BELFAST — The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition will host several outings and events in March.

Wildlife Tracking at Head of Tide Preserve, Sunday, March 5, from 10 am - noon. Ron Joseph, retired US Fish and Wildlife biologist and native of Maine, will lead a walk to search for and understand the signs and communications left by mammals and other fauna in winter.

“With 40 years of experience tracking and studying Maine’s wildlife, Joseph’s fun approach to teaching tracks and sign leaves everyone with greater knowledge and understanding after an enjoyable outing,” said BBWC, in a news release.

Meet at Head-of-Tide Preserve on the Doak Road in Belfast shortly before 10 a.m.

“The Coastal Mountains Land Trust preserve of nearly 100 acres has different habitats for different species, and should show us some interesting evidence of winter wildlife,” said the release.

For more information, call 338-1147.

Harbor Bird Watch, Saturday, March 11, from 8:30 - 10 am. Ron Harrell and Gary Gulezian will be at the Belfast Footbridge with their telescopes to observe birds in the harbor area and answer questions about them.  Bring personal binoculars and dress appropriately for the weather. 

Winter Tree Identification Walk on the Belfast Rail Trail, Saturday, March 11, from 10 a.m. - noon. The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition invites folks of all ages to learn how to identify trees by clues other than their summer foliage. Meet at 10 a.m. at the parking lot in the center of the Belfast Rail Trail (“Upper Bridge” lot) on High Street, a half mile out from the Rt. 1 overpass. Dressing in warm layers and bringing binoculars is recommended.  For more information, call 338-1147.

Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition Reading Group, March 23, from 6 - 7 p.m., in the Abbot Room at the Belfast Free Library. The BBWC Reading Group will meet and discuss the book Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains by Kerri Arsenault.

Mill Town is a combination of memoir, nonfiction, reflection, and cultural criticism. Arsenault grew up in Mexico, Maine, where for over 100 years the community orbited around a paper mill that provided jobs for nearly everyone in town, including three generations of her family. This book has won several awards, most notably the 2021 Rachel Carson Environmental Book Award. 

Belfast Free Library will help participants borrow copies of these books. Additionally, Left Bank Books in Belfast has offered a 15% discount to readers in the BBWC Reading Group. Quantities are limited. To receive the discount, readers should mention they are reading with the BBWC Book Group.

For more information about the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition, please visit: belfastbaywatershed.org