Programs, Events & News
Islesboro Islands Trust offers a variety of free environmental education programs and events to the Islesboro community throughout the year.
Rescheduled! - Planting Day!
Planting Day at the Learning Garden! - Saturday, June 21, 10:00am at IIT’s Blueberry Hill Learning Garden
Pam Larson and Anna Congdon join IIT at the Blueberry Hill Learning Garden for another year of growing and learning! This year’s focus will be a traditional Three Sisters garden, featuring sweet corn, delicata squash, a variety of beans and sunflowers.
On Saturday, June 21, help put seeds and seedlings in the ground. Then, come back for a Summer corn harvest, followed by early Autumn bean and squash harvests!
IIT programs are free and open to all. For further information, reach out to Chloe Joule at cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907.
Bluebird Nest Monitoring Talk
Bluebird Nest Monitoring Talk - July Date TBD @ the Blueberry Hill Preserve
Dr. Sarah DuRant joins IIT in person at Blueberry Hill ‘s new Bluebird Nesting Box site to discuss her research and how to steward our bluebird boxes.
Interested in being a bluebird box monitor? IIT has eight bluebird boxes installed at Blueberry Hill. Each box requires careful monitoring and care and we would love your help! Reach out to Chloe Joule for more information: cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907.
Fourth of July! - IIT Office Closed
Happy 4th of July!
The IIT Office will be closed Friday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day.
Gouache Workshop - Art in Nature
Gouache Painting Workshop - Tuesday, July 8 at 5:30pm with Corinna D’Schoto - Location TBD
Local Artist, Corinna D’Schoto, joins IIT for an Art in Nature session on Tuesday, July 8. Corinna will be demonstrating gouache - a type of water-based paint that is known for its opacity and ability to be easily re-wetted - to take in the unique qualities of IIT Preserves.
IIT programs are free and open to everyone. Space and supplies are limited. Please reach out to Chloe Joule - cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907) - to sign-up.
Hurricane Island & UMaine Sensor Network Project
Hurricane Island-UMaine Sensor Network Project - Tuesday, July 15, 10:00am @ Turtle Head Preserve
Hurricane Island and the University of Maine are working together to implement a series of data-collecting buoys in the Gulf of Maine. This Summer, join IIT with Nicholas Keeney of Hurricane Island at Turtle Head to hear about their Sensor Network Project.
What buoys are they implementing? What information are they hoping to gather and what will be done with it? How have they chosen where to set up this sensor network?
Join us to hear the answers and find out more!
IIT Trail Day!
IIT Trail Day! Sunday, July 27th - Kick-Off Event at Blueberry Hill @ 9:00am
Join IIT for our 5th Annual Trail Day! Help preserve our trails for all to enjoy. Join us for a Kick-off Event at Blueberry Hill Preserve at 9:00am.
Participants will receive an IIT Trail Passport with directions, trail maps, clue hunt, highlights and mileage. Show your passport to receive an ice cream from the Dark Harbor Shop after the event!
To Register:
Scan the QR code above and note that your support is for Trail Day
Look for us at the IIT Table at the Islesboro Farmers Market
Contact Kizzi Barton (kbarton@islesboroislandstrust.org) or Mark Haffenreffer (markhaff2000@gmail.com) or call the IIT office: (207) 734-6907
Nature Notebook Binding Workshop - Art in Nature
Nature Notebook Binding Workshop - Thursday, August 7 at 5:30pm @ IIT’s Blueberry Hill
Local Artist, Sally Mitchell, joins IIT for an Art in Nature session on Thursday, August 7. Sally will be demonstrating how to bind small notebooks that can be used in the field as nature observation journals - just in time to capture all the Fall wildlife activity!
IIT programs are free and open to everyone. This is a great workshop for kids 10 & Up and adults of all ages. Space and supplies are limited. Please reach out to Chloe Joule - cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907) - to sign-up.
Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing Party!
Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing Party! - Wednesday, August 13 (Cloudy Date 8/14), 9:00pm @ Blueberry Hill
Join IIT and the Island Stargazers at IIT’s Blueberry Hill Preserve to take in August’s annual light show - the Perseid Meteor Shower! The Perseid meteor shower occurs every Summer, in our northeast region of the country. It takes place from mid-late July to late August, but peaks mid August.
