A silent auction and potluck supper will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, to benefit the reconstruction of the Orono Bog Boardwalk, a mile-long pathway that serves thousands of visitors annually.

The fundraising event is scheduled from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Keith Anderson Community House, 19 Bennoch Road in Orono. Admission is free; donations will be gratefully accepted at the door.

Participants are asked to bring a dish to share. Items that will be up for bid include a weekend getaway on the Maine coast, an Epic Sports gift certificate, a home brewing consultation, concert and theatre tickets, Nordic ski lessons, artwork, sports equipment, antiques and more.

The boardwalk, which first opened in 2003, starts in Bangor and crosses the town line into the University of Maine-owned part of the peat bog in Orono. So far, it has been visited by about 300,000 people.

Over time, moisture, fungus, foot traffic and weather has started to break down the wooden structure. So in response, the boardwalk management team is replacing the cedar decking with a more durable material – composite decking, cladded aluminum siding and stainless steel footings.

Photo by Aislinn Sarnacki. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is slick with rain at 10 a.m. Monday, May 1, the boardwalk’s opening day and 10th anniversary.

The project is split into three phases, and this summer, volunteers completed Phase I, replacing sections 1-105 of the boardwalk, which cost approximately 223,000 in donations.

Funds are currently being raised for Phase II, estimated to cost $298,000. Then it will be on to Phase III, which will cost an estimated $540,000.

The boardwalk, which is accessible from the Tripp Drive entrance of the Bangor City Forest, is open during daylight hours through late November.

For information about the event, the Orono Bog Boardwalk and its programs, or ways to support the reconstruction of the boardwalk, call Jim Bird at 866-2578 or email him at jim.bird@umit.maine.edu or visit umaine.edu/oronobogwalk.