Natural Communities of Maine

Friday, May 26, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., online
Saturday, June 3, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Bosarge Family Education Center

Learn how Maine’s native plants behave in their natural habitats. Guided by ecologist Ted Elliman, this comprehensive, two-day hybrid course will introduce students to Maine’s plant communities, their defining physical environments, the plants living in them, and the natural processes affecting them. Online discussion and hands-on field work will evaluate the variety of plant communities throughout Maine and how this information influences your gardening choices. First in the classroom and then in the field, learn the differences between communities like salt marshes, red maple swamps, bogs, and floodplain forests, and discover common plants as well as key plant adaptations. After day one’s online class, apply newfound knowledge on day two in the living classroom of the Gardens and at a local land trust property.

Suggested Reference: Natural Landscapes of Maine: A Guide to Natural Communities and Ecosystems

Ted Elliman, a botanist and former plant ecologist for the Native Plant Trust is an acclaimed author of Wildflowers of New England and co-author of Grasses, Sedges, Rushes: An Identification Guide. Elliman describes the plants in clear, concise language. Elliman worked as a contract ecologist for the National Park Service, and he has written numerous articles on botanical subjects for conservation organizations, scientific journals, and state and federal environmental agencies. For years, Ted has taught botany and ecology-focused classes for Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the Native Plant Trust, and other botanical institutions.