Boston Flora

Tag: Popham Beach

  • Saturday, August 28, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Popham Beach and Atkins Bay Flora

    Phippsburg, Maine, is the site of New England Wild Flower Society’s trip on Saturday, August 28, from 10 – 3 with Arthur Haines.

    Popham Beach is a spectacular sand beach and dune system in Midcoast Maine, located at the south end of the Phippsburg Peninsula.  It features a well-developed dune flora with large areas of sand false heather (Hudsonia tomentosa).  Just to the north, Atkins Bay includes a large saline marsh with a high diversity of interesting and state rare plants, including sea-coast tuber-bulrush (Bolboschoenus robustus), saltmarsh agalinis (Agalinis maritima), and Maine’s only extant population of purple agalinis (Agalinis purpurea).  Coastal halophytes, numerous species of sedges (including large hybrid clones), and interesting knotweeds will keep even the most avid botanists occupied.

    This day trip is designed to showcase one of Maine’s most beautiful coastal locations and introduce some of the common and more difficult to identify members of this ecosystem.  Given the large number of species, students will have an opportunity to focus on groups of interest.  Participants should come prepared to spend the entire day outside and in some areas that are wet underneath.  Bring clothes for the weather, a bag lunch, plenty of water, and your favorite botanical manual (e.g., Flora of Maine, Manual of Vascular Plants).  There will be a small parking fee at Popham Beach.  The class fee is $40 for NEWFS members and $45 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/naturetrust.nb.ca/images/usjr-lousewort-span.jpg

  • Friday, September 10 – Sunday, September 12 – New England Botanical Club Field Trip to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Boothbay Region

    Reserve a space now (no later than July 1) for the NEBC Field Trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Boothbay Region, Friday, September 10 – Sunday, September 12.

    Highlights of this fabulous trip include a visit to the Kate Furbish “Flora of Maine” art collection at Bowdoin College with Special Collections Curator Richard Lindemann, a trip to the scenic salt marsh at Popham Beach with Arthur Haines, a lobster picnic at Robinson’s Wharf on Southport Island, a ferry ride for an all day excursion to botanize the beaches and coastal headlands of Monhegan Island with Melissa Dow Cullina, a catered pool-side barbeque (with vegetarian option), an evening workshop on digital macrophotography with Bill Cullina, and early bird hike along stunning Ocean Point in Boothbay, and a guided tour of the new Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (pictured below – photograph copyright Karl Gercens).  The first scheduled activity is at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, at 10 am on Friday September 10.  The final scheduled activity will be lunch on Sunday, September 12 at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, though participants may stay at the Gardens as long as they wish until closing.  Participants may choose to stay with the group at the Coburn House Inn in Boothbay at a reasonable group rate.

    Registration fee is $75, to be sent to the trip coordinator Melissa Dow Cullina, 250 Hendricks Hill Road, Southport Island, ME 04576.  Please make check out to Melissa, who will be coordinating all aspects of the trip.  The fee includes one bag lunch, ferry ticket, barbeque, CMBG ticket, and all scheduled events.  For more information, email Melissa at mcullina@gmail.com, or call 207-633-4546.  You may also find links to lodging options, and may download a pdf file with registration form, at www.rhodora.org.