Join Deb at the Green Home + Energy Show as she leads a workshop on how to cultivate wildlife habitat in your garden, yardscape, and beyond!

The show is put on by Green & Healthy Maine Homes on Saturday, April 6th from 9am to 4pm.

Deb will discuss Landscaping for Wildlife followed by a Q&A session starting at 12pm in room 305.

See the workshop schedule here.

Tickets are required.

Advance: $10

Day of Event: $15

Kids under 18 and Students with valid student ID are free.

Join Ecologist Deborah Perkins from First Light Wildlife Habitats for a presentation on native planting and landscaping practices to promote biodiversity and protect water quality. Deb will also cover how to build bird and pollinator habitats and will present eco-friendly and low maintenance lawn alternatives. 

We ALL live in a watershed and it is important to recognize that the work you do in your yards and gardens can have a positive impact on the entire local ecosystem!

Join us at St Mary’s Nutrition Center for snacks and refreshments and information about sign-ups for community garden plots.

This event is a promotion for AVSWCD’s new program – the Conservation Landscape Certification program-- a free checklist available to help landowners improve their properties for wildlife and pollinator habitat, water and soil quality and overall ecosystem support.  If you’d like to learn more about the program click here.

After the workshop, stick around to ask questions, talk with staff, peruse helpful resources, and grab some free garden goodies!  We’ll have seeds, gardening books, seed kits, garden tools, and an opportunity to win a free rain barrel!  Snacks and refreshments provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

This event is funded by a grant from the Davis Foundation.

Deb inspires the love of winter ecology in the budding naturalists at Kidz Go Eco as they identified signs of squirrels and birds in the forest habitats around their nature school. Deb also shared her cast of a coastal Alaskan Brown Bear’s track from her field studies in Katmai National Park in 1998.

Come learn more about bear behavior, biology, and challenges to conservation and management. Deb will present a slide show of her experiences studying Maine black bears, and briefly talk about her work on black bears in New Mexico and Tennessee, and grizzlies in Yellowstone and Alaska.

For more information see the Old Bristol Garden Club’s Facebook Page.

Join us for a short but informative presentation followed by an interactive forest walk, with a focus on invasive plant identification and methods for removal. Groups of participants will then apply their collective knowledge to a focal area of the grounds. This community work will release native plants and allow them to flourish for the future! Participants will have the chance to try out a weed wrench and other tools as well.

We'll end the workshop with a small, celebratory bonfire (weather permitting).

Come learn from one another to protect biodiversity - at Tear Cap, and on any piece of land you care for.

Cost: $20

To register, and FMI, visit Tear Cap’s website.

Rain date of November 12th, same time.

This Landscaping for Wildlife class is an excellent opportunity to learn about ways you can create inviting habitats for local wildlife. Through this class, participants will learn ways to design and maintain their land to benefit a variety of native species - birds, mammals, butterflies, bees, and more. This class is for anyone who cares for a piece of land, at any scale (gardens, backyards, and beyond).

Join us and learn how to promote native plant communities, healthy food webs, and thriving habitats for wildlife. Overall, the Landscaping for Wildlife class is an ideal way to develop a deeper connection to your local wildlife and how you can build better habitats at home.  

This 2-hour class will include a short informative presentation followed by an engaging in-depth walk around the Arboretum to further discuss and demonstrate the principles of landscaping for wildlife. 

Cost: $35

Registration is required.

See Viles event page for more information and to register.

Join Friends of Haystack Mountain for a 90-minute guided walk.

If you have driven west of Rt 3 from Belfast to Lake Saint George, you have probably noticed the blueberry barren on Haystack Mtn that pokes up into the sky out of a thickly wooded landscape. In early 2022 seven individuals formed Friends of Haystack Mountain to acquire and preserve the 57-acre property on iconic Haystack Mountain in Montville for conservation, multi-use recreation and to maintain historic blueberry fields for community use. Learn more on their website here.

Deb will acquaint you with some of the resident species that make Haystack their home and talk about what they need to thrive.

Registration is required.

Meet at the Haystack Mountain Road Trailhead in Montville, opposite Liberty Line Farm Gardens and one-half mile south of Rte 3.

For more information and to register contact Buck O’Herin at boherin1954@gmail.com.

Come learn from Deb about how you can protect Casco Bay and enhance local biodiversity through simple landscaping practices.

This event is one of several being held in homes in Cumberland. All neighbors are welcome.

