Member Insider: Bird Walk

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Brand
Price: Free

Member Insider: Trees of the Trolls | SOLD OUT

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. 

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Sarah Callan
Price: Free

Member Insider: Troll Sculpture Walk | SOLD OUT

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!

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Vanessa Nesvig
Price: Free

Member Insider: Coastline Botany Tour

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Melissa Cullina
Price: Free

Member Insider: Good Bug or Bad Bug?

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Brand
Price: Free

Member Insider: Native Bee Exhibit 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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Sarah Callan
Price: Free

Member Insider: Foraging for Edibles

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Brand
Price: Free

Member Insider: Lerner Garden of the Five Senses Design Tour

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Lesley Paxson
Price: Free

Member Insider: Apple Cultivating & Pressing

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?

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Ron Ross
Price: Free

Winter Gardens Book Club (Members Only)

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.

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Location: Online
Instructor: Vanessa Nesvig
Price: $25

Spring Migration Birding Walk

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Andy Brand

Photography Club

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.

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Price: $25

Member’s Spring Migration Bird Walk

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.

Location: Lerner Visitor Center
Instructor: Tyler Pascocello

Spring Blooms and Buds

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!

Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Courtney Locke