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Adopt-a-Rescued-Rabbit Month
Coastal Humane Society Celebrates rabbits in February

Rabbits are currently the third most common animals abandoned at shelters and in need of loving homes. The Coastal Humane Society has joined Petfinder.com in declaring February "Adopt-A-Rescued-Rabbit Month."

These small mammals make excellent pets. Rabbits are intelligent, social animals capable of forming lifelong bonds with their human companions. Whether housed in a small city apartment or a spacious country home, the quiet well-mannered house rabbit will be a welcome addition. They are capable of being litter-box trained, and their playful antics will warm your heart for years to come. A well cared for house rabbit has a lifespan of five to ten years.

If you decide a rabbit is the right addition to your household, hop to adopt one by visiting the Coastal Humane Society at 30 Range Road, Brunswick. To obtain information regarding proper nutrition, veterinary care, spaying or neutering, grooming, play, and other needs of these warm-hearted creatures, contact CHS at 725-5051 or visit our website at www.coastalhumanesociety.org.

CHS will host a Rabbit Adoption event with CHS bunnies available for adoption on March 12 at Pet Quarters in Brunswick from 10am-1pm. Quan Myers of Hug-A-Bunny will be on hand to answer questions and help children and adults learn to care properly for America's third most popular house pet!

Coastal Humane Society, 30 Range Road, Brunswick, Maine 04011
207-725-5051, www.coastalhumanesociety.org

Auction!

Please join us at our Poland Spring Academy 5th Annual Chinese Auction March 13th Excelsior Grange, Harris Hill Road, Tickets will be sold from 12 - p.m. We will start drawing the winners at 2 p.m. For more information please call 998-4566.

Card of Thanks
The Town of Gray would Like to thank Kate Wurgler, Mr. & Mrs. Larry Vose, and Gray Congregational Church for the food donations to the Food Closet.
Anyone can donate items to the Food Closet. Perishable food is only accepted at Christmas time, but cans, boxes, and other foods are welcome.

Also welcome are non-food items, such as personal hygiene items, TP, paper towels, dog and cat food, and baby items such as food or diapers.
The Pantry is low on personal hygiene items and baby food and diapers now, said Ronna Budd at the Gray Town Office. FMI on donating, call Town Office at 657-3112.

Free Noontime Lectures at Maine Historical Society

"Bill Green on The Maine Woods Today." Tuesday, March 22.Join WCSH 6 anchor/reporter Bill Green for tales from the Maine Woods. For more than 25 years Green has been exploring the people, places, and industries that are at the heart of today's Maine Woods, as an outdoorsman, television reporter, and dedicated Mainer. This lecture is free and open to the public.

"Bzzzz!!! Infamous Insects of the Maine Woods," Tuesday, April 5. Hear Charlene Donahue, Forest Entomologist, Maine Forest Service, share insights into some of Maine's most notorious insects. Donahue, who spends her professional life working with Maine insects, will also discuss the history of entomology in the Maine Forest Service. This lecture is free and open to the public.

"Saving The Maine Woods." Tuesday, April 26. Join Jym St. Pierre, Maine Director of RESTORE: The North Woods for a slide lecture that explores some of the ideas that have been implemented or proposed during the past 150 years to conserve Maine's dual heritage of wilderness and working forest. Policy makers, forest landowners, environmentalists, local residents, philanthropists, and recreational users have been trying, often contentiously, to determine how best to use and preserve Maine's vast forestlands. This lecture is free and open to the public.

"Mining the Forest: A History of the Maine Lumber Industry," Tuesday, May 10. Hear Richard W. Judd, Professor of History, University of Maine, Orono, tell the history of lumbering in Maine and explore the critical role it played in the state's economy in the 19th century. Learn how Maine became a pioneer of the lumber industry. This lecture is free and open to the public.

