UMaine Calendar

Soil Testing Workshop at Waldoboro Public Library
2025-05-07 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Waldoboro Public Library, 958 Main Street, Waldoboro, ME, United States
Brett Johnson, sustainable agriculture educator at University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will present at the Waldoboro Public Library, 958 Main Street, about the benefits of soil testing before planting begins. The program will take place on Wednesday, May 7 from 5–6:30 p.m.
Soil testing is a cost-effective practice to optimize fertilizer use and steward the environment. Soil fertility changes over the course of the growing season and requires active management. Annual soil testing helps to produce your food or forage crop in an efficient, economical and environmentally sustainable manner. Participants can have their questions answered and receive a soil test kit. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Pamela Doherty at pamela.doherty@maine.edu, 207-832-0343.
As a sustainable agriculture educator with UMaine Extension, Brett Johnson serves commercial producers in Waldo, Knox and Lincoln counties through educational programming and direct technical assistance. Johnson also serves as the statewide farm business management educator with Extension and coordinates Extension’s statewide business planning course, Business Planning for Producers. His research and educational programming are broadly concerned with the economic and environmental sustainability of farm businesses in Maine. He can be reached at brett.w.johnson@maine.edu or by phone at 207.342.5971

Final exams begin
2025-05-05 | ME
Click here to view the full 2024–25 Academic Year Calendar.

ELO: Ticket to the Moon
2025-05-04 16:00 - 17:00 | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Join us in the dome with a myriad of lights and visual effects as we journey into and through space with the Electric Light Orchestra! Featuring songs such as Mr. Blue Sky, Livin’ Thing, Starlight, and more! You will be transported to a higher dimension with this rock supergroup.
Tickets are $9 for general admission.
Music programs may contain explicit lyrics, and are intended for adult audiences. All music programs may contain bright flashing lights and fast-moving images, which have been known to trigger seizures with those with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Earth, Moon, and Sun
2025-05-04 14:00 - 15:00 | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Earth, Moon, & Sun is a fast-paced full dome demonstration of lunar phases, eclipses, day and night, the sun and other puzzling events with the help of a confused coyote. This program beautifully illustrates basic concepts like moon phases and seasons. Based on the trickster of Native American lore, Coyote is constantly corrected in his misunderstandings of how things work. A live tour of the Maine sky and its beautiful constellations completes this micro-unit of astronomy.
Watch the trailer here!

Tickets for planetarium programs are $7 for Adults, $6 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $5 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Softball vs Bryant
2025-05-03 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-02 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-02 12:00 - 14:00 | Pierre & Catherine Labat Softball Complex, Orono, ME
For full schedule click here.

The Dark Matter Mystery: Exploring a Cosmic Secret
2025-05-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
What keeps Galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe look the way it looks today? Researchers all around the world try to answer these questions. We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is made out of.
This planetarium show takes you on the biggest quest of contemporary astrophysics. You will see why we know that Dark Matter exists, and how this search is one of the most challenging and exciting searches science has to offer. Join the scientists on their hunt for Dark Matter with experiments in space and deep underground. Will they be able to solve the Dark Matter Mystery?
Watch the trailer here!

Tickets for planetarium programs are $7 for Adults, $6 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $5 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at (207) 581-1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Vassalboro Season Cooking Class: Focus on Vegetables
2025-05-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Vassalboro United Methodist Church, 614 Main Street, Vassalboro, ME, United States
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer Season Cooking Class, a six-session series focused on nutrition and food safety for adults ages 55 and older. The free classes will be held Fridays from 1–3 p.m., May 2 through June 6, at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church, 614 Main Street.
Each session features hands-on meal preparation with a focus on a key food group and its nutritional value. Participants will help prepare a nutritious dish, which will then be packaged to take home. Topics include vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, protein and summer salads and feature recipes like carrot ginger soup, kamut and chicken casserole, and stuffed shells. Attendees may register for individual sessions or the full series.
The class is free, but space is limited. Registration is available on the program webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Lisa Fishman at 207.834.3905.

Fermentation Friday: Starting your summer ferments
2025-05-02 12:00 - 14:00 | UMaine Food Lab, Hitchner Hall Room 160
Fermentation Friday takes place at the University of Maine in Orono. During Fermentation Friday, held at the UMaine Food Lab in Hitchner Hall, participants cook, create, share, and connect. Using recipes as starting points, we explore fermentation, ​storytelling, food rescue, and local food systems. This session will focus on fermenting cheese – we will work together to make cheese, try different fermented cheeses, and everyone will go home with something to keep.
For more information and to RSVP, click the website link below.

