“The Buzz On Native Plants” Film and Panel Discussion
Camden Public Library, Native Gardens of Blue Hill, and Wild Ones Midcoast Maine join together to present a film screening of The Buzz on Native Plants on Thursday, May 1, at 6:00 p.m. (SIX o’clock!) in person in the Picker Room.
The film explores the relationship between native plants and pollinators and how they can benefit local ecosystems in our ever changing climate. The goal of the film is to raise awareness about the importance of biodiverse native ecosystems in our ever changing climate. The screening will be followed by a lively panel discussion of local experts, including Cathy Rees (who appears in the film!), Dr. Roger Rittmaster, Louisa Crane, and Amy Thomas.
Visit librarycamden.org or wildonesmidcoastmaine.org to read panelist bios and learn more about this event. We hope to see you there!
All are welcome and light refreshments will be provided!
Panelist Bios
The panel of experts for the discussion following the film will include:
Cathy Rees studied environmental design and ecology and has worked in parks, forests and in the landscaping business for most of her life. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Native Gardens of Blue Hill, founded 2016, and is the Author of Winterland: Create a Beautiful Garden for Every Season. She is a featured public speaker and has written numerous newspaper and magazine articles and has contributed to radio programs and podcasts as well as the movie, The Buzz On Native Plants.
Dr. Roger Rittmaster is a retired endocrinologist and an avid nature photographer, focusing on plants, insects and underwater photography. He moved to Maine fourteen years ago to pursue his hobbies (nature photography, land conservation, woodworking and tennis). He loves to travel, especially to exotic places where he can photograph uncommon species. Shortly after moving to Maine, he authored the book, Butterflies Up Close: A Guide to Butterfly Photography. Roger is a Maine Master Naturalist, former Maine Entomological Society Vice-President, former Chair of the Camden Conservation Commission, and former Member of the Board of Coastal Mountains Land Trust.
Louisa Crane studied Environmental Studies at Wellesley College, where she worked for Wellesley’s Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative for two years following graduation. She is now a Program Development Specialist at Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District, where she helps local residents, landowners, farmers, schools, municipalities, contractors, land trusts and other land managers learn about and implement conservation practices. She enjoys sharing her excitement about native plants with others—as well as educating people about the problems caused by invasive plants. She grew up in Warren, Maine and feels lucky to be doing this work in a place with which she feels so connected.
Amy Thomas is a restoration ecologist with a Master’s in ecological restoration and native rangeland management. She’s worked on properties from a few square feet to 25,000 acres, preserving and enhancing biodiversity for wildlife. She is the Co-Founder of Wild Ones Midcoast Maine, technical advisor to the Camden Garden Club’s first native plant garden, Founder of the Camden Native Plant Sale & Celebration, and owner of Keystone Native Habitat & Landscape. Her former property has been featured on PBS TV and YouTube. She is a public speaker, and is an advisor to the Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation for island ecology. She considers it a privilege and honor to live and play in the wilds of Midcoast Maine.
This program is put on in partnership with Camden Public Library, Wild Ones Midcoast Maine, and Native Gardens of Blue Hill.
Green Home Expo Workshop in Portland
Creating Native Species Corridors: Empowering Youth Climate Leadership
– part of the Sustainable Landscape series
2:00 pm, Saturday, April 5th, 2025
Amy Thomas, Keystone Native Landscapes, Wild Ones Midcoast Maine, Camden Native Plant Sale
Amelia Tracy, Youth Climate Leadership Initiative
Join us for an engaging workshop that explores the critical role of native species corridors in restoring ecological balance and how we can create public awareness and action through the Youth Climate Leadership Initiative.
Participants will learn about the challenges of rewilding landscapes, from the unintended consequences of many commercially available seed mixes, aggressive exotic nursery plants, to the harmful use of systemic herbicides and pesticides, and introduce the Youth Climate Leadership Initiative, a program dedicated to engaging youth for climate leadership. By engaging young people to learn about the need to create native habitat and become involved in building native habitat throughout our bioregion, we can develop healthy landscapes that are prepared for the changing conditions of the climate crisis.
