Boothbay Region Land Trust

Cancelled: Coyote: America’s Songdog
2024-03-27 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
***This event has been cancelled***
Join conservation biologist Geri Vistein as she takes you on a journey to discover the important and resilient Coyote in a way you have never heard before. This presentation will center on perceptions and relationships, including Coyote’s interactions with other wildlife, the environment, and humans. Discover the importance of these carnivores and their vital role in maintaining the biodiversity of our planet. Come hear the Song Dogs Sing!
This free event is part of BRLT’s three-part Spring Guest Speaker Series sponsored by Tindal & Callahan Real Estate. Please register by filling out the form below:

Event Full: Migration: Preparation, Rumination, and Desperation
2024-03-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
***This event is currently at capacity and we have started a waiting list. Please email your contact information to thall@bbrlt.org to be added to the waiting list***
Spring migration is the most exciting time for Maine birders. Temperatures are warming, and billions of birds are winging their way north. Soon the state will be filled with warblers, vireos, waterfowl, raptors, and many more. Will you be ready? This presentation from Maine Audubon Advocacy and Outreach Manager Nick Lund discusses the science of migration and helps birders prepare to find and identify Maine’s new spring arrivals.
This free event is part of BRLT’s three-part Spring Guest Speaker Series sponsored by Tindal & Callahan Real Estate. This talk will take place inside the farmhouse at BRLT’s Oak Point Farm and has limited space.

Partner Event: From Forests to Faucets: Water Quality
2024-03-05 17:30 - 19:00 | Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
From Maine to California, communities across America struggle to provide clean drinking water to their residents. In contrast, the Boothbay region has a matchless opportunity to preserve our public drinking water supplies before we have a problem. The solution is both the simplest and least expensive way possible: if we can conserve enough of the undeveloped forest in our public water sources’ watersheds, the watersheds can continue to act as natural filters that clean water before it reaches the reservoirs.
For the second lecture in our series, Dr. Rachel Sipler, director of the Water Health and Humans Initiative and Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, will lead a session that explores what we know about Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake water quality, factors that influence water quality, and lake monitoring programs. All sessions are free to the public. Participants do not need to attend all sessions (each session stands alone and participants can attend as many or few as they choose). Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact Jenn Cusick at cleandrinkingwater@bbrlt.org.

Partner Event: From Forests to Faucets: Watersheds 101
2024-02-28 17:00 - 18:30 | Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: Bosarge Family Education Center
From Maine to California, communities across America struggle to provide clean drinking water to their residents. In contrast, the Boothbay region has a matchless opportunity to preserve our public drinking water supplies before we have a problem. The solution is both the simplest and least expensive way possible: if we can conserve enough of the undeveloped forest in our public water sources’ watersheds, the watersheds can continue to act as natural filters that clean water before it reaches the reservoirs.
The first lecture in this three part series, titled Watershed 101, will be led by Rebecca Jacobs of Knox-Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District. This forum will provide a basic understanding of how watersheds work and why human activities within watersheds are critical to protecting water quality. Although our emphasis is on Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake, this session is relevant to all. We all live in a watershed! All sessions are free to the public. Participants do not need to attend all sessions (each session stands alone and participants can attend as many or few as they choose). Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact Jenn Cusick at cleandrinkingwater@bbrlt.org.

Story Trail Walk: Whose Tracks Are These?
2024-02-22 - 2024-03-31 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Read a family-friendly book while walking through the woods. Follow the illustrated signs along the trail as they tell a tale that connects you to your natural surroundings. The free 1-mile story trail starts from the Oak Point Farm parking lot kiosk and can be completed at your own pace and on your own time. The current story trail book is “Whose Tracks Are These” written by Jim Nail and illustrated by Hyla Skudder.
A series of clues and striking illustrations detail how to identify a variety of paw prints found in the woodlands. Learn about many familiar forest animals, their habitats, and how to spot their tracks during your forest adventures! Then test your new track knowledge by playing the matching game contained within.
The story trail at Oak Point Farm is open year-round during daylight hours, with a new book posted every few weeks. Current book titles and dates will be updated on our website.

