The mornings are getting chillier, and even though we may not see snow for a bit longer, it’s not too soon to start planning.

The seventh annual Maine Snowmobile Show at the Augusta Civic Center this weekend gives sledders the chance to do just that.

The event is sponsored by the Maine Snowmobile Association, and is the largest snowmobile show in northern New England.

Thousands of snowmobilers are expected to attend and check out the 2004 model sleds. More than 70 exhibitors will be on hand with merchandise, trail-grooming equipment and accessories, as well as information on the most popular winter destinations in Maine, Quebec, New Brunswick and Finland.

Last year’s cold and snowy weather helped push snowmobile registrations to a record 101,400 in Maine.

The Maine Snowmobile Show’s hours: Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is $5, with children under 12 getting in free.

Online wildlife magazine debuts

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department have joined forces to produce Wild New England, an online magazine for children.

Every issue covers two months of wildlife topics related to the seasons, along with interactive fun things to do. Children can participate in wildlife surveys, track wildlife activity with a monthly calendar and learn about actions they can take to benefit local wildlife.

The new Web magazine is a tool for teachers, who can assign the articles for student research, find wildlife literature in the Wild Book Nook, and use the frameworks pages to link their classroom curriculum with the bi-monthly Wild New England Themes.

Each issue will feature a particular animal or group of animals found in New England and an ecological concept, from wildlife myths to winter adaptations to habitat. The magazine is designed with children in grades 3-7 in mind.

“This project is designed to attract the interest of our young people and take advantage of their comfort with the Web and computers,” said Don Kleiner, DIF&W director of information and education. “We have been able to accomplish a great project with a limited budget by partnering with our sister agency in another state.”

The premier issue features “Wildlife Mysteries,” with stories about commonly and seldom-seen wildlife, how to find wildlife signs, and what biologists do to study the comings and goings of certain animals.

The content for each magazine was prepared by an education team from Antioch/New England Graduate School in Keene, N.H. Design was provided by Erika and Scott Hutchings of Colorado.

Visitors can access the Wild New England Web pages through each agency’s Web site (www.me.fishwildlife.com is Maine’s) or by logging directly onto the magazine’s site at www.wildnewengland.org.

Walton League meeting on tap

The Maine Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America will hold its first annual meeting Sunday at the Richmond Sporting Club in Richmond.

Activity will begin at 1 p.m. with trap, skeet and .22-caliber target shooting. A social hour will begin at 4 p.m., a family cookout is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., and the annual meeting will begin at 5:30.

Cost of the cookout is $6.50. Members and guests participating in target shooting are requested to bring their personal shotguns and rifles. Ammunition will not be available on site.

The special guest speaker is Paul Hansen, executive director of the Izaak Walton League of America.

Pushaw Lake turkey shoot set

The Pushaw Lake Snowmobile Club will hold a turkey shoot Sunday, Oct. 19, at the clubhouse on the Withmore Landing Road.

The price is $1 per shot, with prizes for all sizes of shotguns. All age groups are welcome.

The shoot will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Long Pond canoe race scheduled

The Children of Columbus will host the Long Pond War Canoe Championship on Oct. 12.

The flat-water race will be held on Long Pond in Somesville and will begin at noon. Racers are invited to bring their own kayak or canoe if they don’t want to hop into a war canoe. Paddlers also are urged to bring a life jacket and a paddle. Anyone who doesn’t have any equipment can call Cindy or Ron Muir at 667-9340.

Registration will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.