Family-Friendly Activities
Check out a Nature Backpack!
We have teamed up with the Lubec Memorial Library and the Porter Memorial Library to provide outdoor gear for the local community. This program is aimed at helping the community discover and learn about conservation by encouraging children and families to get outside and explore the region’s natural assets.
Each library has nature backpacks that include pocket guides, tools for exploration: binoculars, hands lens, compasses and more, and family-friendly activity cards. The Porter Memorial Library also has ten snowshoes, six which are youth sizes, are available during the winter season.
Patrons with a valid library cards will be able to check out one of the backpacks (from either library) for 14 days and/or a pair of snowshoes (from the Porter Memorial Library only) during the winter season for 7 days.
Story Trails!
From May-September, we feature a Storybook on our trails at Middle River Park! Bring your family and follow along to read nature based children books. This Story Walk is on the Blue Trail at Middle River Park in Machias. Let us know if you visit by tagging your photos with #dccstorytrail!
Additional Resources:
- Discover Geocaching – Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to find containers hidden by other participants. We have hidden a few caches at our local preserves! Visit Geocaching.com to find the geocaches nearest to you. Download their App today and let us know if you find our caches.
- Become a citizen scientist – Use iNaturalist, a citizen scientist app, to identify and document flora and fauna as you observe it in nature. The app requires no plant or animal identification knowledge and works with any smart phone! By documenting what you find along your hike, you can help us inventory the incredibly varied species residing on our properties. Learn more about using iNaturalist here.
- Track animals in your neighbor – Winter can be an exciting time to spot wildlife! Fresh snow also gives you the opportunity to look at tracks to see what wildlife lives nearby. Download the Maine Department of Inland and Fisheries pocket guide to Maine animal tracks.