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The Wildlands: Habitats from the North Gate, Orland, ME (PVSC Fall 2024 5-week Outdoor course) • Register • View Cart •

The Wildlands
The Wildlands: Habitats from the North Gate - 5-week Outdoor course
Wednesdays 1:00-3:30
 Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, (Rain Date Oct. 30)
Minimum 10, Maximum 20

Exploring specific habitats with specialists and stewards, who have expertise and individual affinities with their areas in the Wildlands, is a course that is an appetizer for more learning. Held outdoors and concentrated within the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, there will be tailgate presentations, short walks, and targeted examinations of habitat locations. Several of the five sessions will be an expansion of the details of the beautiful interpretive trail signs on the Valley Road, and the habitats we visit will be within the 5000+ acres of the Wildlands.
 
The five Wednesday sessions (1:00-3:30 pm) include:
 
Session 1- Sept. 25:         Exploring the Orland/Wildlands Landscape (Watershed, Geology, Habitats) through Maps - Jane Crosen and Jennifer Riefler
Session 2-Oct. 2:              Trees and Ferns of the Wildlands - Nick and Alice Noyes
Session 3-Oct. 9:              Miniature World of Mosses and Lichens - Nick and Alice Noyes
Session 4-Oct. 16:            Soil Ecosystems - Carol Bennatti and Jennifer Riefler
Session 5-Oct. 23             Tending the Northern Forest: The Importance of Silviculture for Sustainability and  Stability -  Roger Greene
 
Helpful material: Forest Trees of Maine. Pub. 2008 by the Maine Forest Service. This ring bound 6" x 9" book has 78 species, with colored photos, rand maps and descriptions, all printed on glossy water-resistant paper. Order directly from the Maine Forest Service for $15 at this link: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/inde x.html.
In the Company of Trees: The Empirical Forest, 2021. Roger Greene; (Bookstacks in Bucksport carries both of these books.)

Detailed information and directions will be emailed to registered attendees.
Walking shoes, and possibly light rainwear needed. A folding stool for the lecture times may be helpful. Be prepared to walk one-to-two miles.

Directions:
Session 1: Arrive at the South Gate at 1:00 (or a few minutes sooner.)
Address: 1574 Acadia Highway; coming from the west (Bucksport) the South Gate is on the left, marked with a large green and white Wildlands sign, just before Route 176 comes in from the right.
You will be ushered through the South Gate, and directed to drive to the Esker trailhead and park along the Valley Road shoulder.

Other sessions: Meet at the North Gate of the Wildlands (GPMCT) on Bald Mountain Road
in North Orland. The North Gate is just 0.2 miles west on Bald Mountain Road from Winkumpaugh Rd. or 2.8 miles from the Mast Hill Rd. Watch for the Wildlands sign. Refer to the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer. p. 23.
A rain date of Oct. 30th will be included, but the hope is for crispy Fall air, cleansing breezes, and enlightening experiences. 

Helpful materials:
1. Forest Trees of Maine. Pub. 2008 by the Maine Forest Service. This ringbound 6" x 9" book has 78 species, with colored photos, rand maps and descriptions, all printed on glossy water-resistant paper. Order directly from the Maine Forest Service for $15 at this link:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/inde x.html.
2. In the Company of Trees: The Empirical Forest, 2021. Roger Greene

Bookstacks in Bucksport carries both of these books.

Week by Week Schedule and Instructors:

Session 1, Sept. 25: Exploring the Wildlands Landscape (Watershed, Geology, Habitats) through Maps
Our adventures in the Wildlands begin by looking at Orland’s landscape as shown on different types of maps, each with its own story to tell. This will be a drive-through tour from the south to the north, learning to use maps and understanding of geology to read the landscape.
Beginning from the South Gate, we'll drive 5 miles north along the Valley Road, following the Hothole Valley watershed, stopping at geologically instructive sites along the way.

DIRECTIONS: Arrive at the South Gate at 1:00 (or a few minutes sooner.)
Address: 1574 Acadia Highway; coming from the west (Bucksport) the South Gate is on the left, marked with a large green and white Wildlands sign, just before Route 176 comes in from the right.
You will be ushered through the South Gate, and directed to drive to the Esker trailhead and park along the Valley Road shoulder.

