Spring Programming in the Face of COVID-19

Spring is usually such a pleasant, hopeful time. My family loves getting in the garden, watching birds, and checking in on all the new green sprouts and buds emerging each day. There are a host of BTLT programs that always feel as much like the start of spring as the crocuses and warblers – the Taking Root Plant Sale, Spring Birding Extravaganza, and Saturday Farmers Market at Crystal Spring Farm all make us know that the season has really changed.

Unfortunately, this season, as BTLT endeavors to keep our community safe in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, these programmatic harbingers of spring in many cases will not happen, and in others will have a very different feel that we are typically used to. Please read below for updates on all of your favorite BTLT spring programming.

• Taking Root Plant Sale – the sale has been cancelled for this spring, BUT we are taking this opportunity to establish a nursery of unique and heirloom perennials as a source of plans for sales for years to come. We hope that you will still consider potting up a few of your favorite perennials, and donating them to us so that we can cultivate them to share with the community over the coming years. The Plant Sale is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and your donation this year will help to support the Tom Settlemire Community Garden for years to come.
• Tom Settlemire Community Garden – the Garden was designated by the State as an Essential Business, and will be open to families who wish to grow their own food. There are still plots available if you’d like to join us! We will also continue to work with volunteers to grow the hundreds of pounds of fresh produce that we donate each year to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. We have established a set of protocols for plotholders and a new volunteer policy to keep our plotholders and volunteers safe at the Garden. One of those guidelines is that the Garden is NOT OPEN to the general public for visitation at this time. If you are interested in renting a plot for your family, or would like to volunteer, please contact garden@btlt.org.
• Spring Birding Extravaganza – Our collaborative birding outings will not be happening, at least through May. We are considering scheduling bird walks of some kind during the summer if social distancing regulations are relaxed at that time. We are also working to share virtual birding trips with you on our website and social media. We also welcome the community to share their adventures with us, we might share your short film on our YouTube channel. Please contact kate@btlt.org if you’ve got something to share.
• Saturday Farmers’ Market at Crystal Spring Farm – Farmers Markets are an essential business statewide, and we have been working diligently to assure that our market will be open to the community this spring. The Market is very likely to be hosted in an alternative location to allow for greater distancing and regulation of crowds. Watch the BTLT website and social media for updates.