Brrr

I hope you are staying warm and keeping your spirits up through this frigid spell with the promise of brighter days to come. We will be complaining about blackflies in no time, so until then stoke the fires and hike up those long johns. The days are growing longer and a thaw is here, and there are many ways to make the best of the cold and snow: Winter Carnival begins next week and is a great opportunity for everyone to shake our fists at the very worst that Mother Nature can throw at us!

LEA Winter Programs

I can’t say enough about the Lakes Environmental Association. It is always doing great things to protect and improve Bridgton’s wild spaces while educating all ages about the wonders of nature that surround us. We have such a diverse and vibrant ecology here, and the association staff is committed to keeping it that way.

Conservation biologist Bridie McGreavy can be found by the woods and streams year ’round, mucking through swamps collecting data, assisting amphibians during their mass migration in spring’s “Big Night,” leading students on tours of what is now Pondicherry Park. Her knowledge and enthusiasm are a huge part of the association’s outreach programs, and she’s put together some great winter classes.

Citizen scientists can be a huge help to biologists “in the field.” The national annual winter bird count is a prime example, as thousands of backyard birdwatchers spend a day collecting hard data on the numbers and viability of our birds.

Animal monitoring is an important way to gauge the overall health of an ecosystem by confirming species’ abundance. McGreavy is beginning a long term monitoring program of the local animal population at the Holt Pond Nature Preserve and you can help her with this important research. You would learn track identification and field research skills, all while getting outside in the fresh air. Meet Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at Lakes Environmental Association’s office at 230 Main St., Bridgton. For more information, e-mail bridie@leamaine.org or call 647-8580.

Lakes Environmental Association is also beginning a lunchtime book discussion series focusing on works dedicated to the outdoor environment. Bring your lunch to the association office Monday, Jan. 14 for a free discussion of Richard Louv’s “Last Child In

The Woods.”

The book focuses on what Louv calls “Nature Deficit Disorder” and addresses ways to get kids back outdoors by healing the broken bond between children and nature. The book is available at the Bridgton Public Library and should be an interesting read.

Remember the Chickadee

While trudging through hip deep snow to the bird (squirrel) feeder yesterday, I was again amazed by the littlest birds among us. The chickadees sang and flew around my head as if they didn’t have a care in the world. In truth, they were probably thrilled to see me coming with sustenance. The greatest challenge chickades face in winter is staying warm. They must forage constantly for food during the brief daylight hours in order to stoke their metabolic fires enough to survive the subzero nights. If they don’t bank enough of this “food energy” you won’t be seeing them in the morning.

In order to make it through the depths of winter they have developed a brilliant survival technique called Thermoregulation, in which they lower their core temperature by 14 degrees to conserve valuable energy. Their heart rates slow and they burn fewer precious calories. They also practice communal roosting, in which they huddle in a log or tree cavity with other chickadees to share the warmth through the night.

Songbirds also have an innate ability to remember the location of feeders, and keep a mental map of where each is located. Please remember to maintain your birdfeeders in the winter. After shivering through these frigid nights our feathered friends at least deserve a hearty breakfast waiting for them in the morning.

Breathe, Stretch, Relax

Like the chickadee, we also have metabolism issues in the winter. Simple science shows that by taking in more calories than we expend, we expand. If you eat more and move less, there’ll be more of you come spring. Fight the sprawl and get moving. Exercise helps brighten your spirits, clear your mind, boost your immune system and improve your quality of life.

The Bridgton Community Center is offering several new programs designed to help you maintain or regain your physical and mental health this season:

Hatha Yoga

Yoga has been practiced and perfected for centuries and is a wonderful way to balance and tone your body. It increases both physical and mental wellbeing and helps you become more flexible and fit. Certified Yoga Instructor Jen Deraspe is offering a New Year Series now through Feb. 25, every Tuesday from both 3:30 – 5 p.m. and 6 – 7:30 p.m. She practices Hatha Yoga, which incorporates deep breathing techniques with meditation and traditional yoga poses to increase your peace of mind and body and decrease your stress and tension.

You can be a yoga novice and age doesn’t matter- everyone is welcome. The first class is free if you work in a local school or own a local business, and if you bring a friend you would both get a discount. Walk-ins are welcome, and each class is only $15 for an hour and a half. Deraspe will let you take a class for free if you want to check it out before committing. So grab your mat and strike a pose, and begin your New Year’s Revolution. For more information contact Deraspe at 452-2929 or ntnretreat@yahoo.com

Wellness for All

The Bridgton Community Center is also offering the six-week Living Well Chronic Disease Self-Management Program to people with any chronic condition that impairs their health. Classes will meet from 9:30 a.m. – noon at 15 Depot St., Bridgton, from Friday, Jan. 11 through Friday, Feb. 15.

Living Well is designed to help you deal with the symptoms of heart disease, diabetes, emphysema and other illnesses by teaching you how to live a full and healthy life with a chronic condition. It is a proven program that has been applied with great results: Participants report better overall health and less disability with more time spent exercising and eating well, and improved communication with doctors. You can meet others with chronic issues, and educate yourself on your options. The center is working with the Maine Agency on Aging and the Healthy Choices for Maine program, which is funded in part by a grant from the Administration on Aging.

The registration fee is $10 and $5 of this fee can be applied towards the purchase of course materials. Limited scholarships are available. Contact Lorraine at 647-3116 to register or request additional information.

Good Job Todd

I know it’s a sacrilege to invoke the name of any team other than the Patriots this time of year, but bear with me. Local residents Gert and John Collins’ son Todd emerged as the star quarterback for the Washington Redskins after the team lost Jason Campbell to an injury. Collins stepped up and led the team to a string of wins without throwing any interceptions, all while garnering huge talk from football pundits. “Masterful” and “brilliant” have both been used to describe his playing, and he was chosen as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. The Redskins lost to the Seahawks Saturday, but congratulations to Todd for his strong showing there. His parents are so proud of him, as are all their neighbors in Christmas Tree Shores who have been cheering him on.

Those who make tracks to a Lakes Environmental Association course Jan. will learn how to