Scholarly and study retreat weekends at the Humboldt Institute on Eagle Hill on the coast of Maine during the fall, winter, and spring
Alumni and friends of Eagle Hill and others who feel the need to get away to the coast of eastern Maine to study, read, and/or write for scientific, literary, or artistic pursuits in a reclusive setting are welcome at the Humboldt Institute during the fall, winter, and spring, starting on September 24th. For the application form, click here. Visiting class, group, or department or organization retreat applications are also welcome.
General setting. Nestled among the trees in a boreal forest, and distanced from everyday distractions, Eagle Hill offers guests a chance to intensely focus on pursuits relating to the sciences, literature, and the arts. During free moments, guests can enjoy each other’s company and take advantage of the Institute's 235 foot high hilltop coastal setting with hiking/snowshoeing trails which extend throughout a 150-acre tract of land (with an optional Samoyed puppy companion). The trails meander through the forest, alongside overlooks offering panoramic vistas, into a blueberry field, and down to the ocean, which is just over 1200 feet from the Eagle Hill campus. Acadia National Park, Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, and many other natural areas with hiking trails, ponds, streams, and rivers are just a short distance away. Two canoes are available for use. There are cross country skiing trails in Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge.
Three unique and delightful seasons. The Maine coast’s spectacular fall foliage season, from late September through the end of October, is a cool and pleasant time to go on a retreat in coastal Maine. Likewise, when snowfalls begin blanketing our boreal forest in the months of December through March, Eagle Hill is transformed into a serene wintry landscape. With the coming of spring and the melting snows, the mossy woods glow with a lush greenness and are permeated with the smells of earthly renewal and the calls of the returning songbirds.
Although secluded, Eagle Hill is well-suited for pursuits relating to the sciences, literature, and the arts.
Internet. There is ultra high-speed internet access with a 10 MB fiber optic circuit through on-site computers and WiFi.
Library and online databases. The Eagle Hill library, with a collection of well over 6,000 volumes on the natural history sciences and art history, has recently been centralized in the lower level of the Commons Building. The library is fully catalogued and searchable. There is on-line access to databases like JSTOR, EBSCO Host, and Proquest.
Accommodations. There are 5 single and 2 shared rooms with twin or double beds in the winter residence (large classroom building). Bed linens and towels are provided.
Study/meeting spaces. There are a number of study lounges and meeting rooms, reading niches, as well as a classroom with microscopes for studies of natural history specimens. There are two fireplace lounges in the Commons building, which lend themselves well as settings for extended conversations into the late evening.
Meals. Menu style dining is being introduced on a modest scale for the first time at Eagle Hill for evening meals on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with seatings starting from 5 - 7 PM. Continental breakfast will be served Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings, along with a selection of bagged lunches. No meals are served from Monday evening until dinner on the following Friday.
Afternoon tea/coffee. Guests are welcome to join staff and other guests for the daily afternoon tea/coffee social at 4:00 PM.
Evening programs. There is a scheduled program each evening on weekends, starting at 7 PM, and always focusing on either the sciences, literature, or the arts. Fridays are generally dedicated to documentary film, Saturdays to lectures or musical performances, and Sundays to more general entertainment films. There is a suggested 5 – 6 PM seating for those who would like to have dinner before a program. Members of the local community are welcome to join resident guests for both the evening meals and programs.
Scholar-in-residence. There is an opening for one scholar-in-residence each weekend as a guest of Eagle Hill. Scholars are asked to give the Saturday evening lecture that weekend.
Meditation and yoga afternoon sessions. Each Saturday and Sunday, residents at Eagle Hill and members of the local community have the option of signing up for an optional meditation and yoga session, which blends traditions of Kripalu and Svaroopa yoga and Vipassana and Tibetan style meditation. The emphasis is in the direction of gentle yoga.
Planned group events. If you are part of a group which shares a common interest, we would be pleased to help you organize a special weekend or week-long focused retreat, guided field trips, or other activities. Suggestions could include natural history science retreats focused on bryology, lichenology, winter identification of woody plants, winter birding, small mammal tracking, etc., but subjects could also be in the fields of the arts and literature. At this time, we can accommodate up to 9 people for group retreats.
Getting here by car. An all wheel drive or 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed during winter, once snow has fallen. The main paved and gravel roads to Eagle Hill are plowed and sanded. Vehicles may be left at the parking lot just off the road at the base of Eagle Hill. Call in advance to check on conditions and options if you have a 2-wheel drive vehicle.
Public transportation by bus. The Concord Coach bus departs from Boston South Station at 10:00 AM, from Portland at 12:05 PM, and arrives in Bangor at 2:30 PM, which is in time to meet the daily West’s Coastal Connection bus at 3:00 PM. Please call 207-945-4000 for details. A pick-up is available from the Steuben drop-off at Mathews Country Store. The daily departure from the Store is at 11:30 AM, with an arrival in Bangor about 1:15 PM.
Cost: $30 per person per evening for accommodations. Meals are extra.
If you have questions, please call 207-546-2821 ext. 2 or contact us.
For a downloadable pdf of this page, click here.