The event is hosted by the Town of Cumberland Lands & Conservation Commission's Sustainability Subcommittee as part of their Lawns Gone Wild Series, with the support of a grant from the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership.

Neighbors are invited to meet and hear practical advice from local experts in sustainable gardening practices.

Location: Wildwood/Coveside neighborhoods in Cumberland Foreside.

Please bring your own blanket or chair.

RAIN DATE MAY 14 11:00-12:00

Join us for a midday walk and learn at the farm during the most wonderful times of the year the KING BLOOM. Over 900 apple trees in Full Bloom with white and pink flowers is nothing to be missed.

Come learn about the native bees, see them in action during the bloom and enjoy a walk, learn, and afternoon cup of tea afterwards. Please sign up so we have a head count. Donations are accepted at the event towards ongoing efforts to grow pollinator habitats throughout the farm and conserve bee populations. No bees no food.

RSVP to gatheringwindsfarm@gmail.com so we have an approximate head count.

Learn about native planting and landscaping practices to promote biodiversity and protect the long-term water quality of the Vaughan Brook watershed. Deb will also cover how to build bird and pollinator habitats, and will present eco-friendly and low maintenance lawn alternatives as well.

This event is brought to you by the Hallowell Conservation Committee, Grow Green & Healthy Hallowell, & Hallowell Climate Action.

Gain a deeper understanding of what biodiversity really means - in the ecological context of your garden, backyard, and beyond. Learn how to protect and improve biodiversity for a more resilient landscape in the face of climate change and other environmental stressors. Discover ways to “intelligently tinker” in your own landscape to meaningfully help struggling wildlife populations like native bees and songbirds.

https://www.mclaughlingarden.org/

Deb inspired the love of winter ecology in the Upper Elementary students of Kennebec Montessori as they identified signs of squirrels, turkeys, deer, and even bobcat in the forest and streamside habitats behind their school.

Join us at the Second Congregational Church in Newcastle for the Old Bristol Garden Club’s monthly meeting to learn about the fascinating native bees we have in Maine - their ecology, their behavior, and how we can help declining wild bees in our gardens and beyond. 

For more information see the Old Bristol Garden Club’s Facebook Page.

Join us at the Second Congregational Church in Newcastle for the Old Bristol Garden Club’s monthly meeting. Landscaping for Wildlife will be a presentation centered around how to adapt a flower garden for benefit of wildlife. Topics will include pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; backyard bird habitats; and building native plant communities that support an array of species and promote biodiversity.

For more information see the Old Bristol Garden Club’s Facebook Page.

Habitat loss is the primary cause of declining wildlife populations, and learning how vital native plants are to wildlife and how much our landscape choices matter is one of the most vital steps we can take to divert such loss. This interactive course combines lecture and field-study work to teach students how incorporating select native plants and mechanical practices into their own landscapes can create a welcoming habitat that attracts wildlife, conserves natural resources, and encourages biodiversity.

Cost: $65 – $80

For more information visit Coastal Maine’s event page.

Sign up here.

Please note this class requires participants to show proof of having received all eligible Covid-19 vaccinations, as recommended for their age by the CDC, in order to participate. Because of the dynamic nature of this situation, we ask that you agree to abide by potential future changes in CMBG’s Covid-19 policy designed to address evolving public health recommendations.

Join us at this iconic Maine destination where the arts and ecology collide to experience Vivaldi’s iconic The Four Seasons alongside the U.S. premiere of The [uncertain] Four Seasons, a recomposition that reflects climate predictions for 2050.

Deb will lead a guided ecology walk as part of the event.

The Four Seasons concert features the Portland Bach Experience orchestra, dancers from Ballet Bloom Project, and poet Kerem Durdag.

Organized by Classical Uprising.

Tickets available online from the Desert of Maine.

Deb is delighted to present an afternoon seminar and guided walk at Tear Cap Workshops.  This educational event will feature a short indoor seminar session, followed by a guided walk through a small forested area.

This event is ideal for anyone with an interest in local ecology. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the plants and animals that dwell in our forest and woodland edges, and highlights will include clear action steps to enhance biodiversity on your own property. We'll be taking a special look at the role of invasive plant species, as well.

There is a registration fee of $10 per person to help defray program costs. Space is limited to ensure a quality workshop experience, and Covid-19 vaccination is required to participate. To register email info@tearcapworkshops.org, call 207-625-3396, or register online.

