Beginning January 1, 2024, a person born on or after January 1, 1999, may not operate a motorboat greater than twenty-five (25) horsepower for recreational boating purposes on inland waters of this State or territorial waters, unless that person is 12 years of age or older and has completed a boater safety and education course. These persons must possess and present a boater safety and education course certificate for inspection upon request to a law enforcement officer.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) volunteers throughout the state teach the in-person boating education course. Upon successfully completing and passing the final exam you will be issued a boating education certificate that is recognized in all 50 states and the 6 territories.

Spring is blooming! Please join us as we visit the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay! Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a people’s garden, a grassroots effort that began as a casual conversation between friends and evolved into the largest botanical garden in New England. Located on more than 300 acres along the MidCoast, the Gardens is a true Maine experience. Explore all the gardens have to offer:

Butterfly House | Dahlia Garden | Bee Exhibit | Great Lawn | Founder’s Grove | Lerner Garden of the Five Senses | Slater Forest Pond | Cleaver Lawn | Arbor Garden | Burpee Kitchen Garden | Bibby & Harold Alfond Children’s Garden | Haney Hillside Garden | Vayo Meditation Garden | Fairy House Village | Shoreland Trail & The Landing | Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

What’s in bloom in May? Narcissus (daffodils) add their bright, colorful blooms throughout the Gardens. Hellebores still put on a show. Additional bulbs such as Hyacinthus, Muscari, and Chionodoxa are also painting the ground with shades of pink, blue, yellow, and white. Be sure to check out the soft yellow flowers of Corylopsis glabrescens ‘Longwood Chimes’ in the Alfond Children’s Garden; they smell really yummy! And many small leaved rhododendrons are in bloom in the Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden.

Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a water bottle, sunblock never hurts! Pathways in the central gardens are all ADA compliant, and ramps are available anywhere there are stairs. The Lerner Garden of the Five Senses features sensory-stimulating plants and areas dedicated to each of the five senses. They supply wheelchairs and scooters on a first-come, first-served basis. Shuttle Stops - Free 10-passenger shuttles offer service around the perimeter of the Gardens. They run every 20-25 minutes, with numerous hop-on, hop-off stops—guests should be aware that there is still walking required between shuttle stops and nearby destinations. We try to accommodate as many guests as possible, but the shuttle does get busy during high-traffic periods.

After our visit, we’ll head to the Tugboat Inn in Boothbay Harbor for a late lunch! Tugboat Inn’s waterfront Boothbay Harbor restaurant is a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike. It was built around the original superstructure of the historic tugboat “Maine.” Don’t forget to climb up and visit the original wheelhouse.

Choose from:

Haddock Monhegan – Baked with seasoned crumbs and lemon butter Or Chicken Pot Pie – Tender chicken with mushrooms, carrots and onions Our lunch is accompanied by chef’s choice of side dish, dessert (Maine Blueberry Pie), and non-alcoholic beverage.

9:00 a.m. Depart from Lawrence Jr. High School parking lot, 7 School Street, Fairfield

10:30 a.m. (approximately) Arrive at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

1:30 p.m. Depart Gardens and head to the Tugboat Inn for a late lunch

3:30 p.m. Depart Tugboat Inn and head home

This class is offered through RSU24 Adult Ed. Please contact them to register: 207-422-4794 or https://rsu24.maineadulted.org/classes/  

Learn how to create felted bowls using a variety of wet and needle felting techniques. Our finished bowls can then be embellished with various materials such as beads, buttons, ribbon,yarn, etc. to create one of a kind pieces suitable for the home or for gift giving. There is a supply fee of $10 payable to the instructor at class.

We'll learn how to create felted bowls using a variety of wet and needle felting techniques. Our finished bowls can then be embellished with various materials such as beads, buttons, ribbon, yarn, etc to create one of a kind pieces suitable for the home or for gift giving.

Materials fee: $10 made payable to the instructor at class.

***PLEASE NOTE: THIS CLASS WAS RESCHEDULED AND DIFFERS FROM THE DATE IN THE PRINTED CATALOG***

A staple in many Polish homes, Sue will share her family's golumpki (pronounced "gowumpkey") recipe and step you through the process of making the meat filling, how to cook the cabbage leaves, how to roll them, and most importantly...eat them!

Please bring containers to take home what we make.

Sue is a second generation Pole on both her parents’ sides. She learned to cook authentic recipes by taking notes while her mother and aunts cooked. Sue loves to cook and share recipes, techniques, and best practices.

Create a lovely mermaid with sheep wool using the needle felting* method.  You will begin by making an armature and then building it up with fiber to sculpt your sea goddess.  Add some curly goat locks and maybe some seaweed!  Even beginners can make this beauty!

$8 materials fee to be collected at class. No experience necessary, open to beginner or fiber enthusiast!

*Needle felting uses a barbed needle that is repeatedly stabbed into the wool to agitate the fibers. As the needle works in and out of the wool, the barbs catch scales on the fibers and cause them to interlock and bind together.

About Your Instructor: Maureen Andrew took up felting over 20 years ago when overwhelmed with fiber from her own flock! Her creations are whimsical and fun. She has been teaching felting for 10 years and has taught at Schoodic Arts for All. A creative artist at heart, she dabbles in multiple mediums.

Weekend Ceramics Workshops All classes are taught by instructor, Cody Clinton, and will be held at PHEC on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm. Finished pieces will be dried and fired after the workshop ends, and be made available for pickup approximately 2 weeks after the workshop unless otherwise specified. Using slab-building techniques we will create any number of a variety of box forms such as; jewelry boxes, pen/pencil boxes, stash boxes, butter dishes, luminaries, tea boxes, napkin holders, etc.. Day one will be dedicated to learning the construction techniques and completing a single basic form. There will then be time to create additional forms of your choosing on day two. We will also present various ways to embellish and decorate your completed forms on day two. Day two will also allow you time and opportunity to expand on building things with box forms.

Safe Sleep: Is your baby sleeping safely?  Parents & caregivers will learn the top 10 tips for a safe sleep environment.  Sort through the myths and facts, and see what a safe sleep space looks like.  PURPLE: Did you know babies could cry like this?  Parents and caregivers learn that infant crying is a normal part of every infant's development, and will come away with an understanding of crying, what to expect, how to keep the baby safe, and tips on how to navigate this time in a healthy, supportive way.