Discover nature’s wonders over coffee in Old Town

If you like coffee (or tea), and you’re curious about wildlife, you might be interested in “Sunkhaze Cafe,” a free educational program hosted by the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. “Sunkhaze Cafe,” which is open to all ages, will be held at 10 a.m. every third Saturday in the Daybreak Bakery at 242 Main St. in Old Town.

The talks will be on a range of wilderness topics.

• “Backyard Invaders,” at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 21, will be a talk by Caleb Clemmons of the University of Maine and the Maine Invasive Species Network about plants that harm our backyards.

• “River Birds,” at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, will be led by Erynn Call, PhD student at the University of Maine, who will talk about dam restoration and it’s affect on the river community.

• “The Direction of Wood Frogs,” at 10 a.m. Saturday,  Sept. 15, will be led by Britt Cline, PhD student at the University of Maine, who will talk about the importance of tracking juvenile wood frogs.

Sunkhaze Meadows is one of more than 500 national wildlife refuges in the United States. Once a peat bog destined to be destroyed by a peat mining company, Sunkhaze Meadows is now a sanctuary for a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. The refuge is open to visitors year round during daylight hours.

The Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows NWR is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to protecting Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. They currently have 170 members and are always happy to accept new members. The group is involved in many activities, including building boardwalks, trail maintenance and community outreach.

For information, including tail maps of Sunkhaze Meadows, visit www.sunkhaze.org or call 594-0600.

Courtesy of Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.