Bog boardwalk to open Monday Orono attraction’s popularity growing

ORONO – The Orono Bog Boardwalk will begin its fourth season Monday, May 1. The boardwalk begins in the Bangor City Forest, at the end of Tripp Drive off Stillwater Avenue. It is a quarter-mile walk from the parking lot to the entrance, and a mile around the boardwalk.

The boardwalk crosses the Bangor town line onto University of Maine property in Orono. The boardwalk and the access trail from Tripp Drive parking lot are wheelchair-accessible, and benches are provided at least every 200 feet along the way.

Arrangements can be made to park close to the boardwalk entrance. Visit the Web site at www.oronobogwalk.org for more information.

Since its opening in 2003, the number of visits to the boardwalk has grown from 14,000 in 2003 to 21,000 in 2004 to 27,000 in 2005 – and all indications are that the popularity of the facility will continue.

In 2005, people from at least 57 Maine towns, 44 other states and 15 foreign countries visited.

The boardwalk is intended for public education about wetlands, and for quiet outdoor recreation. Visitors frequently comment on the beauty and peacefulness of the environment around the walkway. Signs placed at each of seven “interpretive stations” give information about the plants, animals and ecology of the surrounding environment.

Access to the boardwalk is free. It is managed by a director and representatives of the Orono Land Trust, the University of Maine and the city of Bangor. These organizations, however, make no appropriation of funds to operate the facility. Instead, the boardwalk is supported entirely by donations from private individuals and organizations.

The boardwalk and its programs are staffed entirely by volunteers, except for one student intern. Each season some 50 volunteers help to greet visitors and inform them about the natural history and ecology of the bog. Volunteers also make repairs, paint railings, clip back vegetation and do many other tasks to keep the boardwalk safe for the public. To become a boardwalk maintenance volunteer, contact Jim Bird at jim.bird@umit.maine.edu or 866-2578.

In 2005, more than 100 groups took outings or field trips to the boardwalk. These included scouts, elementary, high school and university classes, garden clubs, senior citizen organizations and many others. On request, the boardwalk provides groups with well-informed guides when they are available.

To ensure availability of a guide for your group, make arrangements at least four weeks in advance. Contact information for the guided tour program can be obtained from the Web site.

In addition, a series of nature walks on subjects ranging from wetland birds, bog ecology and stargazing to topics of special interest to children are offered. These walks are nontechnical, guided by well-informed leaders and intended for the general public.

The boardwalk will have training sessions for volunteer guides and docents April 29-30. Those wishing to volunteer as a guide or docent should contact Ron Davis at ronald.davis@umit.maine.edu or 866-4786. Given the popularity of the boardwalk’s programs, it is badly in need of additional volunteers in these roles. When guides are not available, the boardwalk is unable to accommodate the many school classes and other groups that request its services.

To support boardwalk maintenance and programs, make your check out to the University of Maine Foundation and mail to Orono Bog Boardwalk, University of Maine Foundation, 2 Alumni Place, Orono ME 04469.

To sponsor one or more of the 509 8-foot-long sections that make up the walkway, or to obtain other information about the boardwalk, contact the director, John Daigle, at john.daigle@umit.maine.edu or 581-2850.