Deb’s favorite garden club is hosting The Personal Ecologist for a 5th time (!) to debut her newest speaking program: Nocturnal by Nature. Learn how you can help wild creatures of the dark with simple habitat practices at home.

This event is open to the public - you do not need to be a garden club member to attend.

Wait until you hear the club recite their “gardener’s welcome” - it’s so special and aligned with First Light’s mission.

For more information on the venue and wonderful hosting organization see the Old Bristol Garden Club’s Facebook Page.

Deb joins the Longfellow Garden Club to discuss ways to create inviting habitats for local wildlife. Members will learn ways to design and maintain their gardens to benefit a variety of native species - birds, mammals, butterflies, bees, and more.

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

Join Deb in lush and beautiful Waldo County for a guided ecology walk on the wooded trails and varied habitats near the Searsmont Town Library.

Deb will guide you to see the forest and wetland habitats through the eyes of an ecologist - while cultivating a sense of wonder, deep curiosity, and reverence for the natural world.

You will walk away with a deeper understanding of the fascinating ways that plants and animals interact, and how communities and individuals can more thoughtfully steward any patch of land for habitat quality, biodiversity, and resilience.

Registration is required. Register here. Please arrive 15 minutes early.

For more information, see their website here.

Deb connects with the Maine Audubon community to debut her new program on how to enhance these unique habitats for birds, pollinators, and overall biodiversity.

Learn why wooded edges are particularly valuable, yet highly vulnerable to invasive plant growth and biodiversity loss.

Deb will explain why this habitat type is an overlooked opportunity that deserves deep attention and stewardship.

Learn how to boost biodiversity just beyond the yard/farm/field - no matter how small or insignificant your edge might seem, or how large and overwhelming it feels.

Be inspired to apply simple landscaping practices and observation skills to benefit wildlife along any wooded edge.

This event includes both an interactive guided experience outdoors, as well as in indoor presentation (in that order).

Wear weather-appropriate clothes and footwear for the terrain and habitats of Gilsland Farm Audubon Center.

Register for this program with Maine Audubon here.

Join Deb as she leads a walking exploration of a special 5-acre parcel in Manchester, Maine. Learn about habitat conservation and restoration practices that support wildlife with a group of like-minded land stewards and ecological enthusiasts!

Exact address details will be shared with ticket holders (it's free to get a ticket). Get yours here.

Our Rain Date is Sunday, 24th August at 9:30 AM. Wear weather-appropriate gear that allows for walking in tall, sometimes prickly brush, as well as up and down steep slopes.

Questions? Send them to Eowyn (our event host, and the parcel’s steward) at iameowyn@pm.me

Join Deb and the Scarborough Land Trust on a Guided Pollinator Walk around Broadturn Farm.

Meet the native pollinators in their habitat. Observe, identify, and understand these fascinating insects on the farm, in the fields, and along wooded edges. Marvel at these great species at work with The Personal Ecologist as your guide.

Learn the ecological and anthropogenic importance of pollinators, as well as what habitats they prefer.

Rain date of August 10th

Join Deb at the Green Home + Energy Show as she leads a workshop on how to build native plant communities that support an array of species and promote biodiversity in your home habitat! The show is put on by Green & Healthy Maine Homes on Saturday, April 5th from 9am to 4pm. Deb’s presentation begins at 10 am and will be followed by a Q&A session.

See the workshop schedule here.

Tickets are required. Advance: $12 Day of Event: $15. Kids under 18 and students with valid student ID are free.

Increasing development is degrading and disconnecting the landscape and habitat around us. Hear from a panel of biologists about wildlife, what is causing the reduction in habitat, what can be done to enhance and diversify the landscape, and share resources and opportunities to create habitat at any scale. 

Panelists:  Deb Perkins, First Light Wildlife Habitats; Dave King, Northern Research Station; Debra Marnich, Chocorua Lake Conservancy; Jessie Dubuque, White Mountain National Forest; Nels Liljedahl, Natural Resource Conservation Service.

This panel is hosted by Sense of Place, a collective of partners whose mission is to connect the public to their natural resources through place based community forums and outdoor field experiences.

For more information, see their events page here.