2025 Student Exhibition
2025-05-02 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-30 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-29 09:00 - 16:00 | Lord Hall Gallery, Lord Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Lord Hall Gallery is proud to host the Department of Art’s 2025 Student Exhibition. This show highlights diverse artwork made by students at UMaine who have taken undergraduate courses in the Department of Art. The exhibition runs from April 7rd through May 2nd and a public reception will be held on Friday April 11th from 5:00-7:00pm. During the reception, selected students will be honored with awards. This event is free and open to the public; all are warmly welcomed to attend and refreshments will be served.
Lord Hall Gallery is free, accessible, and open to the public Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm.

Foundations in Restorative Practices Program
2025-05-02 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-01 09:00 - 16:00 | Online
If your employer is a compact member of the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce, you may be eligible to take this program at a reduced cost. Click here to learn more.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Today’s best thinking in leadership, education, and change management emphasize the need to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and part of a community that cares. Whether you are a teacher, parent, principal, health care provider or authority figure, you can benefit from restorative practices. Over the course of this program, you’ll be part of a supportive learning group on a fulfilling journey of growth and change.
Through discussions, exercises and other practical activities you’ll deepen your knowledge of the philosophy behind restorative practices. You’ll also gain techniques to build strong, connected cultures. When conflict occurs you’ll have non-adversarial problem-solving tools to reach solutions that build safer, healthier, more equitable environments.
Practice new ways of relating to people and holding power. Instead of experiencing resistance and avoidance or having to rely on lecturing, scolding and threatening interventions, the systematic use of restorative practices will leave you and the people you interact with feeling connected to positive, resilient and accountable communities.
Learn firsthand from people and organizations already using restorative practices in their everyday life and work. Hear from teachers and other professionals who are using restorative practices to transform their organizations and outcomes.
A social science that studies how to improve and repair relationships between people and communities, restorative practices can help build healthy communities, increase social capital, decrease crime and antisocial behavior, repair harm and restore relationships.
Restorative practices have deep roots in indigenous peacemaking and knowledge. Global indigenous communities have a long-standing history of living in alignment with what we now refer to as restorative justice and restorative practices. The indigenous roots of these systems are not monolithic—indigenous communities practice circles and justice in different ways. Part of honoring this work means we must stay humble, knowing that these practices came before us and will outlast us.
DATES & TIMES
March 6 & 7, April 3, May 1 & 2, and June 27, 2025
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET
Register Online
MODALITY
Taught synchronously via Zoom. Participants will need access to stable internet.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
Participants will:

Acquire a strong theoretical foundation in restorative practices that have been proven to enhance both personal and professional spheres
Develop the skills necessary to facilitate proactively
Become acquainted with restorative responses to harm (though a deep dive into these responsive practices is outside the scope of this training)
Have access to planning tools and resources tailored to your specific needs
Gain techniques to build strong, connected cultures
Learn problem-solving tools to reach solutions that build safer, healthier and more equitable environments
Practice new ways of relating to people, and organizations
Improve decision-making and leadership skills.
Gain access to future support and development opportunities to become an in-house resource for restorative practices

Participants will also benefit from building connections with other professionals who are committed to living the values and principles of restorative practices.
TOPICS COVERED
In the first two-day session you’ll learn about the basics of restorative practice: the philosophy, mindset, tools and practices that make up a restorative toolbox including the use of restorative dialogue and community circles.
Subsequent sessions will provide opportunities to dive deeper into topic areas that interest you most and get feedback and support from instructors and peers.

Day 1: Restorative Philosophy and Mindset
Day 2: Community-Building Principles
Day 3: Community-Building Practices
Day 4: Conflict and Harm Repair Principles
Day 5: Conflict and Harm Repair Practices
Day 6: Implementation Planning

WHO SHOULD ENROLL
Participants from a variety of fields will benefit from this dynamic program, including

Teachers, educators, administrators of primary, secondary and post-secondary schools
Social workers and family services workers
Corrections, criminal justice and policing
Nonprofit organizations
Healthcare workers
Community development workers

