Rare Plant Walk
5-7 PM. Friday, August 28th, 2015
Merrymeeting Bay Wildlife Management Area, Bowdoinham
Contact: Andy Cutko, FOMB, 485-8969
Join trip leader Andy Cutko of Friends of Merrymeeting Bay [FOMB] and the Maine Natural Areas Program as he leads a rare plant walk through the intertidal zone of the Cathance River from the Merrymeeting Bay Wildlife Management Area in Bowdoinham. The tidal shores of Merrymeeting Bay are home to nearly a dozen types of rare and endangered plants --one of the largest concentrations of rare plants anywhere in Maine. Some of these species grow in only a few places in the world, and Merrymeeting Bay has healthy populations of many of them. Learn about the importance of this habitat and how to identify some of these elusive plants at one of the Bay's most scenic spots. Cutko is a botanist, ecologist and forester and a former FOMB Steering Committee member. Participants must pre-register with Andy at 485-8969.
Merrymeeting Bay Wildlife Management Area near the mouth of the Cathance River, offers a spectacular view of Merrymeeting Bay including mouths of the Muddy and Androscoggin rivers as well as the Cathance. The over 300 acres of fields and forest are owned by the state and managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
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[IF&W]. Participants should be prepared to walk about ¾ mile to the water.
The last FOMB Outings of the season will be on Swan Island with local historian Jay Robbins of FOMB and Friends of Swan Island. Jay will lead tours from 9:15am-1:00pm on Friday, September 11th and again on Sunday, September 13th. Pre-registration is necessary and done by calling Jay at 737-2239.
Merrymeeting Bay, at the junction of 6 rivers drains nearly 40% of Maine and is recognized as an internationally significant resource for its migratory waterfowl, migratory fish populations including sturgeon and salmon, as well as its bald eagles and rare plants. Friends of Merrymeeting Bay works to protect and improve the Bay through land protection, education, research and advocacy. For more information on FOMB programs, contact Ed Friedman at 666-3372 or visit the website at www.fomb.org.
Photos: Ed Friedman. FOMB
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