CAMDEN — 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 p.m., 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 film will be followed by a panel discussion of local experts, including Cathy Rees, who appears in the movie. Light refreshments will be provided.

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. Rittmaster 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 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.