MES members from the 2024 BioBlitz at the Garden
Photo by Melissa Keyser, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
At the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, diverse habitats filled with healthy native and non-native plants and their co-habitants deliver sensory delights.
Now the Gardens are making meaningful changes to their approach, emphasizing ecological horticultural practices, with increased attention to native flora and fauna. As the Gardens adjust their practices, they need to collect baseline and on-going data to see what difference these changes make in the Gardens’ ecosystem. They are surveying all flora and fauna found in the Gardens through the year, using traps, game cameras, plot surveys, iNaturalist posts and other means.
You can help! Any flora or fauna you post to iNaturalist from the Gardens will add to their database. So please, do take pictures and post them anytime you visit. Your keen eyes for insects, especially, will make a big difference in the data collected.
Please Pre Register with Zac Smith-Hess ZSmith-Hess@mainegardens.org if you’d like to participate in the BioBlitz on Sunday July 13th! Pre-registration will give participants free admission to the Gardens on the BioBlitz day and directions for the best parking locations.
Bring phones/cameras and equipment you need in order to temporarily capture insects and post good quality photos to iNaturalist. Bring water and protection from sun, rain, ticks, etc. Delicious lunches can be found at the Gardens' cafe or you can bring your own. The Gardens also have restrooms on site.
Directions
From the South/West via Wiscasset: Travel 1.5 miles on US-1 North. Turn right onto ME-27 South and travel 9.6 miles. At the Boothbay Circle, take the 1st exit onto Corey Lane. Travel 0.3 miles and take a Right onto Barters Island Road. Travel 1 mile and take a Left onto Botanical Gardens Drive. Follow signs to the Parking Lot area that the Coordinator has told you to use.
From the North/East via Damariscotta: Take Main Street (business Route 1) or US-1 South 0.6 miles and take a Left on the River Road. Travel 10 miles South on the River Road and turn Left on ME-27 South. Follow ME-27 for 3 miles to the Boothbay Circle. At the Circle, take the 1st exit onto Corey Lane. Travel 0.3 miles and take a Right onto Barters Island Road. Travel 1 mile and take a Left onto Botanical Gardens Drive. Follow signs to the Parking Lot area that the Coordinator has told you to use.
Click Here for Google Map directions to the garden.
Free parking is available to Garden visitors. EV chargers are available. Please contact the Coordinator who will inform BioBlitz participants of the best lot to use.