‘Story of the Presumpscot’ is one of several May 7 Jane’s Walks planned

YARMOUTH — The Friends of the Presumpscot’s “Story of the Presumpscot” will be one of a variety of Maine walks on May 7 as part of the Jane’s Walk ME initiative.
Jane’s Walk ME is a free volunteer-led festival of walks that combines exploring a place with personal observations, local history and civic engagement and is celebrated globally in more than 200 cities and towns in the U.S. The festival is named in honor of Jane Jabobs, (1916-2006), who used grassroots activism to protect neighborhoods in both the United States and Canada from urban renewal and emphasize the power of individuals to influence the places they live.
The Presumpscot River runs from Sebago Lake through communities that include Gorham and Windham, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Falmouth. Details of the walk, as well as others around the state, will be available at least a week beforehand at mainepreservation.org/janes-walk-me. Organizations can also sign up to present a walk, with an April 29 deadline. A typical walk is 60-90 minutes and is free and open to the public.
“Jane’s Walk is a wonderful way for everyday Mainers to celebrate the importance of place and place-keeping in their communities,” said Tara Kelly, executive director of Maine Preservation. “We are all experts in our own experience and the festival provides the opportunity to share that with others.”
Besides the Presumpscot walk, the roster so far includes walks sponsored by Vision Hallowell, Museum L-A, the city of Westbrook, Heart of Biddeford, Portland Downtown, Maine Chapter of American Institute of Architects, Bicycle Coalition of Maine and Portland Society for Architecture. A full roster will be available at least one week before the festival.