United Way of Mid Coast Maine is extending an invitation to the community to join them at their 2025 annual meeting. The event will take place on Tuesday, June 10 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Bowdoin College. The event’s theme “United We Thrive” will be an opportunity to come together as a community, for the community. 

Midcoast Humane is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year—and inviting the community to be part of a life-saving opportunity. In honor of this milestone, two longtime supporters have pledged a $75,000 matching challenge grant, doubling every donation made during 2025, up to the full amount. 

As of May 15, the organization has raised just over $65,000 and is urging supporters to help close the gap before the summer months, when animal intake spikes. 

There is still time to join other female-identifying folks for the weather-postponed Hearty Roots “Interlude” gathering on Saturday, May 17, from 1 to 6 p.m. This is a chance to fill your cup, recharge your batteries, and find whatever your spirit is needing during this time of seasonal transition. Let the abundance of the natural world guide your experience at this event on the Hearty Roots campus in Bremen.

On April 28, Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust closed on the purchase of its largest independent acquisition to date in the town of Newcastle. The 270-acre Deer Meadow Brook Preserve is part of a block of nearly 4,700 acres of undeveloped wildlife habitat along Deer Meadow Brook.  

Located on West Hamlet Road, the property extends from the shore of Damariscotta Lake at State Route 215 (Pond Road) to Deer Meadow Brook, where it includes over 1,600 feet of stream frontage. 

Don’t miss the Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District Spring Plant Sale at Union Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plants have been chosen for their value as windbreaks, lakeshore buffers, bank stabilization, erosion control, and wildlife habitat – including songbirds, pollinators, and beneficial insects. Individual varieties were selected for productivity, pest and disease resistance, a variety of soil and light conditions – and to provide beauty and color in the home landscape from spring through fall.

Open the door to the 40th Student Art Show at Boothbay Region Art Foundation, and enter a world of exploration through color, technique, history, and imagination that has led to some thought-provoking work. All (approximately) told, 450 works of art are displayed! Yes, you’ll be there for a while … and not even realize time is passing!

At their May 8 meeting, the Wiscasset Masons of Lincoln Lodge No. 3 A.F. & A.M. presented five area food pantries with a total of $4,000. The funds were raised by the Masons during their Christmas drive held at Ames Supply in Wiscasset. The $2,000 raised at that event was then matched by the Masons Assisting Charities Fund.

Memorial Day is a solemn occasion to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. We attend parades, place flags at gravesites, and take quiet moments of reflection. But beyond the ceremonies and speeches lies another, often invisible war, one that too many of our veterans and active-duty service members are still fighting.

River rats, unite! Outdoor enthusiasts, assemble! Anyone who believes in the power of nature to change lives, prepare to make a difference! And everyone, mark your calendars for Hearty Roots’ fourth annual Paddle for a Purpose community fundraiser on Saturday, June 14. 

Midcoast Literacy, a non-profit that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, is holding two training sessions for new volunteer tutors this spring: one for volunteers who want to work with kids, and one for volunteer English language tutors for adults. Midcoast Literacy serves individuals in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and northern Cumberland counties, and is seeking volunteers who come from any of these communities.

Amendments April 29 to parts of the proposed, $10.8 million, 2025-26 Wiscasset school budget all lost, keeping the budget offer intact as it moves to a June 10 vote at the polls, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson said.

On Monday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Coastal Senior College “Village Volunteers” Steve and Mary Gifford will lead Coastal Senior College members on an expedition in South Thomaston along Route 131, a one-mile walk in the Georges River Land Trust’s Riverview Hayfields Preserve. Afterwards, the group will visit the Finnish Heritage House and the Finnish Congregational Church to learn about the Finnish community in the Midcoast.

Alongside the welcome shift to warmer weather, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens once again opens its gates to the public on May 1. This year, the Gardens remains steadfast in its mission to connect people to plants and nature and promote plant conservation. Visitors of all ages are invited to escape to the Gardens to prioritize their physical and mental health.

Maine Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office of the Department of Defense (DoD), announced that Wiscasset Middle High School (WMHS) and Principal Sarah Hubert received the Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.

The proposed 2025-26 Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit budget is $28.6 million, a would be hike of 5.1%, according to Superintendent of Schools Howard Tuttle's presentation in Alna April 24. "Honestly, this is definitely the toughest budget we've had," Tuttle said.

Among factors, he said high school tuition costs and out-of-district placement costs are both up and, due to property valuations' being up, state subsidy is poised to hike by $64,099, instead of its usual hike of about $400,000. 

No need to miss the burnt french toast and spilled orange juice in bed on Mother’s Day in order to join other female-identifying folks for the Hearty Roots “Interlude” gathering on Saturday, May 10, from 1 to 6 p.m. This is a chance to fill your cup, recharge your batteries, and find whatever your spirit is needing during this time of seasonal transition.