Fresh eggs, tick protection, garden compost, educational interaction for your kids, entertainment, and more! Chickens are relatively low maintenance, require care that even kids can provide, and offer tangible rewards on many levels. Learn what it takes to raise happy hens in suburban spaces, including: benefits and drawbacks, raising baby chicks, best breeds and personalities for your family, hen house and yard set up, moveable “chicken tractors”, nutrition, health, garden and yard interactions, winter care, cycle of life, and additional supports and resources. Meet one of Raychell’s chickens in person! Bring your questions, get straight answers, leave with a sense of what’s actually involved in raising a few hens of your own. Two lucky participants will take home a dozen fresh eggs! Raychell is a horticulturist, landscaper, and primary owner of Fervor Farm in Hollis; they provide locally-bred and processed heritage meats, eggs and other farm products, and also host a variety of homesteading and farming classes for the public.

Wed, 3/11/2020 • 6:00 to 8:00 pm $25 • Instructor: Raychell Libby

Always popular!  Learn to grow your own vegetables in an organic and sustainable manner: Cover basics of soil science and how to enrich your soil to produce healthy, high-yielding plants. Learn the the fundamentals of making and using compost, the principles of crop rotation and how to incorporate green manures to manage nutrients in the garden. Also included: how to tell the difference between cultivated plants and weeds, basic weed control strategies, and cultural methods for dealing with pests. Instructor will be an experienced farmer or gardener from your region. Head home with workshop handouts and some seeds to get started. All welcome, from first-timers to experienced gardeners who want to experiment with new techniques.

Wed, 4/8/2020, 5:00 to 8:00 pm, $5, plus separate $5 material fee at class

Instructor: tbd from Maine Organic Gardeners and Farmers Association

What defines the “perfect Maine lawn”? One that’s lush and green, safe for families, pets, and the environment, plus saves you time and money! Learn to create a more resilient, beautiful lawn without relying on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. We’ll provide strategies for fertilizing correctly, controlling weeds and thatch, renovating poor lawns, transitioning to organic care, and more. Whether you maintain your lawn or hire a professional, round up your neighbors and join! This program compatible with the Town of Scarborough’s organic pest management policy for school and town properties, as well as the City of Portland’s and City of South Portland’s pesticide ordinances. Ali implements community education and outreach programs for Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District, holds degrees in environmental studies and marine science, and offers this through CCSWCD as a free community service.

Wed, 4/15/2020, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, 

$5 adult ed processing fee

Instructor: Ali Clift, CCSWCD

Hidden cameras reveal much! Join Professor Perlut as he shares fascinating remote video of nightlife and wildlife activity taken along a 1.6 mile portion of Scarborough‘s Eastern Trail. This is part of UNE’s multi-year “Gap Tracks Study” focusing on a part of the trail scheduled to be connected. Excellent opportunity for families to witness real-time footage of wildlife in their natural habitat and learn how environmental factors influence animal behavior. An engaging presentation not to be missed, presented as one in a series of lectures by The Friends of Scarborough Marsh; see scarboroughmarsh.org

Tues, 4/28/2020, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, Scarborough High School's All Purpose Room 

FREE, no registration required, just come join us!

Lecturer: Noah Perlut, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, UNE Dept. of Environmental Studies

Capture the magic that is Maine! Spend the first two classes inside the studio touching on mindfulness practices, reviewing some basic art foundations, and practicing technical skills for outdoor landscape painting. Learn to navigate oil’s challenges and take advantage of the benefits: brighter colors, slower dry time, ease in blending, minimized color change through drying process, etc. Rain days held in Scarborough High art studio; remainder of classes off-site, weather permitting, locations tbd like Kettle Cove, Scarborough Marsh and/or Portland Head Light. Supply list provided once class determined to run.

Chris graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in Visual Arts. He’s a painter, exhibitor, and art teacher inspired by the synthesis of nature, the evolving play of light, and each artist’s unique, mindful expression of feelings and interpretation: www.christopherdreed.com

Six Thurs, 5/7 to 6/11/2020, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, $94, plus supplies provided by student

Instructor/Artist: Christopher Reed