A Natural History Week at Bearnstow 2019

Held June 16–21, July 1, and September 22

Evening Lecture Presentations and Morning Nature Walks by Visiting Naturalists
Evening Lectures at the Mount Vernon Community Center (7:30 p.m.)
Morning Nature Walks at Bearnwtow (10:30 a.m.)
Download 2019 Program Flier (PDF)

Sunday, June 16, 7:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Community Center Monday, June 17, 10:30 a.m., Bearnstow on Parker Pond Nicole Rogers, Assistant Professor of Forestry, University of Maine, Fort Kent      “Maine Forests: Past, Present and Future” — Download PDF Flier Nicole Rogers, in her lecture, discussed the evolution of Maine’s forests through present day as well as the challenges and opportunities moving forward. Pictured here Nicole, right, points out a special tree identification feature on the woods walk at Bearnstow. Photo by Kei Ching Monday, June 17, 7:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Community Center Mike Retelle, Professor of Geology, Bates College      “Long term Climate History Archived in the Sediment Record of Basin Pond, Fayette, Maine”            — Download PDF Flier Mike Retelle, in his lecture,discussed his research in Basin Pond. Pictured here, his colleagues Dan Miller (in the water), Helen Habicht and Ben Keisling collect water samples using sediment traps in Basin Pond in September 2015. These water samples are analyzed to look at the productivity and biodiversity at different depths in the lake. Tuesday, June 18, 7:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Community Center Wednesday, June 19, 10:30 a.m., Bearnstow on Parker Pond Ted Elliman, Plant Ecologist, New England Wild Flower Society, Framingham, Massachusetts      “Exploring the Flora of Central Maine Forest Communities”— Download PDF Flier In his evening lecture, Ted Elliman re­viewed the vast variety of New England’s wildflowers. Pictured right: Ted on the woods walk to investsigate the variety of flora of the Bearnstow forest. Photo by Kei Ching Wednesday, June 19, 7:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Community Center Thursday, June 20, 10:30 a.m., Bearnstow on Parker Pond Eric Jones, Assistant Professor of Plant Biology, University of Maine, Machias      “Digitizing Natural History” — Download PDF Flier Eric Jones, right, demonstrates the Libraries of Life app to facinated Artist Resi­dents: Standing: Laura Miola and Lucas Rollins-Page; Seated: Kei Ching, Emily Ancona, Chino Mendoza, and Liam Shaffer. Photo by Ron Schwizer Thursday, June 20, 7:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Community Center Wednesday, August 21, 10:00 a.m., Bearnstow on Parker Pond Morten Moesswilde, Acting Field Team Leader and District Forester, Maine Forest Service      “Woodland Stewardship: Principles and Practices” — Download PDF Flier Morten Moesswilde, in his lecture, covered the duties of a District Forester in Maine. Picture here, Morten, left, leads a recent forest walk during winter. Monday, July 1, 10:30 a.m., Bearnstow on Parker Pond Alene Onion, Invertebrate Biologist, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation      “Parker Pond’s Animals Without Backbones” — Download PDF Flier Alene Onion, with the children from Day Camp, helps the group find macro-inver­tebrate critters at the camp’s beach at Bearnstow. Photo by Peter Kyle Sunday, September 22, 10:00 a.m., Bearnstow on Parker Pond Michaeline Mulvey, President of the Maine Mycological Association      “Maine Mycological Association Meeting” On Sunday, September 22, approximately 20 Maine Mycological Association mem­bers and Mount Vernon locals gathered alongside our parking lot for a meeting led by Associ­ation President Michaeline Mulvey. For about two hours the group searched the Bearnstow forest for mush­rooms and brought back over 70 different species. We have invited Michaeline to join our Natural History program, and we hope to have her lead a similar presenta­tion in the future. Local Bearnstowans attending included Melani Darrell, Carol Hedden, Lydia and Sandra Merrick, Jo Tibby, Leonid Tsvetkov, and Jim Van Abbema. Photos by Lydia Merrick Bearnstow lies on 65 acres of nearly pris­tine woodland alongside 2,400 feet of Parker Pond’s rocky shoreline. In a walk along the trails beside the lake and the brook, we can see a vast variety of vege­tation—according to one state for­ester, “more than any other site I’ve visited.” Since 1922 the property’s natu­ral envi­ronment has been carefully pro­tected, first by Colby College biology professor Web­ster Chester, and then by Bearnstow. We have a registered State of Maine “Big Tree” (an Alle­ghany service berry), trail­ing arbutus, five kinds of native ever­greens visi­ble from one vista, rein­deer moss, and lichen once used to make lav­ender dye. Parker Pond’s pure water is phenome­nal: over the years it has never failed to test safe for drinking.