This program uses a team-based model. To benefit the most from the efforts of your restorative practice, participating groups should form teams including at least three to five people from your business/community group/organization/school. At least one team member should be an administrator and your team should be representative of your school or organization’s diverse community. Those not associated with an institution will be partnered with other individuals for team-based work.
Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu or 207.581.3113 and we can help you figure it out.
FACILITATOR
Restorative Justice Project
Hanlon Kelley-Dillard has been practicing in the field of Restorative Justice since 2013. She has worked in Harm Repair case management for both youth and adults, led RJP’s Community Justice work in Waldo County, and has trained numerous cohorts of volunteers, school staff, and community members. She loves creating training spaces that allow us to show up as our full selves and to explore together what it looks like to bring mutual respect and care into all our relationships. A firm believer in the power of the restorative approach, Hanlon finds that this approach can bring new beauty and depth to every aspect of life.
Sarah Dyer, Ph.D., is a restorative justice practitioner. She has implemented restorative practices in the higher education setting. Sarah introduced restorative practices as a framework for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Husson University. Her dissertation examined how restorative approaches can support the needs of those harmed, the administration, and the community when instances of harm arise. Sarah holds a certificate in Restorative Justice from the University of San Diego. She earned her Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Maine. Sarah is passionate about restorative practices and restorative justice in her personal life, work, and research.
PROGRAM FEE
$1,250
Click here to apply for a need-based scholarship.
CLASS CAPACITY
25 participants per session.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
42 hours / 4.2 CEUs are available.
If you’d like to receive CEUs for participating in this course, please note this in your registration via our online store.
COACHING SUPPORT
For guaranteed transference of skills, ask about Restorative Justice Practices’ proven 1:1 coaching methods to support your training after the program itself has finished. For more information, contact Hanlon Kelley-Dillard- hanlon@rjpmaine.org.
ACCOMMODATIONS
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3113.

Helping People Change: The Power of Group Work
2025-05-02 09:00 - 15:30 | Online
Groups help to create community to combat loneliness and isolation, and increase connection and productivity at work, within health care, and with personal relationships.
This online program will provide an integrated approach and an indispensable tool box for bringing thoughtful, nurturing, empowering practice, and strategy to relationships of all kinds through the facilitation of group work.
The assets of group work, beyond cost effectiveness and reduced isolation for patients and group leaders alike, can be utilized in many situations: teaching, team meetings, retreats, psychoeducational issues in healthcare, workshops, community gatherings, business settings, sports teams, counseling, religious organizations, and psychotherapy.
The combination of cognitive and experiential learning in this program will leave you with solid understanding, skill, and commitment to initiate group work practice in your professional, personal, and interpersonal settings.
You will become aware of your own responses to your clients, patients, students, colleagues, friends and family, and improve your ability to regulate your affect with thought and sound judgment.
You will also see the role humor plays in facilitating group work and its connecting force of cohesiveness.

Helping People Change: The Power of Group Work
2025-05-02 09:00 - 15:30 | ME

Grant Writing Certificate Program
2025-05-02 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
You have a lot on your plate. Between annual appeals, communications, virtual event planning and fundraising, you’re overwhelmed. And now you’ve been tasked with writing a grant and you don’t know where to start. Our online grant writing program can help!
This interactive online professional development program will teach you the basics of seeing a grant through a full cycle—from inception to completion. You’ll learn how to get your organization ready to apply for grants, where to find funders and funding opportunities, how to write the components of a grant and how to submit a successful application that has all the information funders want to see.
Using case studies, this program will focus on real-world grant applications. Comprehensive checklists and worksheets will guide you through every step of planning, researching, applying to and managing a grant—without missing a thing! You’ll also develop language specific to your organization that answers common grant questions.
The only thing you won’t learn in this program is how to celebrate securing a grant proposal. We figure you’ve got that one covered.

Classes end
2025-05-02 | ME

Maine Day Week
2025-05-02, 2025-05-01, 2025-04-30, 2025-04-29 | ME

Cooking for Crowds - Food Safety Training for Volunteers
2025-04-30 13:00 - 16:00 | 75 Clearwater Drive Falmouth, Maine United States, 75 Clearwater Drive, Falmouth, ME, 04105, United States
Many organizations and community groups rely on volunteers like you for a variety of food events for fundraising, fellowship, food pantries or other services to the community. But cooking for a crowd is tricky! How do you store all that food? When is the food completely cooked? How long can you leave food on the buffet table? Now there is a workshop on safe food handling designed specifically for volunteers.
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: UMaine Extension Cumberland County, 75 Clearwater Dr., Falmouth, ME
Cost: $15, registration deadline April 23, 2025

Denim Day
2025-04-30 12:00 - 17:00 | University of Maine Mall, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Show your support for ending sexual violence by wearing denim jeans and decorating a pair with us!