Biomimicry Talk with Chewonki
2024-02-07 10:00 - 11:00
Many of the engineering challenges facing humans today are similar to difficulties that exist in the natural world. Plants and animals have evolved through generations of successes and failures resulting in remarkable adaptations to overcome these challenges. Join us as we host the Chewonki Traveling Natural History program and explore the ways engineers have taken advantage of nature’s bright ideas through biomimicry. During this presentation, we will meet some live animals that help draw comparisons between human-made products and animal adaptations. As we look for creative solutions to future problems, perhaps we can find inspiration by observing nature in our own backyard!
Space is limited for this free event and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Self-Guided Winter Tree Identification Walk
2024-02-01 - 2024-03-14 | Cross River Preserve
From bark to twigs to a tree silhouette against a cold winter sky, this is the perfect time to go into the woods and observe and learn tree identification. This self-guided one-mile walk will focus on the non-leaf characteristics used to identify tree species including bark patterns and textures, leaf buds and scars, tree shapes, and habitat. Along the wooded trail that ends with views of the Cross River, hikers will find over a dozen different tree species native to our area. Pick up the winter tree identification pamphlet at the Cross River Preserve parking lot kiosk and follow the trail to find the individually marked trees described within. The trail is open anytime during daylight hours during the month of March at Cross River Preserve. Winter hiking conditions are present so sturdy boots with traction devices are recommended.

Self-Guided Winter Tree Identification Walk
2024-02-01 - 2024-03-14 | Cross River Preserve
From bark to twigs to a tree silhouette against a cold winter sky, this is the perfect time to go into the woods and observe and learn tree identification. This self-guided one mile walk will focus on the non-leaf characteristics used to identify tree species including bark patterns and textures, leaf buds and scars, tree shapes, and habitat. Along the wooded trail that ends with views of the Cross River, hikers will find over a dozen different tree species native to our area. Pick up the winter tree identification pamphlet at the Cross River Preserve parking lot kiosk and follow the trail to find the individually marked trees described within. The trail is open anytime during daylight hours at Cross River Preserve. Winter hiking conditions are present so sturdy boots with traction devices are recommended.

Winter Tree Identification Walk
2024-01-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
As winter descends upon our landscape, it can be difficult to recognize our region’s various species of trees. Join a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust to learn some tricks used to identify common trees in winter, including bark, buds, twigs, branching patterns, and even smell. The group will meet at the parking lot kiosk and head out for a short easy one-mile walk through the forests of Oak Point Farm. Winter trail conditions are present so sturdy boots with good traction are recommended.
Registration is required for this free event by filling out the form below:

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Story Trail Walk: Winter Sleep
2024-01-06 - 2024-02-19 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Read a family-friendly book while walking through the woods. Follow the illustrated signs along the trail as they tell a tale that connects you to your natural surroundings. The free 1-mile story trail starts from the Oak Point Farm parking lot kiosk and can be completed at your own pace and on your own time. The current story trail book is “Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story” written by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss and illustrated by Cinyee Chiu.
In this cozy story, follow a child and his grandma through a winter landscape to explore how the Earth goes to sleep for winter. Spot the sleeping animals as the tale unfolds, then learn about their hibernation habits from the information pages at the end. In each cutaway scene, see what the child cannot—that underground below his feet are dens with sleeping creatures, and within the hollow trunks of trees, animals are nesting. After the story, annotated illustrations explain the hibernation facts for each animal and what they will do when they wake up for spring.
The story trail at Oak Point Farm is open year-round during daylight hours, with a new book posted every few weeks. Current book titles and dates will be updated on our website.

