pond/
First up is our Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
At our Fields Pond Audubon Nature Store, you’ll find unique local products including jewelry and nature-based pottery, books, home goods, holiday ornaments, as well as gift memberships and gift certificates. We’ll also have these local Maine artisans on site with their unique products:
- Madder Root—hand-printed goods
- The Glass Feather Cove—handcrafted stained glass artwork
- Hillary Manson Art—brightly colored and whimsical art
- ADHD Collective—handmade botanical jewelry
- Emma’s Abnormalities—ceramics
- Q.D. Loon “Repurposing for the Birds”—one of a kind repurposed bird feeders
SPECIAL BONUS: Our naturalists will lead Scavenger Hunts at 10 am and noon, so you can leave your kids to us while you shop. We’ll take them on a 30-minute wildlife-based scavenger hunt on the trails around the sanctuary!
On Saturday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m., bring the whole family for our annual celebration of nature in winter. We’ll start with a read aloud of Eve Bunting’s classic story, “The Night Tree”. We’ll then create wildlife-friendly ornaments to share with Maine’s creatures that make our sanctuary their home in winter. Weather permitting, we’ll go outside to hang the ornaments on our own night tree. Come relax and spend time with your loved ones as we get ready to welcome the longest night of the year. Warm beverages and snacks await. Advance registration is recommended, though drop-ins are welcome if space is available.
Fee: Maine Audubon member families: $10, Nonmember families: $12. If your family group is more than five people, please give us a call 207-989-2591.
In December we’re also kicking off our first ever Fields Pond Audubon Center 2024 Winter Photo Contest! Visit the beautiful wildlife sanctuary with a 191-acre pond and trails winding through fields, wetland, forest, and lakeshore — all just seven miles from Bangor. Submit your favorite winter photos that highlight the sanctuary’s natural beauty!
The contest runs through Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Photos should be taken outdoors of winter scenery on the Fields Pond Audubon Center’s sanctuary grounds. For details and to submit photos, visit maineaudubon.org/fieldspondphotocontest. The winning photograph will be framed and featured at the Fields Pond Audubon Center lobby for one year and the winner will also receive a bundle of signature Maine Audubon swag!
Since 1843, Maine Audubon has worked to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people in education, conservation, and action. The oldest and largest Maine-based conservation organization, Maine Audubon has eight public centers and sanctuaries across the state, seven chapters, and 30,000 members, volunteers, and supporters, and connects with more than 250,000 people annually.