Presenters: Jane Crosen and Jennifer Riefler
A longtime member of GPMCT, Jane Crosen helped lay out hiking trails with the Paths and Stewardship committees. As Jane Crosen, Mapmaker, she has created hand-drawn maps showing the Wildlands and Orland, along with many other coastal and lake regions throughout Maine. She shares her interest in landscape interpretation in occasional classes and talks, and recently published Coastwise editions of Colby’s historic Downeast county atlases. www.mainemapmaker.com

Jennifer Riefler retired from teaching Science at Mount Desert Island in 2016. She is deeply involved in many aspects of Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust (GPMCT), with 5,000 acres in Orland and Bucksport as well as a new property on Verona Island.  Changing ecosystems and forest health are of prime importance and interest to her. 
 
Session 2, Oct. 2: Trees and Ferns of the Wildlands
In this session, we will learn about the variety of tree and fern species in the Wildlands, along the Valley Road and in a large meadow. These two habitats demonstrate the evolving landscape of the Wildlands from a cut over landscape to a forest managed for future generations, prioritizing wildlife habitat over income.

Presenters: Nick and Alice Noyes
Nick and Alice Noyes are both graduates of the Maine Master Naturalist Program and, partnering with others, have developed a series of interpretive nature signs along the Valley Road of the GPMCT Wildlands, and at Taft Point in Gouldsboro.

Session 3, Oct. 9: Mosses and Lichens
Explore the magical miniature world of mosses and lichens and learn how these pioneer species were among the first living things on earth. Our coastal climate and rocky conifer forests provide a lush environment for observing mosses and lichens. On this easy one-mile walk, we’ll find several species, discuss their growth and reproductive habits, and how to identify them based on their structure and habitat.
Presenters: Nick and Alice Noyes 
Nick and Alice Noyes are both graduates of the Maine Master Naturalist Program and, partnering with others, have developed a series of interpretive nature signs along the Valley Road of the GPMCT Wildlands, and at Taft Point in Gouldsboro.

Session 4, Oct. 16: Soil Ecosystems
Topics to be explored include soil formation and movement, soil characteristics, soil as a living ecosystem, how soil affects and is affected by plant and animal communities, and the role of soil in climate regulation.
We will drive into a gravel pit undergoing an interesting succession of plants. We will examine the soils exposed there and in a nearby streambed. Then we will drive to a meadow with a fine view of Great Pond Mountain, and look at the soils where the chestnuts are planted. The class will meet at the Wildlands South Gate (1574 Acadia Highway, Orland). There is an outhouse and a picnic table at this site. Carol Bennatti is a retired environmental science teacher who taught at George Stevens Academy. She is a founding member and current board member of Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. She serves on the Conservation Advisory and Stewardship committees and is a regular volunteer in the Wildlands.rticipants can leave by either gate. 

Presenters: Carol Bennatti and Jennifer Riefler
Carol Bennatti is a retired environmental science teacher who taught at George Stevens Academy. She is a founding member and current board member of Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. She serves on the Conservation Advisory and Stewardship committees and is a regular volunteer in the Wildlands.
Jennifer Riefler retired from teaching Science at Mount Desert Island in 2016. She is deeply involved in many aspects of Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust (GPMCT), with 5,000 acres in Orland and Bucksport as well as a new property on Verona Island.  Changing ecosystems and forest health are of prime importance and interest to her. 
 
Session 5, Oct. 23: Tending the Northern Forest: The Importance of Silviculture sustainability and stability.
This session covers both the “big picture” and “tree-level” approaches to the management of the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust’s  5,000+ acres of heavily cut-over woodland. Culminating in the demonstration and application of practices designed to allow the forest to meet biological and ownership goals, these sessions will acquaint the participants with multiple aspects of forest management leading to a better understanding of practical principles that can be applied to one’s own backyards to hundreds of acres.
Presenter: Roger Greene
Roger Greene has been a consulting forester for over 50 years, and is a specialist in forest mensuration and biometrics, silviculture, remote sensing, and forest planning. He is the author of 23 scientific publications and one book, In the Company of Trees: The Empirical Forest, 2021. He
currently manages the 5,000+ acres of The Wildlands. 
 
Wildlands Sign A                   Wildlands Sign B

Register Activity Ages Grades Days Date/Time Fees
 
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The Wildlands: Habitats from the North Gate, Orland, ME (Outdoor Course) 
N/A N/A W  09/25/2024 - 10/23/2024
01:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Great Pond Mountain, Orland, ME 		$35.00 Fee
* Adjustments and discounts will be applied during checkout if applicable. *

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