WELD – When Gov. John Baldacci launched the Take It Outside initiative last year, he wasn’t talking about only getting active in warmer months.

On Saturday, Jan. 19, Mount Blue State Park in Weld and Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle will host an array of activities from ice skating to snowmobiling.

It will be the first of a series of outdoor recreation events planned this winter at Maine’s state parks hosted in a team effort by the Maine Department of Conservation and the Maine Recreation and Park Association.

Expert instruction in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing will be available at both parks.

Other activities offered during the day include sliding, sleigh rides, snowmobiling and natural history exploration. Loaner equipment, except for ice skates, will be available, and people are welcome to bring their own equipment.

“I think it’s going to be great fun,” Department of Conservation spokesman Jim Crocker said Friday.

Mount Blue State Park Manager Bruce Farnham had already been offering winter activities such as ice skating and sledding in the park in previous years, so this just broadens the opportunities for Maine families, Crocker said.

There will be bonfires at activity stations and complimentary hot beverages. Participants are invited to bring a lunch and spend the day, Crocker said. There will also be food for sale and a warming hut at each park.

Registration is $5 per person with registration closing on Jan. 11. To register, go to participating recreation departments, which includes: Auburn, Bangor, Berwick, Brewer, Easton, Farmington, Gorham, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Mars Hill, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Presque Isle, Sanford, South Portland, Standish, Washburn and Weld.

“We are committed to providing opportunities for Maine families to Take It Outside,” Department of Conservation Commissioner Patrick K. McGowan said in a news release.

“While many of our visitors think of state parks only during the summer months, the parks are also fun places to be when it snows,” he stated.

Doug Beck of Maine Recreation and Park Association sees the partnership with the conservation department as a new frontier for his members, the release states.

“We are always searching for something new to add to our programs, especially during the winter months. Connecting with the state park system through Take It Outside gives us new programming and new destinations,” Beck stated.