Maine Coastal Islands NWR Visitor Center

Located at 9 Water Street, Rockland, Maine

The Maine Coastal Islands Visitor Center and Headquarters in Rockland is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays, and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (June through October).  The Nature Store is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Walk for the Wild

October 4th through the 13th

We’re on a mission to get people into Maine’s wild lands and raise funds for seabird education, management and research!

Our volunteer guides are ready to take you on any one of these six planned walks! These guides are experts in their fields and love to share their passion for Maine wild lands and habitats. We hope you can join us for a fun and informative outing and support the wildlife refuge. Your support helps fund island interns who live and work on remote islands to research and manage seabirds as they lay eggs and fledge chicks.

For the full list of walks information and to register, click HERE!

Mark Island by L.DeMichele

Fall Art Show at Maine Coastal Islands Gallery

(Visit during regular business hours)

Come see this show, which will be up through Saturday, December 2 (our holiday open house).

Now Showing:

Lorraine DeMichele of Camden will exhibit her en plein air watercolors. Her paintings reflect the beauty of nature in and around Camden where the mountains meet the sea.

Ronald Frontin and Art School Friends – Regional artists studying with local Maine Master Painter Ronald Frontin, based in Rockland Maine, will exhibit coastal life and landscape images from their personal lives and imaginations.

Jr. Duck Stamp contest winners from this past year!

 

The Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, except holidays and on Saturdays through October 14th, 11 AM – 4 PM.

Lower Rio Grande Valley Birding Trip Adventures!

February 8-17, 2024 OR April 13-19, 2024

The Friends of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge (FOMCI) is excited to offer not one but two birding trips to south Texas in 2024!  Both trips will be offered in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, which offers some of the best bird watching in the entire country.  All you have to do is decide what trip works best for you.  The 10-day February trip will focus on wintering birds and local resident birds versus the 7-day April trip that targets spring migrants from South America and local resident birds.  Either way, expect to see tons of birds and enjoy the nice warm weather as we visit some of the best birding hotspots that Texas has to offer.

LEARN MORE

Proceeds raised by these sponsored trips will be used to support the refuge’s seabird work, which includes hiring seasonal island technicians to protect seabirds during the nesting season, education & community outreach, visitor center greeting, and running the gift store.

Bird Time on the Coast

Check out the full list of walks HERE!

Our fan-favorite series is back with eight more thrilling bird walks! Whether you’re just starting your birding journey, or have been birding for years, we want you to join us on a bird walk this fall! Walks will be led by our expert birders in some of their favorite birding spots around the mid-coast. Walks are limited to 12 participants so please be sure to register early to secure your spot!