Nature Walk // Book Talk // Back Cove Trail

As we continue our NEA Big Read series "On Nature," we invite you to join us IN nature for a reflective walk around Back Cove Trail.

As we walk together, Maine author and mindfulness teacher Kara Douglas will share conversation and reflections from both Daniel Mason's North Woods and her own nature writing. Expect mindful moments as we move our bodies and walk the trail together, stopping along the way to reflect on the special places that connect us and support our sense of place.

You do not need to have read the book to attend. Water bottles and comfortable shoes are recommended.

Wednesday, March 18, at 7:30 AM, approximately 90 minutes, and 3.6 miles. Free to the public. Please register in advance, as space is limited.

PARKING, TRANSPORTATION & WAYFINDING

We will meet at Back Cove Park. There is a parking lot, and the route is accessible by the GP Metro Bus 8. Dogs are welcome. Please allow time to park.

The group will gather under the large white Egret sculptures near the parking lot [TempoArt's Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People) by The Myth Makers].

Loop trail with stone dust and paved surfaces–mostly flat with a slight rise along the stretch that parallels I-295. The Back Cove Trail connects to the Bayside and Eastern Promenade Trail under Tukey’s Bridge. This trail is maintained by the City of Portland. Learn more here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kara Douglas is a yoga & meditation teacher, poet & essayist who lives with her husband and two daughters in Harpswell, Maine, where she runs Fishmoon Yoga studio. She is the co-editor of Alive to This, A Collection of Personal Essays on Living Fully by 20 Maine Writers. For 11 years, Kara worked as a reporter for a monthly newspaper, The Harpswell Anchor. Doing so offered an immense opportunity to better understand her coastal Maine community and experience firsthand the meaningful impact that local journalism has on culture and place. Her work is published in several anthologies and works of non-fiction including: Wait, Poems from the Pandemic, A Dangerous New World: Maine Voices on the Climate Crisis, Rivers of Ink, Writing the Land and From the Mountains to the Sea, The Historic Restoration of the Penobscot River.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

This series is a partnership of Momentum Conservation and Mechanics' Hall, with this walk supported by Portland Trails.

Momentum is a field-building organization that seeks connection with land, justice for people, and an inclusive conservation movement. Their core strategies are to strengthen through grantmaking, support through capacity building, and connect through convening, and we work with organizations and individuals committed to making lasting change. Momentum is based in Portland and operates in a state-wide capacity.

Portland Trails is a nonprofit in Portland, Maine, creating connections between neighbors, communities, and the natural world through 100 miles of trails in Portland and beyond. For 35 years, Portland Trails has been building and maintaining the trails that have transformed Greater Portland.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Mechanics' Hall was selected to be part of the NEA Big Read. From October 2025 to July 2026. We will work with community partners to present a wide range of public programs inspired by Daniel Mason’s novel North Woods.

Events are centered on the theme "On Nature" and will focus on nature, resilience, and human connection. These activities highlight how Maine’s history of conservation and public land stewardship shows how our physical environment can foster hope, courage, and a sense of belonging, encouraging meaningful dialogue about nature’s role in strengthening community bonds.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.