LEWISTON/AUBURN — The Stanton Bird Club of Lewiston and Auburn, which was founded in February 1919 and named after Bates College professor Jonathan Y. Stanton, will launch a year of events in celebration of its 100th anniversary starting in June.
The Centennial kickoff event is a Wildflower Festival from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary in Lewiston. Rick Speer will lead the annual Larry Nadeau Memorial Wildflower Walk.
This is the first in a series of Centennial Sunday walks at Thorncrag. The walks will be led by Maine Master Naturalists and others, focusing on a variety of topics. Future walks will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of the month.
The Wildflower Festival will also include wildflower photography and art classes, and a plant sale. For children, there will be a wildflower scavenger hunt and craft activities. The event will also include music by Greg Boardman and friends. This event is free and all are welcome.
At 7 a.m. Saturday, June 10, the club is hosting a paddle on Marshall Pond in Hebron. Bring a canoe or kayak and life jackets, and meet at J.C. Penney, Auburn Mall, 550 Center St. This will be a gentle paddle on a nearby wilderness pond. Loons, kingfishers and warblers begin the list of birds that are likely to be seen. The leader is Rick Speer who can be reached at raspeer@gmail.com. The group will be returning to the mall parking lot around 10 a.m.
Wednesday Bird Walks are held every other Wednesday into the late fall in a variety of local habitats. Both of June’s walks will be from 8 to 11 a.m.
The June 13 walk will visit Androscoggin Riverlands State Park in Turner. Meet at the boat launch on the west end of the Center Bridge Road bridge in Turner. This is a fairly new state park with more than 2,700 acres and 10 miles of hiking trails, in addition to 12 miles of multi-use trails.
The June 27 excursion to Brunswick Landing (formerly Naval Air Station) will meet in the parking area on the right, a half-mile inside the entrance off Bath Road in Brunswick. Participants will be looking for spring migrants such as the Eastern Meadowlark, the Red-eyed Vireo and the Belted Kingfisher.
Each of the walks is about 2 miles long and on a fairly even surface. Leaders for both walks are Stan and Joan DeOrsey. For more information, call them at 207-406-4741.
Stanton Bird Club is again offering Nature Week at Thorncrag this July. Each of the two one-week sessions meets from 9 a.m. to noon each weekday and is for 6- to 12-year-olds. Registration is $25 per week, with some scholarships available. Each day focuses on a different nature topic. For information and registration forms, call Penny Jessop at 207-782-5467 or visit the Stanton Bird Club website.
Stanton’s 100th anniversary also coincides with the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which has been called the most powerful and important bird protection law ever passed. National Geographic, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon have joined forces to celebrate this as the International Year of the Bird. To honor this, Stanton is joining forces with the Auburn Public Library throughout the year to host birding activities at the library.
All of the field trips are free and open to everyone, from beginning naturalist to advanced birder. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather. The leaders will identify and comment on wildlife seen and heard.
The Stanton Bird Club manages the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary and the Woodbury Nature Sanctuary in Monmouth and Litchfield. The club seeks to encourage both the enjoyment and protection of our natural surroundings. More information can be found at www.StantonBirdClub.org. The results of the various trips are posted there, often with photos. The club also has a Facebook page.
Bunchberry is a ground perennial native to northern areas and regularly found at the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary off Montello Street in Lewiston. Its shiny leaves and bright white flowers attract attention as do its red berries in the fall, a favorite food of birds. (Photo by Dan Marquis)
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