It was a very busy year! While building a forestry center was a massive  undertaking for the BCFC in 2018, there was still much more work to accomplish.            

                                                                                          BUTLER HEAD  

As readers will remember, Butler Head Preserve was severely damaged by the October 2017 windstorm. The storm not only wiped out hundreds of mature trees, but also left a swath of debris and erased years of hard work the Committee had spent developing hiking trails.  Thanks to two generous grants from the Merrymeeting Bay Trust, the BCFC hired Hawkes Tree Service to cut and  remove the downed trees, especially on the Bay side of the Preserve, as well as clear many of the trails and mitigate hazardous tree situations. It will take many years for the forest to recuperate, but the trails are      passable and, above all, safe.   Students from Bowdoin College attended work days to build bog bridges and continue the storm cleanup effort at Butler Head and Chewonki Volunteer Day  generated more students to remove invasive plants above the open field along Bufflehead and Pintail trails.     Sitelines completed a boundary  survey of  Butler Head Preserve by pinning  previously questionable boundary lines. The survey established these boundary lines to avoid any future land disputes adjacent to the Preserve. The BCFC is gradually acquiring property that goes up for sale to enlarge the Preserve, most recently along Whistler Trail.                        

                                                                                           WORKSHOPS  

Throughout the year various workshops were conducted by the BCFC and the City Arborist, Kyle Rosenberg. Topics    covered winter tree identification, invasive plant identification and removal, winter moth tree protection and brown tail moth damage. If you would like to express a specific  interest in a workshop, contact Kyle  Rosenberg at krosenberg@cityofbath.com.  All workshops are listed on the BCFC’s  Facebook page, the Forestry Division website.                                                                                             AWARDS & EVENTS  

The State of Maine’s Tree City USA awards event was hosted by Bath in May 2018 bringing 50+ people to City Hall. Maine awarded the Frank Knight Excellence in  Forestry Award to Geraldine Coombs, posthumously, for her contributions to the City’s trees, forests and parks since 1992.    The BCFC awarded Marie and  Stephen Perry the Residential Landscape Award and Wayne Robbins Woodcarving Studio the Business Landscape Award. Both properties were exceptional in landscaping and preservation of old trees!  During 2019 the BCFC and Bath’s Forestry Division will be offering various events and workshops. Watch for announcements on our Facebook Page.