KINGFIELD — Maine Huts & Trails will welcome one of Maine’s top birding experts, Bob Duchesne, on March 6 and 7, for a bird identification class and bird walk near North New Portland.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, March 6, Duchesne will hold a bird identification class and attendees can then use their newly acquired skills on a bird walk along the Maine Huts & Trails system the next day.

The walk is free to all Friday and Saturday overnight guests and begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, lasting about an hour and a half.

The class and walk will begin at the Flagstaff Hut, which is located on the east shore of Flagstaff Lake and has the shortest hike from trailhead to hut in the system.

Becoming interested in birds in the first grade, Duchesne grew his interest into a passion and is now one of Maine’s top birding experts. He has served in a variety of leadership positions within Maine Audubon for 25 years.

Duchesne is a frequent tour leader and has led trips from Atlantic Canada to the Florida Everglades. In 2009, he completed development of the Maine Birding Trail and has authored a guidebook for the state, published by Down East Books.

Duchesne currently writes a weekly birding column for the Bangor Daily News and a monthly Woods & Waters column for Bangor Metro magazine. He also hosts a weekly radio show on 92.9FM in Bangor called Bob Duchesne’s Wild Maine.

Duchesne is now in his fifth term in the Maine House of Representatives, where he serves on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and helps to direct state environmental policy.

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