Next Level Soil Health Workshop-Standish
2025-04-30 09:00 - 15:00 | Standish Town Hall, 175 Northeast Road, Standish, ME, United States
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host a full day workshop focused on taking farm soil health practices to the next level from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30 at Standish Town Hall, 175 Northeast Road (Route 135).
Next Level Soil Health is for farmers who have experience with soil health practices and want to build on those outcomes and benefits. Topics will include improving cover crop stand success; nutrient management with cover crops; nutrient considerations with compost, manures and biochar; interseeding cover crops; and tractor scale reduced tillage. Additionally, the program will include time for sharing participant experiences and developing soil health plans.
Cost of the workshop is $40 and space is limited. For more information and to register visit the program webpage. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jenni Cappello-Ruggiero, jennifer.cappelloruggiero@maine.edu, 207-781-6099. Receiving requests for accommodation at least seven days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however, all requests will be considered.

Adaptation in Action Series: Pond Construction and Maintenance in a Changing Climate
2025-04-30 09:00 - 14:00 | Brodis Blueberries, 87 Jones Hill Road, Hope, ME, 04847, United States
Ponds are a key nature-based tool for tackling challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. In this workshop, participants learn how to build and maintain a pond to enhance their landscape, increase biodiversity, maximize wildlife habitat, and help reach water management goals in a changing climate. Agricultural engineer Candi Gilpatric of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will focus on site selection, styles of ponds, and construction methods, keeping the impacts of climate change in mind. For those who already have ponds, Candi will discuss helpful maintenance practices to keep ponds safe and healthy. Retired fisheries biologist and conservation professional Joe Dembeck will focus on pond biology and the wildlife associated with ponds in Maine. He will discuss pond habitat features for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, fish considerations, nuisance wildlife, and how healthy ponds can support climate resilience goals. Cost: $25. Includes the comprehensive NRCS guide, “Ponds: Planning, Design, and Construction”, in addition to other learning materials.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension has partnered with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Farmland Trust, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District and other local and national nonprofits to deliver a spring workshop series exploring climate resilient production practices, planning and design solutions for farms.
Adaptation in Action will take place at Aldermere Farm Welcome Center, 20 Russell Avenue in Rockport from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on March 5; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on March 19; and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on April 2. The final workshop in the series is scheduled for April 30 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Brodis Blueberries, 87 Jones Hill Road in Hope.
The series will cover topics including climate adaptation planning with technical service providers from Maine Farmland Trust, American Farmland Trust and Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA); ecological design using Erickson Fields Preserve as a case study; climate-smart fertility management with educators from UMaine and UMaine Extension; and farm pond construction, health and maintenance at Brodis Blueberries with Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District.
Register on the event webpage or by phone at 207.342.5971. Workshop fee is $25 per session. Scholarships from American Farmland Trust and Maine Farmland Trust are available. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Billiejo Pendleton at billiejo.pendleton@maine.edu or 207.342.5971.

Rooted in Sustainability: An Introduction to Growing a Thriving and Healthy Landscape Workshop
2025-04-29 15:00 - 16:30 | Sprague’s Nursery and Garden Center, 7 Sprague's Way, Bangor, ME, United States
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host an in-person workshop, Rooted in Sustainability: An Introduction to Growing a Thriving and Healthy Landscape, on April 29, 2025, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Sprague’s Nursery and Garden Center, 7 Sprague’s Way, Bangor.
This workshop will provide gardeners with the essential tools to create a sustainable and healthy landscape. Topics will include integrated pest management, native plants, soil testing, and choosing the right plants for your specific site. Whether you’re an ornamental gardener or grow your own food, this workshop offers valuable insights to help cultivate a thriving, sustainable landscape.
The cost for the workshop is $15 per person and online pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 30 participants. Register and find more details on the event webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Lily at info@spraguesnursery.com or (207) 942-1394.

Native Plants for the Ornamental Garden – Old Town
2025-04-29 11:00 - 12:30 | Old Town Public Library, 46 Middle Street, Old Town, ME, 04468, United States
University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Old Town Public Library will host Native Plants for the Ornamental Garden on April 29 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the library, 46 Middle Street in Old Town.
This engaging session explores the rising interest in using native plants. Participants will discover why native plants matter and how to integrate them into their own spaces. The workshop covers the concept of ‘native,’ valuable resources for selecting the right plants for a specific site, and includes a virtual walk through a curated collection of native species suitable for landscaping. The session will be presented by Kate Garland, UMaine Extension horticulturist.
There is no cost for the workshop, but pre-registration is preferred on the event webpage. Registered participants will receive a follow-up email with relevant resources. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Codi Badger at 207.827.3972 or codibadger@old-town.org. Receiving requests for accommodations at least seven days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however, all requests will be considered.
