The Augusta Nature Education Center was recently awarded a $3,000 grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. This grant will enable the nature center to replace boardwalks, install new signage, and improve and update the trail map, according to a news release from the center.

The center is managed and co-owned by the Augusta Nature Club, which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year. The center is comprised of 179 acres of quiet woods, fields of wildflowers, ponds, granite quarries (which supplied the stones for the downtown Federal Building), a brook, and five miles of trails.

Access is free and open to the public during daylight hours 365 days a year for non-motorized activities such as walking, jogging, biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, photography, birding and nature watching.

Because of its unique location, within a mile of Augusta and adjacent to Cony High School and residential areas, it is used by local schools as part of their physical education and science studies. The 2-mile running track is used by cross country teams for their meets and is available to all.

For more information, or to download a trail map, visit augustanaturecenter.org or find them on Facebook at Augusta Nature Education Center.