Winter Solstice Lantern Walk
2023-12-21 16:00 - 19:00 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
With the shortest hours of daylight upon us, lanterns bring warmth and illumination to the darkness. Celebrate the winter solstice and the return to longer days with a self-guided lightly illuminated walk at Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm. Arrive anytime between 4 and 7 pm and follow the lanterns spaced along a 1/2 mile universal access trail encircling a freshwater pond, through field and forest, with moonlit views of a tidal cove. Bundle up and come enjoy nature from a new perspective. BRLT staff will be on-hand attending a firepit warming station and a hot beverage bar and look forward to seeing you. This event is free and open to everyone, and registration is not required. For more information, contact BRLT Environmental Educator Tracey Hall at thall@bbrlt.org or 633-4818.

Cancelled Due to Illness: Ovens Mouth East Preserve Hike
2023-12-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Ovens Mouth East Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Ovens Mouth East Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. This wooded preserve features shoreline trails, quiet coves, a salt marsh, and the dramatic tidal change of the Ovens Mouth passage. This area has always been inviting for maritime activities because of its deep-water access and protected location. Settled in the mid-1700s, one of the region’s earliest shipyards was located here and both British and American vessels hid in the coves during the Revolution. Group is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Porter Preserve Hike
2023-11-29 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-10-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Porter Preserve, 1 Porter Point Road, Trevett, ME, 04571
Discover the history and ecology of Porter Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. A trail leads through a thick forest, which features old-growth spruce, oak, and pine trees. Several scenic overlooks provide views toward cliffs and ledge rocks where seals can occasionally be seen sunbathing at low tide, while a large sandy beach is flanked by signs of an old homestead.
Group size is limited for this free event with registration required by filling out the form below:

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Penny Lake Preserve Hike
2023-11-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Penny Lake Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Penny Lake Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. Located in downtown Boothbay Harbor, Penny Lake Preserve is a freshwater wetland with adjoining woodlands and an open field. A system of easy hiking trails offers an abundant variety of wildlife, including migratory and nesting birds, turtles, beaver, deer, and even a very occasional moose. In addition, numerous plants thrive in this varied natural habitat, from wildflowers to cattails and from hardwood trees to evergreens. Group size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Saunders Preserve Hike
2023-11-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Saunders Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Saunders Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. This moderate hike meanders down a wooded hillside, through a mix of majestic evergreen and hardwood trees before arriving at a small stream that empties into the Damariscotta River. A reminder to participants that it is hunting season, and while Saunders Preserve is closed to hunting we still recommend wearing blaze orange.
Group size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Oak Point Farm Hike
2023-11-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-09-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Discover the history and ecology of Oak Point Farm during a leisurely one-mile hike with Boothbay Region Land Trust naturalist. This loop trail ventures through a varied meadow and woodland with lengthy frontage on the Townsend Gut. Hikers can enjoy walking around a small pond bordered by wildflowers. Bullfrogs and dragonflies revel in this natural habitat, as well as deer, small mammals, and a variety of birds. Group size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Cancelled: Lobster Cove Meadow Preserve Hike
2023-10-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Lobster Cove Meadow Preserve
***due to school closures today this program has been cancelled*** Discover the history and ecology of Lobster Cove Meadow Preserve during a leisurely one mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. This preserve is exceedingly rich in wildlife, with more than 140 species of migratory and nesting birds sighted, along with a variety of other creatures. Wildflowers adorn the meadow from spring to fall, attracting multitudes of butterflies. In 1880 the stream traversing the wetlands was dammed, creating a large lake that was used for a thriving business harvesting, storing and selling ice. The ice works closed in 1907 but the dam remains in place to stabilize the water level and secure this critical part of Lobster Cove Meadow’s outstanding wildlife habitat.
Group size is limited with registration required by filling out the form below:

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Story Trail Walk: Miss Maple's Seeds
2023-10-20 - 2023-11-26 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Read a family-friendly book while walking through the woods. Follow the illustrated signs along the trail as they tell a tale that connects you to your natural surroundings. The free 1-mile story trail starts from the Oak Point Farm parking lot kiosk and can be completed at your own pace and on your own time. The current story trail book is “Miss Maple’s Seeds” written and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler.
What happens to seeds that don’t sprout? Fortunately, they have Miss Maple to look after them. Every year, she rescues orphan seeds, taking them to her cozy maple tree house. All winter long, she nurtures them and teaches them the ways of seeds and the paths by which they might find their new homes. And come spring, she sends them off to take root out in the wide world and to sprout into the wonderful plants she knows they’ll become.
The story trail at Oak Point Farm is open year-round during daylight hours, with a new book posted every few weeks. Current book titles and dates will be updated on our website.

