2026 HCSWCD Event Calendar - Spring and Beyond
Below is a comprehensive list of events we are hosting or co-hosting in for 2026.
● May 1: No Mow May (All Month) — County-wide
● May 1: Plant Sale (8–4) — USDA Office
● May 2: Plant Sale (8–2) — USDA Office
● May 9: Card Brook Clean up (9–12) — 55 Foster St, Ellsworth
● May 13: Trout Sale Pickup — USDA Office (Time TBD)
● May 15–16: Union River Forum — Moore Center, Ellsworth
● May 20: Envirothon — Leonard Mills (School kids)
● May 23: Migratory Fish Day (10–2) — Orland
● May 26: Castine Invasives Workshop — Castine Town Hall 10-3:30
● Jun 4: Back to the Forest Day (9–2) — Woodlawn, Ellsworth (5th Graders)
● Jun 17: Backyard Rewilding Workshop (9–11) — Deer Isle (location TBD)
● Jun 30: LakeSmart Buffer Workshop — Beech Hill Pond
● Jul 8: Backyard Rewilding Workshop (9–11) — Franklin Community Center
● Jul 16: Forestry Field Day (9–1) — TBD
● Jul 18: Trenton Butterfly Festival (3–5) — Trenton Fire Pond
● Jul 22: Plant Paddle Workshop — TBD
● Aug 4: Lakesmart Buffer Workshop — Branch Lake
● Aug 7: Annual Meeting (12–3) — Ellsworth Gazebo
● Aug TBD: Technical Services Workshop — TBD
● Sept 18: Blueberry Field Day (9–2) — TBD
● Oct TBD: Envirothon — TBD
See event details in the Upcoming Events section below.
Questions? Call 207-667-8663
Upcoming events
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2026 Annual Brook Trout Sale
Order through April 30th - Order pick up May 13th
Stock your pond with brook trout from Mi’kmaq Farms in Caribou. Our sale provides an opportunity for local landowners to stock their private ponds with Brook Trout, a tradition that not only provides beautiful fish for your pond, but also supports sustainable aquatic ecosystems and helps preserve Maine’s rich natural heritage.
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Stream Smart Workshop - Ellsworth
April 13, 2026 | 8:30am-12pm
This workshop sponsored by Maine Audubon will be helpful to all professionals who are responsible for road/stream crossings – including contractors, road commissioners, public works departments, conservation commissions, engineers, planners, land trusts, restoration professionals, watershed groups, and private landowners.
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Tractor Safety Course - Topsham
5 Wednesdays starting April 22, 2026 | 5:30-7:30pm
UMaine Extension offers this five-week course, which will be held at Topsham Tractor and Equipment in Topsham, starts on April 22. Participants will learn how to handle tractors and equipment safely, how to identify hazards, and how to minimize the chances of accidents.
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WoodsWise Resilience Cost-Share Program - Maine Woodland Owners
April 22, 2026 | 4-5pm | Online
Maine Forest Service has a new financial incentives program for landowners: WoodsWISE. Learn all about this program for cost effective forest stewardship actions.
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Next Level Soil Health Workshop - Standish
April 30, 2026 | 9am-3pm
UMaine Extension offers this full-day program focused on taking farm soil health practices to the next level. This program is for farmers who have experience with soil health practices and want to build on those outcomes and benefits.
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Spruce Budworm Public Info Session - Free
April 30, 2026 | 10am-11:30
DACF and the Maine Forest Service presents this info session hosted by Keeping Maine’s Forests to share info and intervention strategies. Experts from UMaine and Maine Budworm Response Coalition will also be on hand. Held at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer.
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Tree & Shrub Sale - Pick Up Day
May 1st & 2nd 2026
Pick up day for Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District’s Annual Tree & Shrub Sale will be on May 1st from Friday 8-4am and Saturday, May 2nd from 8-1.
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Annual Card Brook Clean Up - Ellsworth
May 9, 2026 (rain date May 16)
The City of Ellsworth is inviting residents, volunteers, and community partners to take part in two annual spring clean-up efforts aimed at improving local roadsides and restoring Card Brook, the City’s urban stream. More info to come.
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Understanding Soil & Compost
May 16, 2026 | 9am-12pm
Native Gardens of Blue Hill presents this event let by Marjorie Peronto and Cathy Rees. Learn about soil texture, structure, organic matter, and how gardening practices and natural processes impact soil characteristics. Learn about composting methods and practices for healthy soil building.
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Healthy Garden Practices - Native Gardens of Blue Hill
May 16, 2026 | 1-4pm | Blue Hill
Join Avy Claire and Marjorie Peronto for a session on how to plant, transplant, divide, stake and care for plants in the garden. Learn about weeding, watering, and proper tool selection and usage.
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Migratory Fish Celebration - Narramissic-Orland River Watershed
Sat. May 23, 2026 | 10am-2:00 | Fish Pt. Road, Orland Village
Join us at the Orland Dam fish ladder to cheer on alewife and blueback herring as they make their ancient upstream migration. Watch water birds hunting herring from the shoreline, binoculars in hand, and learn how these small but mighty fish support the entire watershed ecosystem.
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Invasive Plant Educational Workshop
May 26, 2026 | 10am-3:30pm
Maine Natural Areas, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Native Gardens of Blue Hill and our District are hosting an immersive workshop on invasive plants. Moring session inside at Emerson Hall, 67 Court Street. Afternoon is in the field.
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Annual Lake Conference 2026
June 12, 2026
Mark your calendars for this annual event co-sponsored by Maine Lakes and Lake Stewards of Maine at UMaine Orono. More details and registration information will follow in the coming months.
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6th Annual Wild Blueberry Weekend
Aug. 1-2, 2026
This multi-location event includes farm tours, music, food, and everything wild blueberry. Hosted by the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine.
Get Involved
Our conservation work in Hancock County depends on community residents and organizations to support and contribute to it. We maintain a list of conservation-related opportunities that are organized by our partners, and, when possible, we organize events and volunteer opportunities that are specific to our soil and water projects. We invite you to join one or all of these opportunities to stay connected with conservation work in our community.
Complete our Volunteer Sign-Up Form to get started!
We also invite you to consider giving to our District. We accept donations of all sizes, and encourage you to reach out to us if you’re interested in partnering to accomplish and expand conservation goals. Please call us at 207.667.8663 or email hcswcdinfo@hancockcountyswcd.org for more information.
By providing Envirothon and other quality education programs to students today, we hope to ensure the continued value of Maine’s natural resources. Envirothon is aligned with Common Core Standards, the guiding principles for Maine’s education system.
Youth Engagement
Envirothon
What is Envirothon? A natural resource problem-solving competition for grades 9-12. In an outdoor setting, students are tested in five natural resource areas: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and a current national environmental issue. Envirothon is a team effort that includes site-specific, hands-on tasks. A team includes three to five students, an alternate, and an adult advisor. Regional and state competitions are held each spring. The top Maine team qualifies for the North American Envirothon finals, an opportunity to compete against teams from across the United States and Canada.
Why Envirothon? The State of Maine has a long history of natural resource use and management. Maine is 90% forested, has 6,000 lakes and ponds, 4,500 miles of mainland shoreline, and 32,000 miles of rivers and streams. We have an abundance of wildlife and fish, and agriculture continues to be an important resource. The Maine Association of Conservation Districts has a strong, shared commitment to preserving these natural landscapes.