Volunteer

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

One of the reasons the Bog Boardwalk is able to provide one of the premier natural area destinations in the Bangor area is because of the dedication of volunteers. If you would like to contribute your time there are many ways to help, and we would love to have you!

Docents

There are always openings for more Docents at the Orono Bog Boardwalk. Docenting is fun, and a valuable community service. More than twenty docents worked as volunteers at the boardwalk last year. Would you like to join this illustrious group? We want to hear from you!

Docents greet visitors, answer their questions about the boardwalk, the ecology and the natural history of the bog; act as natural history guides for small groups; and they inform visitors of boardwalk rules, when necessary.
Each docent shift lasts three hours or less. We encourage docents to put in one shift every two weeks, on average, from May through November. That’s a total of 10-12 sessions spread over the six months. Scheduling and the number of days between sessions are very flexible, and can be fit around the docent’s personal schedule.
For information on volunteering, please contact james.bird@maine.edu

Boardwalk Maintenance

The Boardwalk typically opens for the season on May 1st (although this has been variable during reconstruction) and will close in late November. There is much to do, and you can be part of it.

If you would like to help with reconstruction or maintenance the Boardwalk, please contact Boardwalk Maintenance Leader Dave Easler. Watch this page for announcements about workdays.

Directions to the boardwalk site from Orono: Via Stillwater Ave, drive about 200 yards south of American Concrete (near the Orono/Bangor town line), turn westward onto Tripp Drive, go to Bangor City Forest parking lot at end of road, park, and follow the East Trail about 1/4 mile to the boardwalk.

Tour Guide

Lead small groups of up to 12 people on a tour of the Boardwalk. The group could be a school class, garden club, etc. Please contact Jim Bird at james.bird@maine.edu

What to Bring

If you have any of following gear, bring it with you: work gloves, and rubber boots. We have extras on site to loan you, if needed. All tools are available at the site. Wear a hat, long sleeves and work trousers. Bring sun block, insect repellent, drinking water, and lunch if you are staying for more than one session.