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Registration fees from this event go towards the 'Save Libby Hill' campaign. Think Spring!
9:00am-11:30am – Kids Activities (details below). $5 per child for any/all (payable at event)
11:30am – Picnic at the Memorial – Bring your own; we’ll have guides to get you there. As you eat, learn about the history of Libby Hill, who it’s named for, little known facts about the history and secrets of this fabulous trail system right in your backyard!
The following 2 activities are geared for adults or older kids ($10 each activity), space is limited, and pre-registration is recommended (click here).
12:15pm – Wildflower Walk –Join local gardening expert, Bobbie Clark, as you search for some elusive spring flowers. Learn to spot and identify some common (but beautiful!) Maine flowers while exploring our newest trails and the area around the Daniel Libby memorial. Moderate hiking, but at a comfortable pace.
2:00pm – Discovering Stonewalls
& Cellarholes – Patty
Schorr guides you back in time as you explore the original cellarhole of the
Libby homestead, the nearby stonewalls and “garden cairns”, and, if time
allows, the quarry where the foundation stones were shaped. What can you
tell from what’s left behind? Was this a pasture or garden? (how the
stonewall is made is a clue). What’s a “wolf tree”? Where was the front
door? Find answers to these mysteries and more. Fairly flat terrain at the
top of the hill.
DETAILS for KIDS ACTIVITIES – activities all run simultaneously. Chaperone your child to a few or all of them, as interest/time allow. Appropriate for all ages!
Pond Dipping – Come prepared to get your feet wet (or wear rain boots)! Join Caryl Widdowson, local wildlife rehab expert, as she helps you scoop up some of those tiny critters that live in ponds at this time of year. Learn their names, and what they’ll become in a few days or weeks. What’s that thing that looks like a clump of tiny bits of brown stuff? Is it alive? Will you find a fairy shrimp? Are there tadpoles? We’ll have some nets and magnifying glasses, but if you have your own, please bring them along.
Soil Safari – Wanna get dirty? Then this is the activity for you! Bobbie Clark, expert gardener, will show you that there’s more to soil than just dirt. Learn what the layers near the top are made of, what purpose they serve, and what kinds of creatures live there. (this activity ends at 11am)
Geocaching – Like a treasure hunt? Like hi-tech toys? This is the place for you! Come learn what this world-wide game is all about, and how to find a hidden cache (pronounced “cash”). We provide the GPS, and you try to find some of the many caches we’ll hide right around the schoolyard. Later in the afternoon, you may want to rent one of our GPS units to try finding one or more of the “real” caches hidden on Libby Hill.
Orienteering – There’s no substitute for knowing how to get from place to place using a map, even in today’s world of GPS and cell phones. This activity will teach kids (and adults!) a few quick tips to give anyone confidence while hiking the trails or driving to a new destination. Test your new skills on our course near the schoolyard set up for this event, and then come back (or stay longer!) and try the longer permanent course at the top of the hill.
Scavenger Hunt – An old favorite, and a good way to keep kids interested while exploring the trails. Pick up one or more of our varied hunt checklists, and away you go! Remember to just check off items you find (or take pictures), but leave everything in nature just as you find it – everything has a purpose as a part of the larger ecosystem to keep all the plants and animals happy and healthy!
Registration fees from this event go towards the 'Save Libby Hill' campaign. Think Spring! Click here to reserve now or email for more information.