Events and Programs
Pond and Pines Retreat
Breath into a single day, let joy fill each moment and flow into the soul of the earth.
Join us for a day of intentional wellness and gratitude. Breathe in the forest as we hike to Pond Cabin on the shore of Little Dyer Pond. Open the day with greetings to the natural world through the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Relax the mind and enliven the body with yoga flow into shavasana with reiki energy work. Gather around the fire, under the pines overlooking the pond, for a delicious lunch of honorably harvested local foods. Write poems of blessing and humor to offer the smoke and be taken to the realm of spirits. Raise your voice in song to the waters and land, accompanied by flute and drum. Walk the path, pausing to lay among the roots, listen to the trees, and laugh with the falling leaves. Close the day in a circle, deeply moved and ready to rejoin the world.
Pond and Pines Retreat will be led by Sloane Lepage, Sarah Plummer, and Zoe Thomas. Sloane specializes in energy work, reiki, song, and sound. Sarah runs Maine Outdoor Yoga melding the Maine outdoors with the power of yoga. Zoe is the Community Engagement Manager for Midcoast Conservancy, bringing a deep connection to the land and compassion for the soul.
Price: $150.00/pp.
Participants must be 16+.
Questions? Please reach out to Zoe Thomas.
Fire making workshop
Learn to start a fire with ease in this hands-on workshop at Hidden Valley Nature Center. Whether you’ve struggled all your life to get campfires lit, always worry when starting a fire after a rain, or are looking to improve your woodstove fire starting skills, this workshop will leave you feeling confident.
We often hear from people staying at our campsites and cabins about how difficult it was to start the fire, or how excited they were that they finally got a fire started. When you’re relying on a fire to cook your dinner or dry your clothes, it’s essential that you have the skills to easily make it happen. Learn the difference in types of wood, where to find dry kindling, different styles of fire structure and when to use them, and how to be prepared before you light the match.
Come with a friend you want to camp with, bring the entire family, or join alone. We will make sure you walk away with the skills needed to start a fire successfully anytime you want.
This is a free program, but space is limited and registration is required.
Youth Ski Lease
Have a child who needs cross county ski equipment for the winter?
Why not lease them a set of skis, boots, and poles from Midcoast Conservancy! Keep the equipment all winter to ski wherever you want, including Hidden Valley, and return them in April.
Available for youth aged 3-12
Ski Lease Package: $75 per participant.
The individual who will use the skis must be present to ensure a proper fit. Feel free to email in advance to ensure we have the correct size skis and boots available.
Once you have your skis, register here to join us on Sunday mornings January 10 - February 21 for Midcoast Conservancy Ski Club at Hidden Valley Nature Center. Cross country skiers of all ages and abilities can join.
Interested in Ski Lessons during Midcoast Conservancy Ski Club? Register for lessons here. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to cross country ski or you’ve skied before but could use some new skills, we’ll meet you where you’re at in a fun no-pressure environment.
Questions? Contact Zoe Thomas at zoe@midcoastconservancy.org
Youth Ski Lease
Have a child who needs cross county ski equipment for the winter?
Why not lease them a set of skis, boots, and poles from Midcoast Conservancy! Keep the equipment all winter to ski wherever you want, including Hidden Valley, and return them in April.
Available for youth aged 3-12
Ski Lease Package: $75 per participant.
The individual who will use the skis must be present to ensure a proper fit. Feel free to email in advance to ensure we have the correct size skis and boots available.
Once you have your skis, register here to join us on Sunday mornings January 10 - February 21 for Midcoast Conservancy Ski Club at Hidden Valley Nature Center. Cross country skiers of all ages and abilities can join.
Interested in Ski Lessons during Midcoast Conservancy Ski Club? Register for lessons here. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to cross country ski or you’ve skied before but could use some new skills, we’ll meet you where you’re at in a fun no-pressure environment.
Questions? Contact Zoe Thomas at zoe@midcoastconservancy.org
Youth Ski Lease
Have a child who needs cross county ski equipment for the winter?
Why not lease them a set of skis, boots, and poles from Midcoast Conservancy! Keep the equipment all winter to ski wherever you want, including Hidden Valley, and return them in April.
Available for youth aged 3-12
Ski Lease Package: $75 per participant.
The individual who will use the skis must be present to ensure a proper fit. Feel free to email in advance to ensure we have the correct size skis and boots available.
Once you have your skis, register here to join us on Sunday mornings January 10 - February 21 for Midcoast Conservancy Ski Club at Hidden Valley Nature Center. Cross country skiers of all ages and abilities can join.
Interested in Ski Lessons during Midcoast Conservancy Ski Club? Register for lessons here. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to cross country ski or you’ve skied before but could use some new skills, we’ll meet you where you’re at in a fun no-pressure environment.
Questions? Contact Zoe Thomas at zoe@midcoastconservancy.org
Afterschool Mountain Bike Ride
Own a mountain bike and ready to hit the trails this fall? Then join us on this after school mountain bike ride.
Sarah Plummer, local yoga and outdoor adventure instructor from Maine Outdoor Yoga, will lead this group ride along the trails at Hidden Valley. Participants will learn the basics of mountain biking on this fun and challenging beginner to intermediate ride.
Make sure your bike is trail ready, tires inflated, brakes in working condition and able to navigate trail riding. Please bring a helmet, wear sneakers and bring water in a well fitted backpack.
The group will meet at the Welcome Center at 3:30 PM and return before 5:00 PM. Parents are welcome to join the ride if they have their own bike, bike on your own, or enjoy a walk while the kids ride.
This ride will happen rain or shine.
While this is a free event, we appreciate your registration which is essential for our planning.
Introduction to Timber Framing
Join us for this four-day hands-on timber framing course.
Students will have the opportunity to work with two expert instructors while participating in every step of the process, from laying out joinery and cutting timbers to raising the finished timber frame structure.
Timber framing is a traditional approach to building using hand-cut mortise and tenon joinery. Instead of connecting 2x’s with nails and screws, as is typical in modern construction, hardwood pegs lock the hand-cut joinery together to create structures that are rugged and beautiful.
Anyone that has wandered into a New England barn has experienced the quiet power of these stoic timbered structures, and many of Maine’s historic timber frames have been standing for over two hundred years.
Timber frame construction can be a satisfying and ecological way to make use of trees harvested from local woodlots or sourced from local sawyers to build your own house, barn, or outbuilding.
Pricing: $675.00/per person
Full Moon Hike- Canceled
This program has been canceled. Please consider joining us for future Full Moon Hikes!
Join us for a full moon hike (or snowshoe) at Hidden Valley Nature Center.
Enjoy an evening illuminated by the glow of the full Snow Moon. Discover a new way of being in the woods, when sounds become more pronounced and sight takes a backseat to our other senses. The group will take moments of silence to listen for owls and nocturnal foragers along the trail, chat as we hike and revel in the brightness of earth's closest celestial friend.
Meet at the Welcome Center at Hidden Valley; hikers should wear shoes with good grips and bring a hiking stick if desired, along with a snack, drink, and flashlight or headlamp. Your guide will lead the group on a moderate hike of 2-3 miles along some of the many trails at Hidden Valley. We will be out for 2 hours.
In the case of inclement weather which prevents us from running the hike on you will be notified by noon that the hike has been canceled.
All are welcome, youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
This is a free event; registration is required so we can stay in touch with participants and know how many to expect.