Midcoast Conservancy will host a full moon paddle at its Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson on Friday, Sept. 23 from 7-9 p.m. Participants can enjoy the silvery glow of the “full corn moon” — so called by early farmers because they had more nights of bright moon light to gather crops — from canoes provided by the nature center as they glide along Little Dyer Pond after a beautiful mile-and-a-half hike into the woods.
Little Dyer Pond is a true “great pond” with no public boat launch and almost no shoreline development. Midcoast Conservancy will provide the canoes, paddles, and life jackets. All ages are welcome! Participants should be comfortable in a canoe on flat water, able to steer a canoe, and able to walk three miles on moderate trails.
Space is limited by the number of boats available, and preregistration is required. More information and registration is available at midcoastconservancy.org/events/full-moon-paddle-little-dyer-pond-2. Meet at the gate at 7 p.m.; bring flashlights or headlamps for the hike back to the parking lot.
Note that the nature center’s canoes are available to rent anytime between dawn and dusk. Just leave a $10 per boat donation at the gatehouse and hit the water to explore Little Dyer Pond.
Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center is open to the public 365 days a year, dawn to dusk. Comprising 1,000 acres of diverse habitat, and laced with nearly 30 miles of multiuse trails, the nature center makes a great classroom for nature-based learning and nonmotorized recreation. For more information, go to midcoastconservancy.org or call 389-5150.