FMI: Free Noontime Lectures Series, Maine Historical Society Tuesdays, March 22, April 5 and 26, May 10, 2005 from 12 - 1 p.m., 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101. 207-774-1822; www.mainehistory.org. The Maine Historical Society promotes the understanding and enjoyment of Maine history.

Maine Audubon March Programs and Trips
Some upcoming programs, excerpted
Gilsland Farm Public Programs. Unless noted otherwise, all programs are held at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth. For reservations and details call (207) 781-2330, ext. 215.

Course: Veggie Gardening
Do you ever wonder when to plant your pepper seeds and whether theyshould be started indoors or out? This evening class will discuss placement, timing and creation of your vegetable garden. Each participant will receive a starter seed packet. Wednesday, March 2
7-8:30 p.m. $8/member, $10/nonmember, Reservations necessary

Travelers' Club
As the head of a five-person, worldwide satellite triangulation team, geologist Harold Nilsson found himself on the island of Tristan de Cunha in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. The official reason for his trip was to determine the rate of continental drift, but while on the island-home to approximately 300 people with only 7 surnames-he becamefriendly with quite a few islanders while drinking cognac at the island pub and eating such delicacies as wandering albatross. One of Nilsson's party almost lost his life in a fishing boat accident in which an islander was lost, and the community would not eat fish for about sixmonths. Hear these and other stories about Tristan de Cunha at this months Traveler's Club. Thursday, March 3, 7 p.m. Free

Family Program: Signs of Spring
Educator Karen Hoydick will lead this exploration of Gilsland Farm in search of signs of spring and wildlife. In early March, it's possible to
see woodchucks, chipmunks, voles, and many other animals that are not visible during most of the winter. Saturday, March 5, 10-11:30 a.m. Members: $6/adult, $3/child. Nonmembers: $8/adult, $4/child, Reservations necessary.

Family Program: Good Night Nature
Bring your children ages 3-6 to Gilsland Farm for the evening to listen to the bedtime story "Wonderful Bats." Snacks and activities will accompany the program. Don't forget to wear your PJs! Adults must accompany children. Thursday, March 10, 6:30-7:30 pm. $8/member child, $10/nonmember child. Reservations necessary.

Family Program: Building Bird Houses
Common to many Maine back yards, chickadees, tufted titmice, tree swallows and bluebirds are all "secondary cavity nesters," meaning they don't excavate nests themselves but instead use old woodpecker holes or other natural or man-made cavities. Naturalist Maurice Dauphin will teach us how to construct a standard bluebird house (which can be used by many different species) to provide nesting opportunities in your yard. Maurice also will review nest-box placement and what kind of habitat different species prefer. All supplies included, but please bring a Phillips head screwdriver. Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m.-noon. Per box: $25/member, $30/nonmember, Reservations necessary.

Nature Book Discussion Group:
"Run, River, Run: A Naturalist's Journey Down One of the Great Rivers of the American West" by Ann Zwinger. A seamless narrative traversing the Green River from its source to its meeting with the Colorado, this book visits the river both from a naturalist's and a historian's viewpoint, with plenty of metaphors and visualization of an almost lyrical nature. The author's charcoal sketches of plants, birds and historical items are a wonderful Addition to the book.Monday, March 14, 7 p.m. Free.

Open House-Health Fair ~Join us at Contours Express, Gray Plaza, Gray, Maine on February 19th from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. for a free health fair. Door Prizes Every Half Hour, Chair Massage, Yoga Classes 9-10:30 & 12-1, Spinal Health Screenings by Marcotte Family Chiropractic, Snacks * Smoothies * Recipes. Free

Bean Supper: There will be a public bean supper at the Amvet Hall on Route 100 in New Gloucester on Saturday, February 19th from 5-6 p.m. The supper will feature beans, chop suey, cole slaw, hot dogs, biscuits, brown bread and pie. Adults are $6.00 children are only $2.00. For more information call 926-4402.

