WINTHROP — The Kennebec Land Trust has announced the dates and speakers for its 16th annual Lyceum lecture series. This year’s program is Maine’s Amphibians and Reptiles.
The trust will also hold amphibian walks to accompany the series in late April.
The March lecture series is modeled after the early New England lyceums that began in 1826 in Massachusetts.
For many years New England lyceums hosted lectures, debates, and concerts for public audiences.
All three March programs are free and open to the public. They are 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays at the Ladd Recreation Center in Wayne.
The programs are:
March 15: Reptile Conservation and Management — Derek Yorks, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, will speak about the natural history and ecology of Maine’s reptiles with a focus on multi-state turtle conservation and the conservation of Maine’s rarest and largest snake.
March 22: Diversity and Natural History of Maine Amphibians — Cathy Bevier, professor of biology at Colby College, will share an overview of the habits and habitats of Maine’s frogs and salamanders, details of how some amphibian species survive Maine’s winters, and highlights of research on the mink frog, the green frog, and the mudpuppy.
March 29 — Maine’s Vernal Pool Special Area Management Plan: Local Conservation of Vernal Pool Ecosystems — Aram Calhoun, professor of biology at University of Maine, and Elizabeth Hertz, Owner Blue Sky Planning Solutions will speak about vernal pool ecology, their current research findings, and integrating regulation and conservation.
Lyceum amphibian walks are scheduled for:
Saturday, April 21, at Rosmarin and Saunders Family Forest, Readfield, KLT steward Tom Danielson will host an Earth Day weekend exploration of amphibians in the Rosmarin Beaver Pond, stream and vernal pools.
Saturday, April 28, at Gott Pasture Preserve, Wayne, Maine, Alan Seamans, Maine master naturalist, will lead a walk to explore vernal pools at the Gott Pasture Preserve in Wayne.
For more information, contact the trust at 207-377-2848 or visit klt.org/lyceum.
PHOTO: A wood turtle peers out from its habitat, one of many of the amphibians that will be discussed in the Kennebec Land Trust’s March Lyceum lecture series. (Derek Yorks photo)