Come out Wednesday night (Thursday cloudy date) to enjoy one of the major meteor shower events of the year. Bring a blanket, binoculars and whatever late-night picnic you’d like and let’s take in the night sky together!
Apple Tree Stewardship Talk
Apple Tree Stewardship Talk - Saturday, August 23, 10:00am at Blueberry Hill
IIT’s Blueberry Hill is home to apple trees of all ages, shapes and sizes. Some are older than we know and likely the product of unintentional apple trees created from feeding livestock. Some are the first stages of IIT’s heritage apple orchard that we have been expanding on annually for the past three seasons.
Each tree and each variety are unique and have different needs. On Saturday, August 23, join IIT with Dan Tutor to learn what you can do to tend, prune and protect your trees at all stages of life.
Summer Star Party!
Summer Star Party! - Wednesday, August 27, 8:30pm @ Blueberry Hill
Take in the night sky at IIT’s Blueberry Hill Preserve! Astronomer John Meader, of Northern Stars Planetarium, joins us during August’s New Moon on Wednesday, August 27, to point out the stars and constellations over eastern Penobscot Bay. Bring binoculars for better viewing and a blanket to sit on.
IIT programs are free and open to all. For further information, reach out to Chloe Joule at cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907.
Forestry For Maine Birds Workshop
Forestry For Maine Birds Workshop - Friday, June 13, 10am - 2:30pm
Allyssa Gregory from the Maine State Forest Service, and Sally Stockwell with Maine Audubon, join us for this half day workshop to teach us how to steward forests to encourage habitat for Maine’s birds!
Are you curious about how to create, or steward existing, habitat on your property to support Maine birds and wildlife, while also creating a safe and defensible space around your home? Sign-up to join IIT’s Forestry for Maine Birds workshop!
This workshop will be about four hours, with a lunch break to chat and catch up. Bring your own lunch. IIT will provide dessert, snacks, coffee & tea!
To sign up, contact Chloe Joule: cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907. This workshop requires a minimum number of attendees for Maine Audubon and MSF to be able to join us, so please sign up as soon as you are able.
Memorial Day - IIT Office Closed
Happy Memorial Day!
The IIT office will be closed Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day.
Bluebird Box Installation Workshop
Bluebird Box Installation Workshop - Saturday, May 3, 10:00am @ the Blueberry Hill Preserve
We’ve built the boxes - now come help us set them up! On Saturday, May 3, we will place eight bluebird boxes at Blueberry Hill, in time for the Eastern Bluebird to scout them out for the nesting season. Learn about ideal placement, spacing and orientation of bluebird boxes. Then, let the monitoring begin!
Be sure to join us again in July, when Dr. Sarah DuRant leads an on-site discussion about the monitoring process, what we might expect to see at Blueberry Hill and her research with the University of Arkansas.
Earth Day Celebration!
Earth Day Celebration! Tuesday, April 22, 10am-12pm @ Blueberry Hill
Tuesday, April 22nd is Earth Day! Let’s Celebrate Mother Earth together at IIT’s Blueberry Hill. Join IIT for earth-themed crafts, activities and snacks, from 10am-12pm.
While there, enjoy a hike at one of IIT’s most beloved trails and then take a Town of Islesboro trash bag with you for roadside cleanup at home.
IIT Events are free and open to all. If you have questions, contact Chloe Joule at cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or (207) 734-6907.
Soup & Talk - Broad Point Preserve
IIT Soup & Talk - Broad Point Preserve
Monday, April 7, 5:30pm-7:00pm at the Islesboro Community Center Cafe
Do you have a favorite IIT trail? Or a hilarious/wondrous/inspiring story that happened while enjoying a preserve? Through the Winter, IIT will be hosting a Soup & Talk dinner every first Monday of the month at the ICC Cafe - each focused on a different favorite IIT Preserve!
April’s Soup & Talk will focus on one of our most used trails, Broad Point. Join IIT’s Chloe Joule and Dan Tutor to hear about past, present and future happenings at the preserve and share your Broad Point stories!
IIT will provide soups and bread. Bring your own beverages and a side or dessert to share.
Bluebird Box Building Workshop
Bluebird Box Building Workshop
Saturday, March 29th @ 10:00am - The ICC Great Hall
IIT’s Blueberry Hill Preserve supports a variety of wildlife, including the Eastern Bluebird. Bluebirds nest in tree cavities in open fields and can benefit from the installation of bluebird boxes for annual nesting practices.
