Sons of Italy to hold Bocce play registration

RUMFORD — Sons of Italy Lodge 467 will meet at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 21, at the lodge on Route 108. The meeting agenda includes sign-up for the one-time yearly Bocce tournament to be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. There will be hot dogs, the bar will be open and a light lunch will be available.

Guided walk through Crooked River Forest

HARRISON — Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) and Bring Change 2 Mind will hold a morning in the forest from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 20, when Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide Jeanne Christie will lead a Forest Therapy Guided Walk at Crooked River Forest at Intervale.

Forest Therapy Guided Walks, also referred to as Forest Bathing & Shinrin-yoku, are gaining recognition in the United States for benefiting physical and mental health. Christie will lead a slow, gentle walk with the goal of engaging all senses. There will be opportunities to wander and share along the way.

The walk is free and open to the public; however registration is required. To register, contact Loon Echo Stewardship Manager Jon Evans at stewardship@lelt.org or 207-647-4352, or Jana Richards at Jana.Richards@opportunityalliance.org. Find more information check Loon Echo’s website, www.lelt.org and the LELT and Bring Change 2 Mind Facebook pages.

YMCA camp kids will explore the outdoors

WINTHROP — Children entering grades four to six can explore the outdoors at two 1-week sessions, July 22 to 26 and Aug. 5 to 9, at the YMCA Camp of Maine on Cobbossee Lake.

Campers will explore, observe and experience the nearby ponds, forests and fields while hiking, fishing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking. They will record observations in their own nature journal, learn basic wilderness skills and participate in ecology skits, crafts and games. Campers will also have a special session of “Tadpole Patrol” aboard a  pontoon boat.

Camp runs daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost for each five-day session is $230/pp and includes lunch and afternoon snack.

For more information, contact Cami Wilbert, education and outreach director, at 207-395-5239 or cami@watershedfriends.com.

Waterford historian briefs Hebron society

HEBRON — Robert Spencer, Waterford Historical Society vice president, recently told the Hebron Historical Society how a letter he discovered in the archives formed the basis of his novel, “The Spinster’s Hope Chest.”

The story evolves from the writing of a Waterford girl born in 1861. She talks about the struggles she and her sister faced through life. The author’s research and verification of the people and places mentioned provided the factual basis for his novel.