Sears Island, originally called Wassumkeag (Shining Beach) by the Wabanaki peoples, is the largest uninhabited island on the East Coast. Six hundred of the island’s 940 acres are protected under conservation easements. It’s one of the areas hottest birding spots; we’ll look for warblers, vireos, kinglets, cuckoos, waterthrushes and others as we hike the Jetty Road and the Homestead Trail. Parking is on the causeway; we will meet just inside the gate. Instructor and Appleton resident Gary Roberts is a Registered Maine Guide and a volunteer naturalist, trip leader, and speaker for over thirty years. He specializes in guiding from a natural history perspective and focuses particularly on the native flora and fauna of Maine. Gary has been a long-time volunteer for Maine Audubon and has volunteered with the Maine Plant Conservation Volunteers, Mountain Birdwatch, Maine Owl Survey Project, and SEANET (Seabird Ecological Assessment Network).