On Tuesday, Nov. 17, at noon, ecologist Matt Arsenault will deliver a talk about Maine’s Wetland Plants in the Abbott Room of Belfast Free Library. The talk, which is free and open to the public, is the final installment of the Belfast Garden Club’s 2026 community education program. 

This talk will explore showy water lilies and pond lilies as well as many of the often overlooked yet intriguing and ecologically important species such as pondweeds, duckweeds, bladderworts, and milfoils. Arsenault will also highlight some of the unique adaptations and important functions of common terrestrial wetland plants, known as “emergents,” such as sweet flag, bogbean, pitcher plant, arrowhead, and cattail. He will discuss some of the conservation concerns and risks many of these species face along with opportunities to integrate native wetland plants into landscaping.

Matt Arsenault is a senior ecologist and botanist for Stantec Consulting. He is one of the four authors of the Aquatic Plants of New England Field Guide (anticipated 2026), which covers more than 200 species of aquatic plants. Based in Topsham, he also leads Stantec’s botanical survey and vegetation assessment and monitoring services for projects throughout the northeastern US.