For the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden’s Rachel Carson exhibit, there are books signed by the author and naturalist.

There are tattered and dog-eared copies of Carson’s opus “Silent Spring,” lined up next to new copies.

In a glass case, there is Carson’s camera, complete with her arsenal of lenses.

But the things she left behind that resonate the most are outside the exhibit, Director of Education and Staff Botanist Melissa Cullina said.

“I think we have our song-filled springs,” she said. “We see ospreys and eagles very regularly along the river shore we have frontage. We see very tangible results of (Carson's book) 'Silent Spring' here with our raptor and bird populations we have here in the gardens.”

Beginning on September 7, and running until October 23, the Rachel Carson Exhibit at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens bookends the garden’s summer-long theme of “Feathers and Foliage: Celebrating Bird and Plant Interactions.”

Carson (1907-1964) was a conservationist, author and pioneer in raising awareness about society’s impact on wildlife. In 1962, the seasonal Boothbay Region resident published “Silent Spring” which chronicled how the widespread use of pesticides, such as DDT, was negatively affecting local bird populations. Although “Silent Spring” was not the first mention of DDT’s negative effects, it is often cited as the reason DDT was banned 10 years later in U.S.

Cullina said the theme was borne from Carson’s relation to the area and the 50th anniversary of “Silent Spring.”

“It’s important to communicate to a new generation... that (Rachel Carson) lived and did research here in our backyard.”

“I would say the inspiration began with knowing the connection Rachel Carson had to this area,” she said. “And, we happen to be celebrating bird life in 2012 – our educational theme this year is called ‘Feathers and Foliage.’”

From there, the connection became clear and the Botanical Gardens would feature the naturalist and seasonal resident of the Boothbay Region.

“It was the 50th anniversary of ‘Silent Spring’ and we thought ‘This is the perfect year to delve a little deeper and do some real interpretation for our visitors,” Cullina said. “We decided we would feature Rachel Carson, the importance of 'Silent Spring' and, of course, her legacy and a special focus on her connection to Boothbay and the area.

“It certainly did influence our decision to study birds this year,” she said. “We could have just as easily picked another theme and done birds another year, but, because this is the 50th anniversary of 'Silent Spring' it did seem to make the most sense.”

Cullina said the gardens were able to find partners who were able to add something to the display – the Maine Audubon Society added a placard titled detailing “Silent Spring’s” effect on local raptor populations. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge added another panel titled “Lasting Legacy,” the Boothbay Regional Land Trust contributed with a map of the protected lands around Boothbay and Southport. Hendrick’s Hill Museum, Southport Island Association, several private donors and Southport Memorial Library also contributed to the display with materials, books and artifacts from Carson’s life in Maine.

But, the display, which on September 12 featured a showing of a PBS documentary of Carson and “Silent Spring,” was just one part of the garden’s efforts to highlight Carson. Cullina said the gardens was able to incorporate birds into several different projects through the summer and fall.

“Part of our bird year has been to inventory the birds in our garden,” she said. “So, we’ve had numerous bird walks, and the author of the Maine Birding Trail was here to help document the birds we have.”

As much as Carson was known for her writing and research, she was also known for raising awareness – something Cullina said has been apparent since the exhibit opened.

“I think (the exhibit) has rekindled interest in Carson and her work,” she said. “Numerous people have said they’ve gone back and dug out their old copy of ‘Silent Spring’ and ‘The Sea Around Us.’”

Cullina said that while people reintroducing themselves to Carson’s work has been a positive outcome of the exhibit, reaching a new audience was even more vital.

“It’s important to communicate to a new generation of local kids that this very important conservationist lived and did research here in our backyard,” she said. “We’ve developed a tour for pre-kindergarten through sixth-graders called ‘A Sense of Wonder’ tour.”

The tour, which is based from Carson’s posthumous 1965 book of the same name, has featured nature walks through the gardens in the search for birds.

“We want to encourage them to experience their own sense of wonder about nature,” Cullina said, adding that the tours will continue through October.

More on Rachel Carson:

Reflections on Rachel
The right woman at the right time