The University of Maine at Presque Isle, in partnership with the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Public Library, will host an owl-themed Community Open House on Friday, July 17, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in and around the Campus Center. This family-friendly community event is free and open to the public.
From 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., attendees will enjoy free ice cream (first come, first served), outdoor games, owl-themed art activities, face painting, and a story walk. These activities will take place on the main floor of the Campus Center, in the parking lot between the Campus Center and the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL), and on the lawns and walkways around the two buildings. At 1:30 p.m., the Chewonki Foundation will provide a presentation on Owls of Maine, featuring live owls, in the Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room.
“We’re so pleased to offer this special summer event for our campus and community—one that celebrates learning, family fun, and, of course, our mascot the snowy owl,” UMPI President Ray Rice said. “Fostering learning, no matter what time of year it is, is central to UMPI’s mission and, in big ways and small, provides positive impacts to the economic growth of our region and our state. This is the second year we’ve been able to offer up a summertime event for our community and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to campus.”
Last year, UMPI hosted a summer community event as part of the Maine Mobile BIOLAB’s visit to campus to conduct a week’s worth of STEM-based activities with local kids. Based on the success of that event, which saw hundreds of participants, the university hoped to carry out a similar summer open house in 2026. When the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Public Library approached UMPI about the Chewonki Foundation presentation with live owls, partnering on an event became a natural next step.
“We’re delighted to bring Chewonki’s Owls of Maine program back up to Aroostook County. After hosting them for over a decade now, the enthusiasm for the program has grown too big to fit in our library. UMPI helped us host Within the Whale last fall with a tremendous amount of success, so we knew we could pull off something even more exciting with enough time by approaching them about the owl program. And how fitting, with their mascot!”
The Chewonki presentation introduces participants to the owls native to Maine and New England. Beginning with slides and sounds, participants will learn the identifying characteristics and calls of each owl. Then, using talons, wings, and skulls, the group will explore the adaptations of these silent nocturnal hunters. The program ends with an intimate and detailed look at a real owl, bringing these creatures of the night into the light.
For more information about the Chewonki Foundation, visit chewonki.org. For more information about the UMPI Community Open House, contact Melissa Lizotte at (207) 768-9452 or melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu, or contact Elyse Kiehn at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Public Library at (207) 764-2571 or ekiehn@presqueisleme.us.