Providing green home builders and their clients information and a framework to make habitat landscaping an integral part of green homebuilding to offset land fragmentation which often occurs with development, home building and even renovation, ranging in scale from a few feet to thousands of acres.
More information here: https://greenmainehomes.com/show-workshops
https://greenmainehomes.com/show-2025
Film Screening at the Camden Public Library
Screening “The Buzz on Native Plants”
Thursday May 1, 2025, 6-8pm, at the Camden Public Library
“The Buzz on Native Plants” explores the relationship between native plants and pollinators and how they can benefit local ecosystems in our ever changing climate. The goal of the film is to raise awareness about the importance of biodiverse native ecosystems in our ever changing climate.”
https://www.mooseyproductions.com/films/nativeplants
Official Selection for Maryland International Film Festival 2024
Official Selection for Maine Outdoor Film Festival 2024
Panel Discussion following the Film:
–Cathy Rees, Ecologist, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Native Gardens of Blue Hill–NGBH, owner Landscaping Company, Blue Hill, ME (appears in the film).
–Amy Thomas, Restoration Ecologist, Keystone Native Habitat & Landscape, Founder Camden Native Plant Sale, Co-Founder Wild Ones Midcoast Maine
–Roger Rittmaster, MD, retired VP Maine Entomological Society, former chair Camden Conservation Commission
–Louisa Crane, Knox-Lincoln Water & Soil Conservation District, Program Development Specialist
Thank you for your contribution to the 2024 Native Plant Celebration & Sale’s Success
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine thanks all who made our 2024 Plant Sale such a wonderful and entirely successful event: Our eight well prepared, enjoyable and helpful vendors; inspiring environmental organizations; enthusiastic volunteers; speakers; plein air artist; food and coffee donors; the endlessly supportive and helpful hosts, the Camden Library staff, and most of all … to the Sale’s many happy customers who believe in our cause and showed up to purchase and make a commitment to support native plant use, establishing healthy gardens, and restoring the local ecology with the best landscape for our communities’ pollinators and native insects.
We look forward to seeing and working with you again in the Fall.
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine is an all volunteer organization committed to making native plants more available and supporting local nurseries so that we all have thriving native plants and plant conversations growing, especially in our part of Maine. We need your help to continue to offer hands on and learning opportunities.
Send a message to <[email protected]> and take part in our chapter’s future.
Native plant shopping on a glorious Fall Maine day.
Camden Native Plant Celebration & Sale –
this Sunday, September 15, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Sunday, September 15 – In partnership with the the Library, Wild Ones Midcoast Maine hosts the annual Native Plant Celebration & Sale, Camden Library Amphitheatre 9:00–1:00.
Nine area nurseries with have a wide variety of native plants, shrubs, trees, some with pre-sales, and all will have cash and carry sales.
The public is invited to the annual Camden Native Plant Sale & Celebration on Sunday, September 15, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to purchase sustainably-grown native plants from local vendors in the beautiful harborside Amphitheatre in the heart of the Midcoast! This event is presented through a partnership with Wild Ones Midcoast Maine and Camden Public Library. The event’s rain date is Sunday, September 22.
There will be shopping from local native plant nurseries, educational booths with various organizations; conversations with native plant growers, experts, gardeners, and landscapers; two speakers; music; special guest of honor Rachel Bok Goldman, and more! This is a great opportunity to learn more about native plants and incorporate them into your own garden and yard.
At 10:00 am Sharon Turner of Crystal Lake Farm & Nursery will speak on “Keystone Tree and Shrub Species to Support Bird and Wildlife Populations.”
At 11:00 a.m. will be a welcome the event’s Guest of Honor, Rachel Bok Goldman. Due to illness and in her stead, we welcome Dave Jackson who will be receiving the certificate of honor for her.
Rachel is the granddaughter of the library park’s benefactor, Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist — both women ahead of their times and champions of Maine’s beautiful native plants.
