BOTANIZING WAY DOWNEAST: Botanist Merritt Lyndon Fernald and His Summer in Pembroke, Maine

The next DRHS program will take place on Tuesday, October 29 at 6:30 PM at the Lincoln Library in Dennysville, Maine. The presenter will be Kris Paprocki, the program coordinator of the Pembroke Historical Society. Part history and part natural history, Kris’s talk will focus on the life and accomplishments of Dr. Merritt Fernald, his 1909 trip Downeast, and the local flora in and around Pembroke that you can observe today.

Doris Bridges, in her memoir Growing Up Way Downeast, briefly mentions that her family hosted two botanists at their home in Pembroke during the summer of 1909. One of these scientists was none other than Merritt Lyndon Fernald, the leading authority on plants of northeastern North America during the early 20th century. Fernald was a true field botanist with a sense of adventure, which will be apparent to attendees of the program.

Kris Paprocki graduated from the Maine Master Naturalist Program in 2022. He and his wife Allison have led nature walks for local organizations such as Downeast Coastal Conservancy and the Lubec Garden Club. All are welcome to this free program.