RICHMOND -- A tour displaying the history and nature of Swan Island is planned Saturday.

The event, organized by the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, is open to the public. Pre-registration and a $5 access fee are required.

Bruce Tremblay, of Friends of Swan Island, will lead an approximately two-hour tour of the unique, traffic-free nature preserve managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the Kennebec River.

Known for its abundant bald eagles, deer, turkey, and other wildlife, the four-mile island is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the late 1800s, a small community on the island, Perkins Township, earned a living by farming, fishing, lumbering, shipbuilding, brick manufacturing, and ice making.

Several historic houses remain in varying stages of preservation from 60 years ago when the Island was last inhabited year-round.

The event is scheduled Saturday between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Participants will meet at the state ferry landing, just north of the Richmond public boat launch. Organizers suggest participants bring a pair of walking shoes, a refreshment, and be prepared to walk about three miles on a dirt road.

Attendance is limited. To register, contact Misty Gorski at 582-5608, or fomb@gwi.net online.