President Hunter to Speak at Orono Bog Boardwalk’s Opening Ceremony
The Orono Bog Boardwalk will open for its twelfth season at 7 a.m. Thursday, July 24. A ceremony celebrating the completion of the first phase of reconstruction and the official reopening will be held at noon. University of Maine President Susan Hunter is scheduled to speak during the event.
More than 50 volunteers from campus and the community have worked more than 1,000 hours since March to replace the first 105 sections of the boardwalk, which had deteriorated through rot and insect damage during the facility’s 11 years of heavy use. The newly installed sections are constructed of composite decking with cladded aluminum siding and stainless steel footings and are expected to last many years.
The boardwalk is located in the Rolland F. Perry (Bangor) City Forest and extends through forested wetland and out onto a broad, open peat bog. Since it opened in June 2003, the boardwalk has been visited by almost 300,000 people. The boardwalk is free and open from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. seven days a week during the summer, with hours adjusting for day-length changes in the fall.
Volunteers maintain the boardwalk and provide information and education for visitors, including school and community groups. The facility is jointly managed by the Orono Land Trust, UMaine and the city of Bangor. Its operation and maintenance are funded through donations, sales of boardwalk merchandise, and grants. Phase II of the reconstruction campaign is now underway.
More information, including how to volunteer or contribute to the reconstruction and continued operation of the boardwalk is available online or by contacting Jim Bird, director of the Orono Bog Boardwalk, at jim.bird@umit.maine.edu or 207.866.2578.