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PHOTO: A 2018 Kennebec Land Trust snowshoe hike. (Submitted photo)
WINTHROP – Kennebec Land Trust is hosting two hikes, as well as its annual conservation lecture series, which will be held in person, in the coming weeks.
Outdoor events coming up include:
Snowshoe hike, Monday, Feb. 21. KLT property steward Dave Courtemanch will lead a family-friendly snowshoe outing to explore the new trail at the Ezra Smith Conservation Area in Mount Vernonm 9:30.-10:45 a.m. Participants will snowshoe across the bog via the boardwalk and then complete a loop on the new trail, which features mature forest, balsam thickets and views of the fen. Registration is limited because of limited parking by contacting Marie at mring@tklt.org or 207-377-2848.
Bring water, warm clothing and snowshoes and/or ice cleats, depending on conditions. Poles are recommended, as there will be a few narrow bog bridging crossings. Please preregister by contacting Marie at as parking is limited.
Bushwack Hike, Saturday, March 19. KLT stewardship staff will lead an off-trail excursion at the Curtis Homestead Conservation Area at 10 a.m., to explore a unique area not accessible by the trail. Participants should plan on bringing snowshoes, skis, and/or ice grippers depending on conditions and must be comfortable traveling off-trail in winter conditions.
The Kennebec Land Trust Conservation Lecture Series begins Thursday, March 17. The series will be held in the Winthrop Performing Arts Center at Winthrop High School, 211 Rambler Road, to allow social distancing, and all attendees must show full proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (14 days past the second vaccination shot) or a negative COVID test completed within 48 hours of the lecture. All talks begin at 7 p.m. and will last 90 minutes.
The series schedule is:
Thursday, March 17, Botany of Medicinal Plants, featuring Eric Doucette, assistant professor of biology, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who will speak about the correct identification of medicinal plants, non-toxic or non-medicinal look-alikes and conserving rare species while collecting medicinals.
Thursday, March 24, Growing, Gathering, Preparing, and Using Medicinal Plants, with Deb Soule, herbalist and founder of Avena Botanicals. Soule will provide an overview of important medicinal plants; introduction to using medicinal plans; and common preparations
Thursday, March 31, Past, Present, and Future: Cultural Uses of Native Plants in Maine, with Jennifer Neptune, artist, anthropologist, educator, and member of the Penobscot Nation. Neptune will speak about relationship, respect, and reciprocity with plants and the natural world; food and medicine, beyond corn and tobacco; and benevolence and beauty of the trees: ash, birch, cedar, and maple.
The land trust will also offer Maine medicinal plant field workshops with Doucett, herbalist Linda Nelson and botanist Arthur Haines in the summer.
For information on the hikes or the speaker series, visit tklt.org or contact Marie at mring@tklt.org or 207-377-2848.
