Join MES in southern Maine to look for 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.
Mark Ward will lead us to a known location that has not been surveyed in about 10 years. There will be no collecting of this species, but Mark has a permit and hopefully we can find one to observe.
The location is about a 20-minute woods walk so be prepared with appropriate foot wear, sun protection and fluids. The area will have plenty of other locations to explore from woodland to open bog to the marshes around the slow-flowing Buff Brook.
We will be eating lunch around our vehicles in typical MES style. It is unknown if there are facilities at either of the Barrens parking areas. The closest town, Waterboro, is about 9 miles away and there is a Hannaford another 4 miles up Route 202.
Please contact Peter Darling by text at 207-899-7173 or by email at petedarlingii@yahoo.com if you plan on attending.
Directions:
From the north, going south on Interstate 95, take Exit 32, Biddeford. At the light, turn right onto Route 111 toward Alfred. In Alfred, turn right onto Kennebunk Road, just before the York Superior Court building. This street meets up with Route 202 a short way up, just past the Baptist Church. Turn right on Route 202 (*), and travel a bit more than a half mile, to where Gore Road splits to the left. Take the left onto Gore and travel about a mile and the road splits again with Gore going to the left. Continue left on Gore. At Ross Corner, the road changes to Newfield Road. Continue straight on Newfield for 1.1 miles and a dirt road splits to the right. Take this right on Tyng’s Mill Road and then right in 60 feet onto Round Pond Road. This is also dirt. A short way up on the left is a parking lot for Waterboro Barrens but we are not meeting there. Continue up Round Pond Road for 3⁄4 of a mile until the road splits - go left. This meets up with Buff Brook Road in less than 500 feet. Turn left on Buff Brook and continue for 3⁄4 miles and we will meet at the lot on the left just before the gate. Estimated time from Exit 109 in Augusta to the lot is 1 hour and 40 minutes.
From the south, going north on Interstate 95, take Exit 19. At the light, turn right on Route 109, Sanford Road. In 9 miles, turn right on Route 4 and continue to Alfred where Route 4 merges with Route 202. Continue on 202 through Alfred and follow the directions above beginning at (*).
The GPS coordinates of the meeting place are 43.609654, -70.799755.