Join us at Schoodic Institute for a free Tuesday evening lecture. Landscaping for Wildlife will be a presentation centered around how to cultivate a wildlife habitat in your garden, backyard, and beyond. Topics will include pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; backyard bird habitats; and building native plant communities that support an array of species and promote biodiversity.

Please note that space is limited for the in person option to allow for social distancing and registration is required for in-person and online attendance. Masks and being fully vaccinated are required. To register visit Schoodic Institute’s event page.

Come learn more about bear behavior, biology, and challenges to bear conservation and management. Deb will present a slide show of her experiences studying Maine black bears, and briefly talk about her work on black bears in New Mexico and Tennessee, and grizzlies in Yellowstone and Alaska.

Event taking place at the Wilkins House at 19 Plummer Hill Road in Waterford, Maine.

Learn about the observation, identification and ecology of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Deb will explain their habitat needs, environmental stressors, and how you can create a high value habitat on your property.

Join us for a 45 minute presentation followed by a walk to highlight the topics discussed.

Pre-register for this event by emailing kristenmurf@gmail.com.

Sponsored by the Dover Open Lands Committee at Riverside Gardens

Join Deb at the Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation District’s Yankee Woodlot for a walk in the forest. You will walk away with clear action steps you can implement right away to enhance biodiversity on your property and in your community, with a special look at the role of native pollinators.

There is a registration fee of $10 per person to help defray program costs. Space is limited to ensure a quality workshop experience for all participants. To reserve your space or for more information about this event, please email Jennifer or phone 207-474-8323.

Presented in partnership with the Forest Stewards Guild, Upper Kennebec Valley Chapter of Maine Woodland Owners, Maine Forest Service and Somerset County Cooperative Extension.

Visit Somerset SWCD Events page for more details

Boost the biodiversity of your lake property and protect our watershed values!

Deb will guide our group on a walk along the shoreline, and yard, of a lakefront property and cover the following topics in an interactive style:

• native plantings and landscaping practices that promote biodiversity and protect water quality

• how to build bird and pollinator habitat at home

• eco-friendly and low maintenance lawn alternatives

Event will take place at a private lakefront property in Waterford. Please contact the Waterford Public Library for more information and registration details.

Gain a deeper understanding of what biodiversity really means - in the ecological context of your garden, backyard, and beyond. Learn how to protect and improve biodiversity for a more resilient landscape in the face of climate change and other environmental stressors. Discover ways to “intelligently tinker” in your own landscape to meaningfully help struggling wildlife populations like native bees and songbirds.

Deb leads a group of preschool children on a wonderful wander through the winter world as we search for animal tracks. What story do they tell? When we follow the tracks what do we learn? Where do deer and foxes cross the stream and what are they searching for?

Session 3 of a year-long series of monthly conversations (Climate Conversations) hosted by Waterford Congregational Church UCC. Nearly 50 hardy souls braved the stormy roads to hear from the panelists: Colin Holme of Lakes Environmental Association, Scott Vlaun of Center for an Ecology-Based Economy, and Deborah Perkins of First Light Wildlife Habitats.

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Presenter for NOFA Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Building a Sustainable Design Plan with your Client

• Developing a questionnaire for initial site and consultation visits with new client.

• Evaluate criteria at the site; topography, existing vegetation, habitat inventory, soils etc. and how that affects design decisions.

• Identify realistic goals or opportunities where cultural lifestyles can coordinate and interact with ecological processes. How is the land able to provide sustenance for both people and nature?

• Discussion on zones of property relating to sustainable approach, such as where to spend the energy and money and how much of it with timeline considerations.

This event was hosted by the Lakes Environmental Association and described as follows:

Join us in welcoming back Deborah Perkins from First Light Wildlife Habitats for a presentation on digging into the roots of biodiversity across the landscape, specifically focused on your lake property. She will discuss native plantings and landscaping practices that promote biodiversity and protect water quality, help us boost bird and pollinator habitat, and discuss lawn maintenance and alternatives that are eco-friendly. You can build biodiversity and help keep the watershed healthy, along with having a beautiful shore front! Don’t live on the lake? No worries! Deb is amazing at fielding questions and concerns regarding your space, and you won’t be disappointed! We love having Deb come speak, she is engaging and informative! She will “lead you to better understand the natural world, through the eyes of a wildlife ecologist.”

Deb will present all about pollinators and pollination to the 4th grade classes as part of a multi-class art integration program with Side X Side.

Side x Side ignites academic excellence in education through comprehensive arts integration, bringing critical thinking, creativity, and innovation into the classroom through arts-based programs.