Artist's Reception
2023-10-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Join artist Ramone Hanley-Warren for a reception and preview of her new show, Drishti: Point of Focus, opening in the gallery room at Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm on Thursday, October 19 from 4-6pm. Visitors to Oak Point Farm may be familiar with Ramone Hanley-Warren’s work through her permanent mural in the farmhouse visitor center depicting a great blue heron flying over a salt marsh. Ramone’s paintings are inspired by the natural world, particularly the unique beauty of midcoast Maine.
Drishti: Point of Focus will remain open for viewing through the spring of 2024 during visitor center hours, Monday through Friday from 9:30am-4:30pm. Ramone has generously pledged to donate 20% of all sales from this show to Boothbay Region Land Trust to support land conservation and public access.

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Oak Point Farm Heritage Orchard Walking Tour
2023-10-14 14:00 - 15:30 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Join orchardist, Ron Ross, for an onsite tour and in-depth discussion of the Heritage Apple Orchard at Oak Point Farm. Discover what makes this orchard’s location such an ideal site to grow apples. Hear how the Apple Corps, BRLT’s volunteer orchard group, is revitalizing the ten older apple trees and planting 20 additional heirloom varieties. Learn how to select, plant, and take care of an apple tree (or orchard?) of your own.
Ron Ross and his partner, Fred Kraeuter, began Burnham Cove Heirloom Orchard in 2014. Already 25 of their 70 apple trees (50 different heritage varieties) are bearing fruit. Ron and Fred coordinate the Apple Corps, a dedicated volunteer group that maintains both the Oak Point Farm and Singing Meadows Orchards for the Boothbay Region Land Trust.
Group size is limited for this free event with advance registration required by filling out the form below or by contacting BRLT Education Manager Tracey Hall at thall@bbrlt.org.

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Ocean Point Preserve Hike
2023-10-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Ocean Point Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Ocean Point Preserve during a guided one-mile hike with the Boothbay Region Land Trust. Located in the largest wetland area on Linekin Neck in East Boothbay, the 15-acre Ocean Point Preserve includes Tibbetts pond, designated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as significant waterfowl wildlife habitat for inland waterfowl and wading birds. Group size is limited with registration required by filling out the form below:

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Zak Preserve Hike
2023-10-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Zak Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Zak Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. Zak is BRLT’s largest preserve with 208 acres straddling the watershed of Wildcat Creek in the western half and its headwaters in the eastern half. It encompasses one of the few large open fields remaining on the Boothbay Peninsula and features salt marsh, wetlands, and extensive woods. Group is size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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2023 Annual Membership Meeting
2023-09-27 17:00 - 20:00 | Newagen Seaside Inn, 60 Newagen Colony Rd, Southport, ME, 04576
TICKET SALES ARE CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT.
We invite all members to join us for our Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, September 27 at 5pm at Newagen Seaside Inn. See below for a full meeting agenda and dinner menu.
We are pleased to welcome Susie Arnold as our guest speaker for the evening. Susie is the director of the Center for Climate and Community at the Island Institute, where she works on the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on marine resources and fisheries-dependent communities. Susie will be sharing a presentation that touches on climate change impacts for coastal Maine communities.
Following the guest speaker’s presentation, we will host our Annual Member Meeting.
Meeting Agenda:

President’s Report
Vote to authorize Boothbay Region Land Trust Board of Directors to sell a (roughly) one-acre lot located on Cross Point Road in Edgecomb, Maine, Map U10 Lot 17. (This property was gifted to BRLT with the understanding that it would be sold to raise funds for the organization).
Nomination of New Board Members for a 3-year term: Cindy Bailey, Kimberley Byrd, Alan Bellows & Bruce Harris (Click here for an introduction to our nominees)
Nomination of current Board Members for a second 3-year term: Rob Wheeler, Rick Elder & Stan Wakefield
Election of 2023-2024 Board Officers:

Rob Wheeler – President
Rick Elder – Vice President
Kathleen Kennedy – Secretary
Cindy Bailey – Treasurer
Dinner Menu:

Chef’s table with assorted cheeses, olives, fruit, nuts, rustic bread, crostini, and cracker assortment
Plated salad course
Family style dinner with three entree’s (sample menu: short rib with parsnip and sweet potato puree, baked haddock with honey-crumb topping and lemon beurre blanc, chickpea and black lentil ragout with summer greens, chef’s choice of seasonal vegetables)
Plated apple cobbler with cinnamon whipped cream
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Pine Tree Preserve Hike
2023-09-26 10:00 - 23:00 | Pine Tree Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Pine Tree Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. This preserve was once open pasture and was later abandoned to tree growth. The generally forested habitat includes several old gravel pits which have become ponds as well as some wetlands. The preserve is rich in flora and fauna; an occasional beaver and moose have been sighted, as well as a wide variety of birdlife. Group size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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CLIP Work Party
2023-09-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Penny Lake Preserve
Join our Committee to Limit Invasive Plants (CLIP). CLIP work parties will take place every other Wednesday at Penny Lake Preserve during the summer of 2023. CLIP volunteers will be helping eradicate invasive shrubs and vines (bush honeysuckle, oriental bittersweet, multi flora rose, autumn olive, and Japanese barberry) on this preserve. Work will consist of pulling, cutting, and piling invasive brush that will be chipped or burned later. No prior knowledge or experience with invasive plants is needed. Training will be provided including species identification and removal techniques. Some tools will be available, but volunteers are welcome and encouraged to bring their favorite pruning shears, loppers, or pulling/cutting devices. Long pants, long sleeve shirts, and gloves are recommended as well as bug spray and water. Your help is vital to supporting native ecosystems on our preserves! For further questions, please email Daniel Hill at dhill@bbrlt.org.

Saunders Preserve Hike
2023-09-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Saunders Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Saunders Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. This moderate hike meanders down a wooded hillside, through a mix of majestic evergreen and hardwood trees before arriving at a small stream that empties into the Damariscotta River.
Group size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Cross River Preserve Hike
2023-09-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Cross River Preserve
Discover the history and ecology of Cross River Preserve during a leisurely one-mile hike with a naturalist from the Boothbay Region Land Trust. Enjoy a stroll through mixed forest and along a freshwater wetland and stream, before reaching the tidal shoreline and mudflats of the Cross River. The Cross River area was first settled in the mid-1700s, with much of the forest being cleared and used as pastureland. The fields were abandoned around a century later, and the forest slowly returned to what we see today. The preserve is home to a variety of trees including some large diameter Red Oak and White Pine, which probably served as field boundary markers over 100 years ago. The habitat within the preserve is diverse and attracts a variety of creatures including songbirds, aquatic insects, and amphibians. Group size is limited and registration is required by filling out the form below:

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Story Trail Walk: A Beetle Is Shy
2023-09-07 - 2023-10-14 | Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm, 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538
Read a family-friendly book while walking through the woods. Follow the illustrated signs along the trail as they tell a tale that connects you to your natural surroundings. The free 1-mile story trail starts from the Oak Point Farm parking lot kiosk and can be completed at your own pace and on your own time. The current story trail is in partnership with the Boothbay Region Clean Water Drinking Initiative in recognition of National Water Quality Month and features the read-aloud book “A Beetle Is Shy”.
From the acclaimed duo Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, this beautiful paperback edition of A Beetle Is Shy is here to open a world of wonders to a new audience of young readers. From flea beetles to bombardier beetles, an incredible variety of these beloved bugs are showcased here in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched book is sure to inspire lively questions and spark the imaginations of young readers.
The story trail at Oak Point Farm is open year-round during daylight hours, with a new book posted every four to five weeks. Current book titles and dates will be updated on our website.
