Field Day, Stream Team Training and Williamsonia Boghaunter Training
Join us at Holts Pond, in Bridgeton (Cumberland County) for a regular MES field day AND an opportunity to participate in the search for stream invertebrates with the Maine Audubon Stream Explorers program, and to search for the Ringed Boghaunter, Williamsonia lintneri.
Stream Explorers:
There will be Stream Explorer Training from 9:00-11:30 am, preregistration required and limited number of participants. Please sign up for the training with Hannah Young at hyoung@maineaudubon.org. You also need to watch two online videos before the field training https://maineaudubon.org/news/events/stream-explorers-training/. If there are more interested folks then can be trained in one session, those who were trained in the morning can practice their skills by training others in the afternoon.
Please also read the excellent blog post by Cathie Murray here!
Ringed Boghaunter:
We can also look for early season dragonflies including the rare Ringed Boghaunter (Williamsonia lintneri).
If you have not, please watch the Ringed Boghaunter Webinar Archive, and feel free to download and print out this PDF file of a “cheat sheet” for field identification.
Beyond those two activities, Holt Pond Preserve has 400 acres of woods and wetlands with four miles of trails running through it. So, lots of opportunities to look for insects, observe their behavior and take photos. This is a preserve so the LEA requests that specimen collecting be kept to a minimum. Remember boots for walking in the wetlands, sunscreen, and mosquito/tick protection – and your lunch! This field day is rain or shine – aquatic insects don’t care about getting wet.
Directions: From Bridgton: Take Route 302 East; 1 mile past Lake Region High School, turn right on Perley Road. Follow directions from Perley Road below.
From Naples: Route 302 West; 2.5 miles from Naples Causeway, turn left on Perley Road. Follow directions from Perley Road below.
From Perley Road: 1.5 miles on Perley Road to the intersection of Chaplin Mill and Grist Mill Roads; Chaplin Mill (paved) takes a sharp (90 degree) left turn and Grist Mill (dirt) will go straight. Caution: Grist Mill Road is often unmarked and bumpy and may not be suitable for low cars. Proceed slowly! Go straight for .3 miles on Grist Mill, and turn left into the Holt Pond parking area. Hooray! You made it!
Charlene Donahue is coordinating this field trip (e-mail donahuecp15@gmail.com)
Map from Lakes Environmental Association