School Wildlife Programs for Maine Wildlife Park and Swan Island

Maine Wildlife Park logo

Call (207) 287-5244 to make
reservations at the Maine Wildlife Park.

Swan Island Logo

Call (207) 547-5322 to make
reservations at Swan Island.

$4.00 per person fee for all programs including teachers, parents, and chaperones.
All reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.

An easy print calendar version of courses and course descriptions PDF

To view PDF document, you will need the free Adobe Reader. If you need assistance, view our PDF Help page or contact us at ifw.webmaster@maine.gov or (207) 287-8000.

Spring Programs: May and June

Fall Programs: September and October

Also see Program Descriptions.

Maine Wildlife Park Wildlife Programs - Route 26, Gray - Call (207) 287-5244 to make reservations.

All wildlife programs are on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 - 10:45 am, and 11:00 - 11:45 am; rain or shine, in the open-sided outdoor classroom shelter. Please dress for the weather!

Maine Wildlife Park Guided Tours

Due to a very limited number of volunteer guides, tours are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 am - 11:30 am for one class of up to 30 children, 1st grade and up. Reservations are required; call (207) 287-5244 to reserve a tour for your class today!

Swan Island Wildlife Programs - Richmond Landing, Routes 197/24 - Call (207) 547-5322 to make reservations.

All programs are on Mondays and Wednesdays. Buses must arrive with students ready to board the ferry to the Island by 9:30 a.m. Students will then ride our Island tour truck to the Campground area. Wildlife Programs will begin promptly at 10:15 am at the Boathouse. From 11:15 am to your departure time, classes can picnic and explore the Island on their own. Departure for everyone must be prearranged. Bring lunches, snacks & beverages to hold you over until you are back on the mainland.

Ticks

Like many areas statewide, Swan Island and the Maine Wildlife Park have been found to have deer tick populations. Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete (pronounced spy-ro-keet) that is carried by deer ticks. An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites. Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms.

Studies have shown that an infected tick normally cannot begin transmitting the spirochete until it has been attached to its host about 36-48 hours; the best line of defense against LD, therefore, is to examine yourself at least once daily and remove any ticks before they become engorged (swollen) with blood. Make these easy precautions part of your routine:

Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily
Scan clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors
Use insect repellant containing DEET (Diethyl-meta-toluamide) on skin or clothes if you intend to go off-trail or into overgrown areas
Keep long hair tied back
Do a final, full-body tick-check at the end of the day

Be on Time!!!

Please make every effort to be on time for all programs! We understand that bus schedules vary, but please build in enough time for slower buses, morning traffic and finding your way to a new location. Better an early arrival, with enough time to use the restrooms, than late!!!

Count Your Money and Your Kids!!

Please know the number of people in your group (teachers, parents, kids) and have the admission/tour fees counted out prior to your arrival. Counting change on the Island dock or at the Park admissions gate only delays your program, and others who are waiting.

Volunteers!

Do you have any extra time? The Wildlife Park is always looking for interested volunteers to lead weekday morning tours for school children. If you are interested, please call the park at (207) 657-4977, ext. 0 to learn about the next training sessions we will be offering. Retired teachers are more than welcome!

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION