Join Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, for a bird walk in the Gardens during the height of the spring migration. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Gardens’ grounds looking for our feathered friends. Please bring binoculars. All levels of experience are welcome.
This year, our latest friends the Giant Trolls have hidden the seeds of our most important tree species deep in our woods. These sculptures can only be found by visiting all five trolls—or joining us on this tour. Join Sarah Callan as she takes you on a walk to the secret seed sculptures, exploring the native trees our trolls are protecting along the way. Come learn about the history of these trees and their importance to our native ecosystems. Steeper hiking trails will be taken during this tour.
The Guardians of the Seeds are here! Vanessa Nesvig, CMBG’s Interpretation & Exhibits Program Manager, will guide us through our latest installation by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, considered the world’s leading recycled-materials artist, famous for his troll sculptures. But don’t worry—none of these trolls are lurking under our bridges!
Our shoreline is an often overlooked but beautiful aspect of the Gardens. We’ll take a close look at the wild plants adapted to daily flooding by salt water along the tidal shores of the Back River. Melissa Cullina, Director of Botanical Research and Herbarium, will join us on this tour to give us an expert look at this habitat. Steeper hiking trails and uneven shorelines are a part of this tour.
Join Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, for a tour of the Gardens’ insect life. Our little friends are often overlooked, but their impact is often felt! Come find out which bugs are pests and which are our friends in this fascinating tour.
Our bees are always buzzing with activity, and this year is no exception. Join us this July for a tour of our new native bee exhibit. Sarah Callan, CMBG’s Interpretation & Exhibits Educator, will walk you through our apiary and native bee exhibit, exploring our local bee populations.
Have you ever seen some wild blueberries or blackberries and just had to grab a quick snack? Berries are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak when it comes to edibles to forage in our rich forests and fields. Come along with Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, on this tour as we explore lesser-known edibles that grow throughout our native habitat.
Join Horticulturlist Lesley Paxson on this tour of the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through one of our most beloved gardens while learning about its unique design and planting themes.
Nothing says autumn like apples. Ron Ross, CMBG volunteer and apple expert, will explain how to cultivate new varieties of apples, going into some detail about breeding for desirable traits. The tour will end with a bit of apple pressing—can you guess how many apples it takes to make one gallon of cider?
Now that the garden is put to bed, it’s a great time to read those books you’ve been meaning to get to all season long. Join the conversation as we discuss four acclaimed books featuring plants at their core. This year, to be sure everyone can participate, we will be conducting these conversations via Zoom. Just sign up, read the selection, and then join the group by logging into the Zoom discussion that day. Selections include: Life in the Garden, The Age of Wood, The Garden of Evening Mists, and Uprooted: A Gardener’s Reflections on Beginning Again.
Join Director of Horticulture, Andy Brand, and Youth Programs Educator, Bridget VerVaet, for a morning tour before the Gardens opens to the public. Explore our wonderful bird population at the height of the spring migration season. Bring a sharp eye, but binoculars are recommended. All skill levels welcome.
The Photography Club meets every other Thursday morning at the Gardens, 7-9 a.m. Enjoy having the whole of our campus to yourself for two hours before we open to the public. Come and capture the stunning morning light, May-October. You must be a member of the Gardens to enjoy this amazing perk. The first meeting of the year is Thursday, May 12.
Spring is such a wonderful time to enjoy the Gardens! Come join Horticulturist Courtney Locke on a tour of our early spring blooms and bulbs in the crisp spring air. Courtney will share her extensive knowledge and help get your gardens looking great for next spring!
Bring the family and join us as we walk the trails of the Gardens in search of the unique and mysterious pink lady slipper. We’ll discuss the fascinating biology and ecology of this delicate flower and talk about why the Gardens is lucky to be one of its protected homes. Participants will view these flowers’ complicated pollination process and stop to identify other wildflowers along the way.
We have been so lucky to have such beautiful flower arrangements over the years here at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Largely behind these works of art? Diane Walden-Rapalyea—and she’s ready to take us through the gardens, gather flowers, and share her tips and tricks. A live arrangement demo follows.
Have you discovered the trolls' hidden treasure yet? This tour’s journey will take us through several different forest ecosystems, giving us the opportunity to get to know each one as we travel toward discovering just what the trolls have been protecting. Learn what keeps these ecosystems healthy and how you can help protect them so that everyone may enjoy the natural world for years to come! Expect a moderate hike along some of our trails and wear the appropriate footwear.
Join Tyler Pascocello, Horticulturist & Wildlife Specialist, and Bridget VerVaet, Youth Programs Educator, for a morning tour before the Gardens opens to the public. Explore our wonderful bird population at the height of the spring migration season. Bring a sharp eye, but binoculars are recommended. All skill levels welcome.
Come join Irene Barber, Adult Education Program Manager, as she puts together one of the wonderful vertical gardens on display in the Lerner Garden of Five Senses. Each garden is designed using locally sourced materials. After learning some of Irene’s favorite tricks, you’ll be ready to start your own vertical gardens by the end of the tour!
We have a special love of honeybees at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Sarah Callan, Interpretation & Exhibits Educator, and Emily Baisden, Entomologist Educator, will take us on a behind-the-scenes tour of our apiary to learn about the life of our bees and what it takes to care for them. After this look inside the hive, we'll take some time to enjoy the fruits--or honey--of their labor and sample some delicious honey both from our hives and around the world! Bring your sweet tooth and get ready to learn all about the types of honey and what factors influence color and flavor.
Art is essential in life! At the Gardens, we love to show off artists, both local and from afar. Join Vanessa Nesvig, Interpretation & Exhibits Program Manager, and Caroline Davis, Art & Exhibits Coordinator, to learn the stories behind the collections at the Gardens. We hear a troll or two might even be sighted!
Becoming a member at the Gardens opens up an entire world of ways to enjoy the spaces and programming that you love. Join us for an insider’s look at the benefits of your membership, then tour the Gardens with one of our knowledgeable docents, taking in blooms and learning about our history and exciting future. Meet in the Membership Office, located in the Lerner Visitor Center through the double doors to the left of the admissions desks.
Ever wonder what it would be like to have the whole of the Gardens to yourself? Members can come find out! From May through August, join us for any of our several Member Evenings at the Gardens, open 5-7:30 p.m., exclusively for our members. Enjoy these quiet, tranquil hours and relax with us here at the Gardens. Register early--space is limited!
Explore the wide array of the season’s blooming dahlias! Join Courtney Locke on a tour of the Dahlia Garden. We’ll learn about the different groups and characteristics that make up this beautiful display. Courtney will also share some great tips and tricks for caring for your own dahlias at home.
Join Spencer O’Bryan, CMBG’s Science and Collections Information Coordinator, as he takes us through our Herbarium and plant collection to discover more about two aspects of the Gardens’ mission—education and research. Spencer will show us the ins and outs of plant pressing and give us a tour of the pressed plant collection. This department’s latest project has been to catalog all of our plants—come learn about the importance of this ongoing research.
Now that the garden is put to bed, it’s a great time to read those books you’ve been meaning to get to! Join the conversation as we discuss four acclaimed books with nature at their core. We’ll conduct these conversations via Zoom, so anyone can participate. Just sign up, read the selection and then join the group by logging into the Zoom meeting that day. December 13: Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change by Thor Hanson, January 10: Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty, February 10: Second Nature by Michael Pollan, March 14: Woodsqueer: Crafting a Rural Sustainable Life by Gretchen Legler
April is a big month for amphibians in Maine as they migrate to vernal pools to breed and lay eggs. During this walk, we’ll spend time exploring the many vernal pools at the Gardens in search of wood frog and spotted salamander eggs as well as other seasonal residents. Participants will learn how to tell the difference between frog and salamander eggs, what makes vernal pools unique, and gain an understanding of their important role in the forest ecosystem. This program is intended for children with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. This program meets at the Timber Frame behind the Education Center.
Join us for a morning tour before the Gardens opens to the public. Explore our fascinating bird population at the the peak of the spring migration season. Binoculars are recommended; all skill levels welcome.
Spring is one of the best times to go bird watching, since many birds are returning to their mating grounds, sporting showy and colorful plumage. Take advantage of all the natural spaces at the Gardens and get a front-row seat to the show! Put your birding skills to the test – or gain a whole new set – as we tour the Gardens together, looking for our feathered friends and learning how to identify them by their calls and select features. This program is intended for children with an adult caregiver. Please register ONLY for the number of children in your group. This program meets at the Timber Frame behind the Education Center.
Every other Thursday, May 18-October 5, 7-9 a.m.
The Photography Club meets every other Thursday morning from 7-9 a.m., beginning May 18 and ending October 5. Club dues are $25.00 for the entire season, as long as you're a member of the Gardens. Enjoy having the whole of our campus to yourself for two hours before we open to the public, and capture the morning light and mingle with your fellow photographers.
Early-spring blooms bring a burst of color and life to the landscape after a long, dormant winter, providing a beautiful (and much-needed!) reminder of renewal and growth. Expert horticulturist Courtney Locke will provide insightful and educational commentary about different species and their unique characteristics. Members will also have the chance to ask questions and engage in lively discussions about their favorite plants.
Thursday, May 11; Thursday, May 25; Thursday, June 1; Thursday, June 8; Saturday, June 17; Thursday, July 6; Saturday, July 15; Thursday, July 27; Thursday, August 3; Saturday August 12; Thursday, August 24; from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a relaxing evening at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! Our member evenings offer you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Gardens in a tranquil setting, surrounded by the natural world. Whether you're looking for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or simply want to bask in the beautiful sunset, our member evenings are the perfect way to do just that. So gather your friends and family and come escape to the breathtaking beauty of our botanical gardens.
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education, and research.
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