Nature Walk + Workshop

Pine, Fir, Spruce: On Specificity

We are in the Pine Tree State. Pines helped inspire the American Revolution and European settlement of what became Maine. A white pine cone and tassel is the Maine state “flower,” and the state flag features a “pine tree.” But wait. We are also in the Country of the Pointed Firs. Most of the trees in this part of the state are actually spruce. Pine, fir, spruce – does difference matter? Writers of all genres who want to get to know and describe the world around their characters are welcome to join science communicators on a walk along Schoodic Institute campus paths. Explore the unique features and habitats of pine, fir, and spruce, and learn about iNaturalist and other resources for identifying what plants are in flower, what birds are present, and what kind of trees grow in any given place and time. As we walk, we will discuss the dignity of naming, the relevance of accuracy, and creativity of specificity.

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Catherine Schmitt is a science communication specialist at Schoodic Institute. She is the author of the forthcoming Trees of Acadia: The Past, Present, and Future of Park Forests, in addition to Historic Acadia National Park, The President’s Salmon, and A Coastal Companion: A Year in the Gulf of Maine from Cape Cod to Canada. She is a contributor to Northern Woodlands, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, and The Working Waterfront, with articles and essays published in Cold Mountain Review, Habitat, Hakai, Island Journal, Nautilus, Orion, Rivers of Ink, Terrain, Three Nations Anthology, and Waterwheel Review. She has a background in ecology and environmental science, and a Stonecoast MFA in creative nonfiction.