Poker Rally March 5: Gray Snowolves Snowmobile Club, registration starts at 9 a.m. Last Registration 12:00 Noon. $5.00 Entry Fee, $50. To the club with the most members (min 10) . Prizes, Raffle Drawings, Food, Fun . Starting and ending at St Gregory's Church, Raymond Rd. off RT 26 North, 2.5 miles from Gray Center . Good luck and have safe fun.

Gem Show: March 12-13 Portland, Maine 22nd annual Gem and Mineral Show featuring dealers presenting jewelry, gems and minerals, children's attractions, demonstrations, silent auction, displays, door prizes and more; presented by the Maine Mineralogical & Geological Society at the Finley Gym, University of New England, 716 Stevens Ave. Saturday & Sunday 10 to 5; adults $4, seniors and teens under 18 $3, children 12 and under FREE; contact Roberta Goldsmith, Show Chair at merockhound@xpressamerica.net or (207) 459-7986.

PowWow: Saturday February 19th & Sunday February 20th, 2005, Mountain Valley Mall & the New Hampshire Inter-Tribal Pow-Wow Located on Route 16, in North Conway. NH. Pow-Wow opens at 10 a.m. With Music and Stories. Grand Entry both Saturday and Sunday 12 Noon. Drumming & Dancing Ending time on Saturday and Sunday will be 5 p.m. Most Vendors will stay open until 8. Public Invited! bring your friends, family, a Lawn Chair, and join us!! For all Powwow information please call Bev at 603-528-3005 or Sandy at 603-539-5015.

Woodswalk shoot: York County Fish & Game Club is holding a blackpowder woodswalk shoot Saturday Feb 26, 2005. Registration time 9AM at Stickney Lodge, located on Route 35. Entry fee $5.00 plus blanket prize valued at $5. Eye and ear protection mandatory. Safe gun handling expected of all participants. Any type of muzzleloading firearm welcome. No modern or blackpowder cartridge guns allowed. Snowshoes strongly recommended. Any questions contact Scott Brydon at 207-499-7537.

4th Annual Genealogy Conference: Saturday, May 21, at Williams Elementary School, Oakland, ME. Silence Howard Hayden Chapter, Waterville, ME Daughters of the American Revolution--Looking for vendors who have merchandise for Genealogists. Vendor Tables are $10 each -- 8 foot tables (you can purchase more than one table for your booth). Bring your own table - $5 for each table. Registration for workshops -- $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Catered lunch - $6. Contact: Leilani Stites, 12 Forest St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 . Silence Howard Hayden Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) EMAIL: excal@midmaine.com, fax/phone (207)564-8739

Town of Topsham to host Forestry Workshop
At 6 p.m. on March 8 at the Topsham Public Library, the Topsham Conservation Committee will host a forestry workshop for private landowners, foresters, town officials and land trust staff and members interested in integrating timber management and biodiversity.

Led by Robert Bryan, licensed forester and Maine Audubon forest ecologist, the workshop will review how landowners and foresters can improve or maintain wildlife habitat on their land while managing the land for recreation, timber or other personal goals.

The workshop is based on Maine Audubon's new guide, "Focus Species Forestry," which shows how to manage forest lands for the full range of Maine's wildlife while simultaneously providing other forest benefits such a wood, clean water, clean air and recreation.

Focus species forestry aims to help foresters and landowners develop management plans that support the goals of Beginning with Habitat, an award-winning collaborative program that helps communities plan growth to protect natural areas and, in so doing, prevent sprawl. Topsham received a Beginning with Habitat presentation in December 2002.

The new forestry management guide is published by Maine Audubon in cooperation with the Maine Department of Conservation, the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine.

Workshop participants will receive a summary of the guide's recommendations; copies of the guide will be available for purchase at the workshop.

For more information on Focus Species Forestry, call (207) 781-2330 or visit www.maineaudubon.org.

Here, a pine marten, one of the focus species. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service/photo by: Erwin and Peggy Bauer.