“Wild Bangor and Orono” – Grace Bartlett, Laura Lewis, Robert Milardo, Judy Walker

Course Overview

Do you like exploring and learning about the natural world? Wild Bangor and Orono may be the course for you. This course is provided by four Maine Naturalist instructors: Grace Bartlett, Laura Lewis, Bob Milardo and Judy Walker. Each week we will meet for didactic discussions in an indoor classroom and/or participate in guided walks outdoors at different local preserves where we delve into one-two nature topics per each of the five sessions with two Maine Master Naturalists.

This is a primarily outdoor course, so be prepared to dress according to the weather and remember your sturdy water-proof shoes. Walking and standing will be required and you may want to bring a folding stool. Some of the trails may have roots and rocks. Please bring a backpack or bag with plain paper notebook or journal and pencils or pens. Some handouts will be provided during the sessions, others may be emailed.

• Instructors: Grace Bartlett, Laura Lewis, Robert Milardo, Judy Walker

• Location: Various locations in Bangor and Orono, ME

• Dates: 6 Sessions: March 24, 31, April 7, 11, 21, 28

• Time: 10:00 am- 12:00 pm

• Course Maximum: 12 

Logistics

Class sessions will meet-rain or shine! Directions will be emailed prior to each session to registered members.

Session 1 – March 24: “Tracking and Signs and Winter Ecology” Maine Naturalists: Judy Walker and Grace Bartlett   

          Location: Caribou Bog Conservation Area: We will investigate animal tracks and other evidence left by wildlife, plus we will look for evidence of winter into spring ecology.

Session 2 – March 31: “Nature Journaling and Phenology”               Maine Naturalists:Laura Lewis and Judy Walker

          Location: Caribou Bog Conservation Area: We will delve into nature journaling and how to go about making a journal. We will also consider phenology; the biological cycles that occur due to biotic and abiotic forces (weather, symbiotic relationships, etc.).

Session 3 – April 7: “Lichens ”                                                              Maine Naturalists: Grace Bartlett and Bob Milardo

          Location: Bangor City Forest (Kittredge Rd): We will search for and learn about the often-overlooked organisms known as lichens.

Session 4 – April 14: “Vernal Pools and Aquatic Insects”                  Maine Naturalists: Grace Bartlett and Judy Walker

          Location: Bangor City Forest (via Kittredge Rd, Bangor): This session will bring us to wet spots. This time we will focus on the unique habitats of vernal     pools for amphibians, plants and aquatic insects.

 Session 5 –  April 21: “Ferns and Trees”                                             Maine Naturalists: Judy Walker and Grace Bartlett

          Location: Northeast Penjajawoc Preserve, Kittridge Rd, Bangor: We will cover ferns and spring trees. We will focus on looking for the evidence of the coming growth  seasons and how to distinguish one from another.

Session 6 – April 28: “Birds and Wildflowers”                                     Maine Naturalists: Bob Milardo and Laura Lewis

          Location: Essex Woods, 12 Watchmaker St, Bangor: We will be looking and listening for birds (bring your binoculars) and seeking early spring wildflowers (ephemerals).

What to Expect:

This is a hands-on, experiential, outdoor course, so be prepared to dress according to the weather and remember your sturdy water-proof shoes. Walking and standing will be required and you may want to bring a folding stool. Some of the trails may have roots and rocks. Please bring a backpack or bag with plain paper notebook or journal and pencils or pens. Some handouts will be provided during the sessions, others may be emailed.

About the Instructors:

Grace Bartlett, Maine Master Naturalist, Retired Minister

From early on, inquisitiveness has compelled Grace to roam through fields and forests, explore “frog ponds”, brooks and by the seashore. Even before Grace became a Maine Master Naturalist she started volunteering at Orono Bog Boardwalk and Field Pond Audubon’s school program. Now retired from ministry in the United Church of Christ, Grace has more time to explore the woods and waters and volunteer at Land Trusts throughout Central and Downeast Maine.

Laura Lewis, Maine Master Naturalist, Retired Clinical Laboratory Scientist

A lifetime of curiosity about all things in nature has led to the discovery that answering one question always leads to another. “Ask to look at the photos on my phone…I can talk about grandkids and spiders for hours. (not always in that order).”

Robert Milardo, Ph.D., Maine Master Naturalist, Professor Emeritus of Family Relations

Bob is a lifelong birder and naturalist having led field trips for over four decades, typically with Penobscot Valley Audubon and other like-minded groups.  He is a Maine Master Naturalist and Professor Emeritus of the University of Maine.

Judy Walker, Ph.D.: Maine Master Naturalist, Professor Emerita in Communication Sciences and Disorders – University of Maine

Although Judy Walker’s professional area of expertise is in rehabilitation medicine, she has been a life-long learner of all aspects of the natural world and became a Maine Master Naturalist to share her passion through teaching others about the breathtaking beauty of Maine’s natural resources. She strongly believes in the restorative power of time spent in nature and the spiritual interconnectedness of all living things.