Dave is also a remarkable person touching the Camden-Rockport area in so many capacities, both elected and volunteer, including as Director of the Camden Amphitheatre and Harbor Park, managing the day-to-day operations. Dave persevered to obtain National Historic Landmark designation for the Amphitheatre and Camden Public Library in 2013.
At 12:00 p.m. noon, David Kibbe of Old Soul’s Farm Permaculture / Food Gardening will speak on “The Benefits of Using Native Pollinator Plants for Vegetable and Fruit Growing.”
Throughout the day Environmental Educator Lynn Rutter of Roots n Shoots After-School Care, will provide educational activities for children. Come and Play! Dig a hole and plant an Oak. Design your own Backyard Habitat. Sort seeds and paint wildflowers! Join a Wildflower Bingo Game – and lots more fun and meaningful activities!
Featured Artist Cassie Sano, plein air artist and children’s book author, will be painting and displaying her works featuring native plants and habitats throughout the day.
Participating native plant growers will include Rooted Elements, Rebel Hill Farm, Crystal Lake Farm & Nursery, Blue Aster Native Plants, Honey Petal Plants, Marpa Farm, 5 Star Nursery and Orchard, and Flora Maine Native Plants+Gardens.
You can buy your plants on the day-of, or ahead of time with Pre-Sales going on now. Follow their links to learn about current availability
Participating environmental organizations will include:
Megunticook Watershed Association
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Camden Garden Club
Mid-Coast Audubon
Native Gardens of Blue Hill
Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District
WOMM Nursery Tour Series Begins
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine’s visit in June to Crystal Lake Farm & Nursery in Washington exceeded our expectations and filled us with inspiration, information and was a joy seeing their work nurturing nature around them.
Sharon Turner, and her son, Eli Berry, are known to be excellent resources of plant knowledge and they were delightful hosts and generous teachers. Native plant specialities, and their efforts creating an environment nurturing to humans and plants provides an enclave that feels both cozy and protective and also expansive with possibility and hope for the future.
A trip to this native plant source is a highly recommended treat to learn about and purchase the best natives for your garden landscape.
You will also be able to purchase native plants (emphasizing trees and shrubs) from Crystal Lake Farm & Nursery at the Camden Native Plant Celebration and Sale on Sunday, September 15, one of the area native plant sources participating in this year’s sale.
Give Crystal Lake Farm a call at 207.845.2140 to make an appointment to visit.
WOMM hosted a Native Plant Swap
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2024 Plant swap! Look froward to doing it again.
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine‘s Wednesday Walks & Talks (WW&T) continued, with a ‘Plant Swap/Share’ on Wednesday, May 22, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM at Lynn Rutter’s, Roots n Shoots, 17 Spear Street, Rockport, ME
Bring all plants bare-root to avoid the exchange of jumping worms and other unwelcome visitors or disease.
Please wash or soak roots to remove all soil, and bring your plants wrapped well in wet sawdust or newspaper or in a container of water. We will also have sawdust available for you to pack items. If you are new to gardening or without a plant to share, no worries, come anyway.
Raspberries, Apple Mint, chives, goldenrod, aster, skunk cabbage are a few plants Lynn will share, along with others provided by members.
You are also invited to explore the gardens of Roots n Shoots and catch a glimpse of: Water Barrel Irrigation, Vernal Pools, Brush Piles, Composting, Gardening on Rock, Rain Gardens, Invasive Species Eradication, Native Plant ID, and Backyard Wildlife Certifications.
We look forward to lively exchanges with others interested in encouraging native Maine plants, as well as discussion about how @wildonesmidcoastmaine can best provide programming of most interest to you.
***Thank you to everyone who came to our Earth Day celebration in Rockport. It wonderful to meet other native plant healthy environment supporting folks and to share information and fun.***
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine, in partnership with Roots n Shoots Nature Base After School Program in Rockport and SEA (Stewardship Education Alliance), invite you to this celebration of the Earth on Sunday April 21, 2024.
Bring your family and friends for learning, building, celebrating, digging, feeding, hiking, scavenger hunting, playing, and more. Tell someone you know about this event!
