"The wildlife in the Boothbay Region is truly special – we have great diversity of beautiful creatures that have adapted to living where the land meets the sea,” said Tracey Hall, environmental educator for Boothbay Region Land Trust (BBRLT). The trust provides public access to natural habitats through its conservation programs including 20 preserves, over 30 miles of trails, and 100 free educational events designed to connect people of all ages to the land. Trail maps, scheduled speakers, and a calendar of events can be found at BBRLT.org

Ovens Mouth Preserve, 146 acres and BBRLT’s most extensive trail system, and Lobster Cove Meadow, 46 acres of wetlands and forested uplands ranked first and second by hiker at AllTrails receiving nearly 1,000 favorable reviews. Oak Point Farm, BBRLT’s headquarters, offers an accessible trail suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, surrounding a freshwater pond teeming with wildlife.

Whale watching and pelagic sea bird boat tours leave from our harbor. Expect to see harbor seals, terns, cormorants, and lighthouses. Eastern Egg Rock Island offers puffin viewing at limited times of the year, and day trips to Monhegan Island offers 12 miles of hiking trails, rare wildflowers, stunning overlooks, and occasional great white shark sightings. Late summer, Monhegan Island hosts monarch butterflies on their annual migration. Wildlife photographers shouldn’t miss the sunrise photography cruise offered by Balmy Days. (207-633-2284, balmydayscruises.com)

The Boothbay peninsula is home to 52 of Maine’s 58 land mammals and hundreds of birds. Salamanders, red squirrels, and otters busy themselves in the day, while porcupines, owls, flying squirrels and fisher cats rule the nights. Sounds of bullfrogs and turkeys serenade white-tailed deer at dawn and dusk. From the foxes of East Boothbay to the Southport Bridge osprey, wildlife abounds.