Join Queerly ME and George's River Land Trust for a found family holiday gathering at Gibson Preserve in Searsmont, ME. The holidays can be difficult to navigate, especially for LGBTQIA+ folks who have had to find affirmation and belonging outside of traditional family systems. Come be in community with us as we navigate the holiday season together!
We will provide a community meal, a guided nature walk centering connection as well as arts and crafts all day. If there is snow on the ground, we will hold a snow sculpture making competition! We will also be collecting food to donate to local shelters and food pantries; please bring any canned or preserved goods you would like to donate.
Schedule:
12:15PM-1:15PM Our guided nature walk will take the form of a Trail Mixer. Trail Mixers are casual, connection centered trail walks, and one of our most popular programs! Periodically during our walk, we will propose conversation prompts to participants and encourage participants to “mix it up” and find a new person to talk to each time a conversation prompt is introduced to encourage new connections!
1:30PM-2:30PM Community Meal
2:30PM-3:30PM Snow Sculpture Competition (pending snow). We welcome any sculpture, snow people included. Pair up, work in teams, or go solo! There will be prizes!
All Day: Arts & Crafts will be available all day as well as warm drinks and the opportunity to contribute to our food drive.
All ages are welcome; minors must be accompanied by a guardian and within a guardian's sightline at all times. Both LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies are welcome to attend.
Accessibility & Location Info:
The trailhead and parking lot are located at 621 Woodsman Mill Rd in Searsmont. There is a 0.2-mile gravel trail from the lot to the cabin. We will have yellow arrow signs guiding folks to the cabin. The trail is a loop and both sides are equidistant, with one side providing views of the river. The trail is 5 feet wide with a maximum grade of 5% and an average grade of 2-3%. There are multiple benches along the river side of the loop with about 425 feet between benches / rest stops.
For folks who are looking for closer access to the cabin, there is a driveway which leads to the cabin located at 529 Woodsman Mill Rd.
There are three steps leading up the cabin doorway, with the tallest step being 9 inches from the ground. The porch door and door to the main cabin are each 35 inches wide. The bathroom door is 30 inches wide.
The entire cabin is heated. The parking lot and driveway will be plowed in the event of snow.