Community Engagement

Watershed Workshops - hosted by the Friends

Unless otherwise indicated, all workshops will be held in the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed’s Community Room at 2518 US Route 202, Winthrop.

Volunteer Courtesy Boat Inspector Workshops 2025

Wednesday, May 21  –  5:00 – 6:00 pm

Wednesday, June 25 – 6:00  – 7:00 pm

Want to help protect our lakes? Join us and learn what makes a good boat inspection: what to look for, where to look for it, and how to talk to boaters about how important it is to check all watercrafts!

Aquatic Invasive Species are organisms that live in the water and are able to take over the habitat due to rapid growth and few natural checks on their expansion. With the greatest chance of new infestations resulting from “hitchhiking” plant fragments carried on boats and trailers, the CBI Program is recognized by the State of Maine as the primary prevention effort against Aquatic Invasive Species. 

Call 207-395-5239 for more information.

Volunteer for Adopt-a-Shoreline

Tuesday, May, 27 –  5:30 – 6:30 pm

Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed, 2518 US Route 202, Winthrop

Come learn how to help our lakes while enjoying your day on the water! Volunteers will learn about the Adopt a Shoreline Program, how to submit suspicious plants for identification, and if comfortable, will adopt a section of their lake to watch over throughout the season. Volunteers are essential to supplement paid survey time. Best combined with the Basic or Advanced Plant Identification Workshop.
 
Call 207-395-5239 for more information.
 
Boater Safety and Education Workshop

Saturday, June 14 – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Learn how to safely operate and maintain a boat. This workshop with introduce you to Maine boating laws and resources.

Call 207-395-5239 for more information.

Basic Plant ID Workshops 2025 

Thursday, June 5 – 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Wednesday, August 6 – 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Curious about the plants you see while on the water? Come learn the basics on how to identify native aquatic plants as well as the Aquatic Invasive Species that are present in our watershed. 

Advanced Plant ID Workshop

Wednesday, July 16 – 5:00  – 6:30 pm

For people who have already taken basic plant identification, learn to identify more aquatic invasive species that are not currently in our watershed but are either already in Maine or in neighboring states.

Call 207-395-5239 for more information.

Workshops with community partners

Maine Big Night Presentation with Greg LeClair

April 1st, 2024, 6:00 PM

Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed, 2518 US Route 202, Winthrop

Every Spring when conditions are right, amphibians begin a mass migration from their winter habitat to their breeding grounds, the Friends have partnered with the Kennebec Land Trust to adopt two 1,000ft roadway sites to monitor these critters and help them with safe passage!  Join the Friends in welcoming Maine Big Night Leader Greg LeClair for a presentation on how this project went from one salamander to a state-wide project and spawned a new nonprofit. 

Email us to register for this free event!

Lake Stewards of Maine – Live Plant ID

July 11, 2025, 1:00 – 4:00 pm 

The Ladd Recreation Center, 26 Gott Rd, Wayne, ME

Led by Lake Stewards of Maine and co-hosted by the 30 Mile River Watershed Association and Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed.  Join us for a 3-hour live plant identification course. Learn the basics of plant ID, see some native and non-native samples up close, and ask questions from our experts.

Lake Stewards of Maine – Plant Paddle

Friday, July 18, 2025  10:00 AM – 1:00 PM 

Minnnehonk Lake, Mt. Vernon, ME

Led by Lake Stewards of Maine and co-hosted by the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed Association and 30 Mile River Watershed. Join us for a 3-hour plant paddle course. Learn the basics of plant ID, explore Minnehonk Lake and its diverse plant life. Bring your own paddle craft or contact us to borrow one.

Resources

As part of our mission to educate, we appreciate reference materials. We are currently revamping our resource page to give the most up-to-date and accurate information possible. Thank you for our patience while we do this work.

Guest article – The Effects of Changing Water Levels on Myriophyllum Heterophyllum By Debbie Broderick 

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Stay in touch with the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. Receive monthly updates on our efforts and programs.

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Stay in touch with the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. Receive monthly updates on our efforts and programs.

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay in touch with the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. Receive monthly updates on our efforts and programs.