Join Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, for a bird walk in the Gardens during the height of the spring migration. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Gardens’ grounds looking for our feathered friends. Please bring binoculars. All levels of experience are welcome.

This year, our latest friends the Giant Trolls have hidden the seeds of our most important tree species deep in our woods. These sculptures can only be found by visiting all five trolls—or joining us on this tour. Join Sarah Callan as she takes you on a walk to the secret seed sculptures, exploring the native trees our trolls are protecting along the way. Come learn about the history of these trees and their importance to our native ecosystems. Steeper hiking trails will be taken during this tour. 

The Guardians of the Seeds are here! Vanessa Nesvig, CMBG’s Interpretation & Exhibits Program Manager, will guide us through our latest installation by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, considered the world’s leading recycled-materials artist, famous for his troll sculptures. But don’t worry—none of these trolls are lurking under our bridges!

Our shoreline is an often overlooked but beautiful aspect of the Gardens.  We’ll take a close look at the wild plants adapted to daily flooding by salt water along the tidal shores of the Back River.  Melissa Cullina, Director of Botanical Research and Herbarium, will join us on this tour to give us an expert look at this habitat. Steeper hiking trails and uneven shorelines are a part of this tour.

Join Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, for a tour of the Gardens’ insect life. Our little friends are often overlooked, but their impact is often felt! Come find out which bugs are pests and which are our friends in this fascinating tour.

Our bees are always buzzing with activity, and this year is no exception. Join us this July for a tour of our new native bee exhibit. Sarah Callan, CMBG’s Interpretation & Exhibits Educator, will walk you through our apiary and native bee exhibit, exploring our local bee populations.

Have you ever seen some wild blueberries or blackberries and just had to grab a quick snack? Berries are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak when it comes to edibles to forage in our rich forests and fields. Come along with Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, on this tour as we explore lesser-known edibles that grow throughout our native habitat.

Join Horticulturlist Lesley Paxson on this tour of the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through one of our most beloved gardens while learning about its unique design and planting themes.

Nothing says autumn like apples. Ron Ross, CMBG volunteer and apple expert, will explain how to cultivate new varieties of apples, going into some detail about breeding for desirable traits. The tour will end with a bit of apple pressing—can you guess how many apples it takes to make one gallon of cider?

Join Director of Horticulture, Andy Brand, and Youth Programs Educator, Bridget VerVaet, for a morning tour before the Gardens opens to the public. Explore our wonderful bird population at the height of the spring migration season. Bring a sharp eye, but binoculars are recommended. All skill levels welcome.

Spring is such a wonderful time to enjoy the Gardens! Come join Horticulturist Courtney Locke on a tour of our early spring blooms and bulbs in the crisp spring air. Courtney will share her extensive knowledge and help get your gardens looking great for next spring!

Bring the family and join us as we walk the trails of the Gardens in search of the unique and mysterious pink lady slipper. We’ll discuss the fascinating biology and ecology of this delicate flower and talk about why the Gardens is lucky to be one of its protected homes. Participants will view these flowers’ complicated pollination process and stop to identify other wildflowers along the way.

We have been so lucky to have such beautiful flower arrangements over the years here at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Largely behind these works of art? Diane Walden-Rapalyea—and she’s ready to take us through the gardens, gather flowers, and share her tips and tricks. A live arrangement demo follows.

Have you discovered the trolls' hidden treasure yet? This tour’s journey will take us through several different forest ecosystems, giving us the opportunity to get to know each one as we travel toward discovering just what the trolls have been protecting. Learn what keeps these ecosystems healthy and how you can help protect them so that everyone may enjoy the natural world for years to come! Expect a moderate hike along some of our trails and wear the appropriate footwear.