Dr. Sarah Durant has been studying bluebird nesting habits in relation to temperature fluctuations and is excited to help IIT set up a research area at Blueberry Hill that could compliment her work in Arkansas! Following a Zoom talk with Dr. Durant, we will be hosting a Bluebird Box assembling workshop to create the boxes that will be used at Blueberry Hill. Installation day to follow in the Spring!
Interested in joining? Sign up by contacting Chloe Joule at cjoule@islesboroislandstrust.org or 734-6907.
Bluebird Nesting Habits Talk
Bluebird Nesting Habits Talk - Monday, March 10 @ 5:30pm via Zoom
Ornithologist and professor at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Sarah DuRant, joins us to discuss her research on the Eastern Bluebird. Dr. DuRant is studying the nesting habits of Eastern Bluebirds in relation to changes in temperature. While most of her research is based in Arkansas, she is excited to expand her range and is helping to set up a research area at IIT’s Blueberry Hill Preserve!
March 10th’s Zoom talk will introduce her work and talk about how and why she studies these particular birds.
Interested in the project? IIT needs your help! Join us later in March for a Bluebird Box Building Workshop and an April Installation Day at Blueberry Hill, this Spring!
Click on the Zoom link below to join the talk:
Soup & Talk - Hutchins Island
IIT Soup & Talk - Hutchins Island
Monday, March 3, 5:30pm-7:00pm at the Islesboro Community Center Cafe
Do you have a favorite IIT trail? Or a hilarious/wondrous/inspiring story that happened while enjoying a preserve? Through the Winter, IIT will be hosting a Soup & Talk dinner every first Monday of the month at the ICC Cafe - each focused on a different favorite IIT Preserve!
March’s Soup & Talk will focus on one of our first preserves, Hutchins Island. Join IIT’s Chloe Joule and Dan Tutor to hear about past, present and future happenings at the preserve and share your Hutchins Island stories!
IIT will provide soups and bread. Bring your own beverages and a side or dessert to share.
Star Party!
Star Party! Wednesday, February 26 @ 6:45pm at Blueberry Hill Preserve
“We are made of star stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” - Carl Sagan
Take in the night sky at IIT’s Blueberry Hill Preserve! Astronomer John Meader, of Northern Stars Planetarium, joins us during February’s New Moon on Wednesday, February 26, to point out the stars and constellations over eastern Penobscot Bay.
Bring binoculars for better viewing and a blanket to sit on. Contact Chloe Joule at iitcjoule@gmail.com or (207) 734-6907 with questions or for further information.
Winter Hike & Bonfire!
Winter Hike & Bonfire! - Saturday, February 15th, 10:30am @ the Broad Point Preserve
Join IIT on Saturday, February 15, during Islesboro’s Winter Weekend Festival for a hike and bonfire at Broad Point! At the beach we will pop popcorn, roast marshmallows and enjoy hot beverages, looking at the winter beauty of Gilkey Harbor.
If weather allows, bring snowshoes or cross-country skis for even more winter fun!
Soup & Talk - Turtle Head
IIT Soup & Talk - the Turtle Head Preserve
Monday, February 3, 5:30pm-7:00pm at the Islesboro Community Center Cafe
Do you have a favorite IIT trail? Or a hilarious/wondrous/inspiring story that happened while enjoying a preserve? Through the Winter, IIT will be hosting a Soup & Talk dinner every first Monday of the month at the ICC Cafe - each focused on a different favorite IIT Preserve!
February’s Soup & Talk will focus on our northernmost preserve, Turtle Head. Join IIT’s Chloe Joule and Dan Tutor to hear about past, present and future happenings at the preserve and share your Turtle Head stories!
IIT will provide soups and bread. Bring your own beverages and a side or dessert to share.
Calender of Events
News
Recorded Nature Talks Library
Did You Miss One of IIT’s Nature Talks?
No worries - many of our Zoom Talks are recorded! Click on a link below to view some of our past topics.
Bluebird Nesting Habits w/ Dr. Sarah DuRant
December Stars & Planets - Star Party w/ John Meader
Predicting Sea Level Rise & Flooding in the Gulf of Maine