WOMM Wednesday Walk & Talks Resume
Join WOMM for talks and walks. We will be visiting area nurseries, nature preserves, conservation districts, supporting area organizations, volunteering, clearing invasives, planting natives and always learning.
Special Sunday – WOMM participated in the first downtown Rockland Sunday Stroll, May 15 11:00-5:00 when Main Street was closed to vehicles, made pedestrian friendly for shopping, and visiting with organizations, businesses, and more.
May 22 – Wild Ones Midcoast Maine hosted a Native Seed & Plant SWAP! With extra care to prevent any unwanted critters tagging along, all plants must be supplied in bare-root form. Hose down all roots and wrap in damp newspaper or wood shavings before you come. WOMM will also provide damp wood chips/saw dust to provide plants a protected trip home. 10:30 AM-12:00
May 31 – Stewardship Education Alliance – SEA Fair 12:00-4:00, Camden-Rockport Middle School, 34 Knowlton Street, Camden. Wild Ones Midcoast Maine enjoyed participating at this free educational fair with 30 environmental organizations and agencies is an excellent annual experience.
June 5 – Native Plant Nursery visited Crystal Lake Farm & Nursery 10:30–11:30
246 Youngs Hill Road, Washington. Crystal Lake Farm & Nursery specializes in native trees and shrubs, and we learned so much about their native plants mission and efforts, and how we all can successfully integrate greater biodiversity and sustainability into our landscapes.
Additional Thursday – July 18, 2:00 PM WOMM presented an enthusiastically received workshop in collaboration with the Camden Garden Club Tour, demonstrating creative and effective container planting with natives.
Coming Soon: Thursday, September 5–Speaker Series at Camden Library with Amy Thomas teaching about “Ecological Principles to Create Aesthetically Beautiful Wildlife Habitat Using Native Plants – No Matter Your Garden Size“. This presentation is geared to any size yard or property, urban or rural. 6:30-7:30 PM
More information below.
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine Speaker series continues on September 5, 2024
WOMM Speaker Series continues in the Fall. Educate yourself about your best garden choices for the Wild Ones Midcoast Maine Native Plants Sale at Camden Public Library on Thursday September 15, 2024, Amy Thomas will present on Thursday, September 5, in collaboration with the regular Library series.
Amy Thomas, WOMM Program Chair, MSW, MNRD, will present “Ecological Principles to Create Aesthetically Beautiful Wildlife Habitat Using Native Plants – No Matter Your Garden Size“. This presentation is geared to any size yard or property, urban or rural.
We’ll begin with a brief overview of the ecological and environmental benefits and importance of using native plants in landscapes and gardens.
We’ll explore the differences between “cultivars,” “nativars” and “true native” plants, and each of their possible potential impacts on pollinators and wildlife.
Next we’ll enjoy a list of side-by-side photo comparisons of “Plant This, Not That,” identifying some basic alternative native species which make transitioning portions of your garden to natives easy. The native species in this section have been selected for their similar visual characteristics, bloom time and foliage shapes of often seen cultivars, but possess pollinator and wildlife enhancing qualities that cultivars lack.
We will also discuss local nursery sources for safely grown native plants, and have some time for Q&A.
Learn how we can improve our landscapes and gardens, encouraging native plants and pollinators. Get to know about more natives, so you can plan and be prepared for your purchases at the annual Camden Native Plant Celebration & Sale, Sunday, September 15, in the library’s amphitheatre.
Wild Ones Midcoast Maine chapter’s
Camden Native Plant Celebration & Sale
returns Sunday, September 15, 2024.
Please consider a volunteer position with our chapter or for any event.
Send a message: <[email protected]>
Pictured: Black Eyed Susan (rudbekia hirta) image by Lisa Looke, Wild Seed Project
Please Join Us for the Annual Camden Native Plant Celebration & Sale,
September 14, 2025
About Us
We are a native plant gardening and natural landscaping group based in Camden and serving Midcoast Maine.
We promote environmentally friendly, sound landscaping to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities in Midcoast Maine.
Thank You To Our Partners