In this speaking program Deb will discuss what ecologically “out-of-place plants” are, and how their displacement may cause harm to the natural world. Which ones are okay to have in our gardens, and why?

Deb will delve into the terminology of “invasive” and “native” as it relates to ecological plant communities. You will learn how words matter and how we can collectively use better language that is specific, accurate and helpful around plants.

Learn how we can heal habitat, restore natural plant communities and build wildlife habitat and biodiversity - one plant at a time.

For more information on the venue and wonderful hosting organization see the Old Bristol Garden Club’s Facebook Page.

Join Deb at Tear Cap Workshops for an engaging presentation on 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.

After the presentation, you will walk on property trails with Deb as your black bear habitat and forest biodiversity guide.

$25 per person.

Register here.

Deb was invited to lead an ecology walk for the participants of the inaugural BIPOC Wildlife Tracking Workshop and Certification weekend at the Desert of Maine.

It was an honor to share, connect, and interact with each other around the fascinating “Ecology at the Edge” - based on her Desert of Maine guidebook of the same name.

Deb was deeply grateful for the opportunity to share her passion for this special place, and to learn from the group and event organizers.

Learn more about the tracker certification here.

Deb joins Poet Laureate Julia Bouwsma at the Center for Arts & Ecology’s first Woven from Land & Lineage creative writing series at the Desert of Maine’s farmhouse.

Deb will begin the workshop with a 30 - 45 minute guided nature walk through the Desert of Maine’s unique landscape.

Participants will draw inspiration from the Desert’s history and ecology, and various poets such as Craig Santos Perez, Erika Meitner, Franny Choi, Jake Skeets, and Danez Smith.

The workshop will encourage participants to consider and experiment with various approaches to writing the natural world and, our relationship to it, in an increasingly uncertain future.

Cost: $30

Visit the Center for Arts & Ecology’s program page for more details.

Register here.

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 critical steps we can take to divert such loss. Combined with a short online lecture followed by an interactive workshop and field study at the Gardens, students will learn how and what to manage in the landscape and how to incorporate certain native plants to create welcoming habitats that attract wildlife, conserve natural resources, and encourage biodiversity. 

Cost: $62 – $75

For more information visit Coastal Maine Botanical Garden’s class page.

Sign up here.

This program will be in keeping with the Hallowell Landcare Management Ordinance and the Hallowell 10-Year Comprehensive Plan.

Many families want healthy eco-friendly yards with open grassy areas for their children and pets to play on. This program will offer practical tips and ideas for creating and maintaining an attractive, sustainable, chemical-free yard that supports pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. 

In this engaging and informative program The Personal Ecologist will cover: 

• How to reimagine and renovate our yards for wildlife and human health

• A few of the best lawn alternatives for different soil and sun exposures

• How to thoughtfully approach the problem of so-called “weeds” 

• Tick habitat and how to manage risk and exposure

• How to detect, monitor, and manage invasive plants and how to restore infested areas with native plantings

• Sourcing plants, nativars, cultivars, and more.

The presentation will be held in the City Hall Auditorium.

Join Deb for this interactive workshop at Apple Creek Farm in Bowdoinham in partnership with Androscoggin Soil and Water Conservation District, and Apple Creek’s farmers Abby Sadauckas and Jake Galle.

Deb will guide workshop participants through the observation, ecology, and behavior of our native bees. She will also discuss habitat needs and environmental stressors, as well as what you can do to create high value habitat in your own dooryard, farm, field, or forestland. Following a short indoor presentation, we will be exploring the habitats of Apple Creek Farm in search of bees and opportunities to discuss the concepts in the field.

Please bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, and a magnifying glass if you have one. The field portion of this event may not be suitable for those with difficulty navigating rough terrain. If this is the case, please feel free to join us for just the classroom portion of this workshop.

Registrations are requested, but not required.

Please click here to register.

Join Deb at Maine Audubon’s 2024 Native Plants Festival & Sale on Saturday, June 8th.

The event runs from 9am to 3pm, with an amazing selection of plants for sale!

At 1:00 pm, Deb will be presenting Intelligent Tinkering: Boosting Biodiversity at Home. Come 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.

This event is free to attend.

Click here for more information.

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.