Calendar of Events for 2008

All walks meet at the beginning of the boardwalk in the Bangor City Forest (Tripp Road off Stillwater Avenue, north of the Bangor Mall) unless otherwise noted. See Maps for directions. Walks are free. Reserve beforehand. Group size is limited to 12 unless otherwise noted. Walks may be cancelled due to insufficient registration. You will be notified if cancelled. Contact: Mary Bird at 207-866-2578 or email: Jim.Bird@umit.maine.edu (please write "boardwalk" on the subject line).

When there are light showers or steady light rain, the walk takes place as scheduled. if there is steady heavy rain, the walk is cancelled. The bog is actually quite marvelous in gentle rain.

Guided tours of the boardwalk may be arranged for senior citizen groups, school classes, clubs, and other groups by contacting John Maddaus John_Maddaus@umit.maine.edu. The boardwalk is suitable for wheel chairs. To assure that we will be able to provide your group with a qualified guide, please make your arrangements at least a week in advance.

Saturday, May 10, 7:00 - 8:30 am. SHORT DISTANCE MIGRANT BIRDS OF ORONO BOG. Free. Leaders: Jerry Longcore, USFWS wildlife biologist, retired and Bill Glanz, Associate Professor of Zoology, University of Maine. Short-distance migrant birds are those which winter in the Southeast of the U.S. such as the Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, and Hermit Thrush. A few of those which migrate from the Caribbean or from South America may have arrived also—Perhaps the Black-Throated Green Warbler or the Nashville Warbler.

Saturday, May 17. 8:30-10 am. TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants and animals that inhabitat it.

Saturday June 14, 8:30-10 am. TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday June 21, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday July 12, 9-10:30 am. HYDROLOGY IN BOGS AND FENS—WHERE DOES THE WATER GO? Free. led by Professor Andy Reeve of University of Maine Department Earth Sciences. Water is continuously percolating beneath the boardwalk. This slow and steady movement of water influences the development of peatlands (bogs and fens) and affects the living ecosystem. We will discuss how groundwater movement is evaluated, the reasons for peat accumulation, and recent hydrology research at Orono Bog.

Saturday July 19, 9-11am. MOSSES, PEAT MOSSES, AND OTHER TINY PLANTS OF BOGS. Free. led by Dennis Anderson of the University of Maine School of Biological Sciences. Mosses are the most abundant plants of Orono Bog. Learn how to identify the different mosses and appreciate the important role these and other small plants play in peatland ecology. Bring a hand lens if you have one.

Saturday July 26, 9-10:30 am PEAT BOGS FOR KIDS. Free. led by the Bog Summer Educational Intern. This walk is for 5 to 10 year olds. We will see, touch, smell, and talk about lots of neat things, from skunk cabbage to pitcher plants to cotton grass. We’ll use a turkey baster to suck the water out of a pitcher plant to see what lives inside the pitcher. We’ll poke a long rod down into the peat to find out what is at the bottom. There’ll be more surprises. This learning experience is fun! One (only) parent must accompany his or her children.

Saturday August 9, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday August 9, 9-11 am HOW SOME PLANTS SURVIVE WHERE MOST PLANTS WOULD PERISH. Free. led by Professor Christa Schwintzer of University of Maine School of Biological Sciences. Wetlands like Orono Bog are impossible places for most plant species of the Bangor area to grow in. Only a relatively few, specially adapted plant species can thrive in these environments with water-saturated soil lacking in oxygen or in extremely infertile peat soil. What special features and abilities do these hardy plants possess that allow them to thrive in these environments where most other plant species would perish? The fascinating plants that grow along the side of the boardwalk will abundantly illustrate this fascinating story of adaptation and survival.

Saturday August 16, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday August 23 , 9-10:30 am PEAT BOGS FOR KIDS: CARNIVOROUS PLANTS AND BOOGEYMEN—WHY ARE THEY IN THE BOG? Free. Leader: Bog Intern This walk is for 5 to 10 year olds. We’ll use a turkey baster to suck the water out of a pitcher plant to see what lives inside the pitcher. We’ll look at the organic soil to figure out why there may be legends about people “lost in the bog.” One (only) parent must accompany his or her children. (NOTE: not yet confirmed)

Saturday September 13, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday September 20, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday September 27, 9-11am. MOSSES, PEAT MOSSES, AND OTHER TINY PLANTS OF BOGS. Free. led by Dennis Anderson of the University of Maine School of Biological Sciences. Mosses are the most abundant plants of Orono Bog. Learn how to identify the different mosses and appreciate the important role these and other small plants play in peatland ecology. Bring a hand lens if you have one.

Saturday October 11, 9-10:30 am. DEEP PEAT NATURE WALK. Free. Led by Ron Davis, University of Maine Biology Professor (retired). Using a special device, Dr. Davis will probe down into the peat and bring up small samples from a series of depths. These peat samples will indicate what the wetland was like 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 years ago. An attempt will be made to obtain a sample of the material from under the peat, more than 20 feet below the boardwalk, to determine what condition existed at the site prior to 10,000 years ago and before the peatland formed. Participants are encouraged to bring hand lenses or magnifying glasses to examine the contents of these ancient deposits. (weather note) In case of heavy or steady rain on Saturday, the event will be postponed until Sunday. If weather report on Friday afternoon or report or condition early Saturday morning looks bad, telephone Ron at 866-4786 to check on the scheduling of the activity. Please restrict your phone calls to Friday 4-5pm or Saturday 6-8pm. In case of postponement, and the Sunday weather also looks bad, telephone Sunday 6-8am to check whether the walk will take place.

Saturday October 11, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday October 18, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday October 18 (check back for time). NIGHT SKY WALK. Free. Led by Neil Comins, Professor of Physics, University of Maine.

Saturday November 8, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.

Saturday November 15, 8:30-10 am.TOUR OF THE BOARDWALK. Free. Led by Orono Bog Boardwalk guides. This will be a general tour of the Boardwalk. Learn about the history of the Bog and the plants that inhabit it.