University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host a webinar on managing insect pests in cut flower production on Monday, March 2, from 6 - 7:15 p.m.

“Managing Pests in Cut Flowers” will help growers protect cut flower crops from pest damage that can lower quality and reduce sales, according to UMaine Extension, in a news release.

The session will be led by Jason Lilley, assistant Extension professor of sustainable agriculture and maple industry educator with University of Maine.

ROCKPORT — This March, Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) invites all ages to learn about making maple syrup from scratch (sap) at Aldermere Farm’s Sugar Shack, 70 Russell Ave in Rockport. 

"Cabin fever setting in?" said MCHT, in a news release. "Looking for a sweet pick-me-up?"

Individuals may register for one or more hands-on sessions to learn about the syrup-making process: identifying sugar maples, tapping trees, collecting sap, and running the evaporator.

ORLAND — After a quarter-century at the helm of WERU Community Radio, General Manager Matt Murphy has announced his intention to retire in 2026.

“For 25 years I have had the honor, privilege, and joy of serving as General Manager of WERU,” said Murphy, in a WERU Board of Directors news release. “I feel the time has come for me to pass the torch on to the next generation of leadership of this great organization.”

The Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce will hold the 30th anniversary of Arts in the Park on Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Steamboat Landing Park on Belfast’s waterfront.

Arts in the Park is free and open to the public, and is produced by the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Belfast.

Feb. 4, 2026 update: A revision has been made to the Vision and Planning Order for the Flanagan Center based on community feedback and to provide clarity on the intent of Phase 1 Visioning and Comparative Analysis, according to Mayor Adam Lachman. The revised order can be found at the bottom of this article. 

United Midcoast Charities (UMC) will host the next session in its LEARN@UMC workshop series on February 11, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., at the UMC office in Camden. The workshop will offer hands-on, expert-led training designed to help small and rural nonprofits build fundraising capacity and access tools that are often out of reach due to geography and cost.

The Knox County Maine Republican Committee February meeting is being held on February 12, at 6 p.m., at the committee's headquarters, 336 Limerock Street, in Rockland.

The guest speaker this month is Representative Laurel Libby with Lead Maine.

There will be light refreshments and announcements.

Backyard chicken keeping in Maine is taking off, and Rockland’s Good Tern Co-op and Clement Hill and Fern Axelson of Fern Hill Farm are inviting the community to be part of it.

"Building on the success of past workshops, Fern Hill Farm, a small personal homestead in Thomaston, is proud to announce an updated free Backyard Chicken Keeping 101 class for 2026," said a Good Tern news release.

SEARSPORT — A Waldo County volunteer from Searsport, Kathleen Perkins, has been announced as the Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) Volunteer of the Month of February.

"Perkins is currently a volunteer within the Mountain2Sea Service Unit where her unwavering commitment exemplifies the core values of Girl Scouts, making a significant impact on girls across the state," said GSME, in a news release.

Maine Water employees once again came together to support local communities by collecting and donating more than 140 winter coats this season. 

Maine Water’s Coats for Kids program is an employee-funded program to purchase brand new coats for families in need this winter. This year, employees’ contributions purchased 146 new winter coats, according to Maine Water, in a news release. 

NORTHEAST HARBOR — Maine Seacoast Mission was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation to support two youth education programs operating in Maine’s rural communities. "Journey" serves Washington County teens while the "Teaching & Learning Collaborative" (TLC) works with children aged five to 13 living on outer, unbridged islands.  

PenBay Showcase & Job Fair will take place Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m., at the Samoset Resort, in Rockport.

The PenBay Showcase & Job Fair is a regional business and nonprofit showcase, designed to bring together organizations from across the Midcoast to promote their work, connect with the community, and strengthen the local economy, according to PenBay Collaboration, in a news release.

ROME, Maine — Two of Pine Tree Camp’s 2026 summer programs are benefitting from a two-year, $200,000 grant from the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation, according to Pine Tree, in a news release. The Barrett Foundation funds organizations that benefit children in need and these funds will support camp’s Dirigo Experience and Camp Pine Cone programs.

Dirigo Experience is a five-day overnight camp for Deaf and hard of hearing youth ages 7 to 15.

The Maine Arts Commission (MAC) has awarded FY2026 Organization Operations Grants to 61 nonprofit arts organizations statewide, including nonprofits in Knox and Waldo counties, funding the highest percentage of applicants in the program’s history and reinforcing the Commission’s role in sustaining Maine’s cultural sector, according to MAC, in a news release.

ROCKLAND — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the City of Rockland with the 2025 EPA Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation and Maintenance Excellence Award for exceptional work in operating and maintaining its wastewater treatment facility during the past year.

100+ Women Who Care Knox County has continued its mission of collective giving, awarding a total of $4,300 to four local nonprofits through quarterly giving events held throughout the year. The group brings together local women for one-hour gatherings where members pool donations and collectively select a nonprofit to receive immediate financial support, according to 100+ Women, in a news release.

The 2025 recipients included:

 Habitat for Humanity, awarded $900 in March at a gathering hosted at MRC and sponsored by Maine State Credit Union

Over the last four years, Fisher Engineering has honored Breast Cancer Awareness Month by selling limited-edition Pink FISHER plows and hosting a raffle, donating a portion of the proceeds from these initiatives to MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals to support breast cancer care.

In 2024, WRFR-LP Rockland programmer and board member Rachel Albury ran into WERU East Orland station manager Matt Murphy at the Common Ground Fair. Rachel and Matt chatted about the challenges of running a community radio station and how important community-run media is, according to a Jan. 27 news release from the Maine Community Radio League.