A midsummer stroll through the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Alicia Oberholzer
The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay feature 295 acres of diverse coastal ecosystems. Dramatic tidal shores are home to more than 300 native plant species and many exotic blooms.
Monarch butterflies, like many other important pollinators, are threatened by habitat loss associated with human development. Monarch butterflies are an indicator species. While they don’t play a direct role in human food systems, Monarch butterflies help us estimate the health of an ecosystem.
This photo was taken right outside of the Bosarge Family Education Center, a LEED Platinum certified education center designed to operate with net-zero energy use. The Education Center serves as an educational tool, teaching visitors about the relationship between conservation and sustainability.
While exotic blooms, such as this Hydrangea, are eye-catching, an abundance of exotic plants disrupts ecosystems. To promote biodiversity, the Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens cultivates native plant species.