Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) is asking the community to help plant the seeds for its future. President and CEO Gretchen Ostherr unveiled plans for a 35,000 square foot glasshouse/conservatory, revamped butterfly and insect house, and Wabanaki garden during a packed public forum at CMBG’s Bosarge Family Education Center March 4.

The goal was to receive and integrate public feedback while the project is still in its early design phase. Several more community meetings will be hosted in the coming months.  

Unlike CMBG’s ongoing construction of the Edward and Gwendolyn Asplundh Horticulture and Plant Science Center, whose purpose is to support CMBG’s operations, research and conservation, the glasshouse and redesign of the surrounding grounds are part of CMBG’s expansion of public-facing offerings.  

Located near the entrance of CMBG, the glasshouse will feature 20,000 square feet of subtropical gardens. The building will have peaked roofs reaching up to 45 feet to accommodate larger plants, back-of-house support areas, classroom spaces and a cafe depot.  

Ostherr explained the desire is to “inspire awe and curiosity” by creating an area that evokes the feel of Maine’s forests, while using a mix of subtropical species.  

“We want it to be a place where kids can engage with the plants, and people can find spaces for quiet, but there's also spaces for teaching,” she said. Expanding education programs with the local school system was identified as a priority of the new expansion, and student visitation will be supported with a designated bus drop-off area.  

While CMBG offers community engagement opportunities, such as free membership for third-grade families, its growing season is not conducive to field trips, as it starts when students are leaving school and closes within the first months of the school year, explained Ostherr. Year-round offerings would solve this issue. 

“It's such a great opportunity to have kids utilize (what they’re learning in the classroom) in a really gorgeous, really informational environment (since) we don't really get out for field trips during the winter,” said Shawna Kurr, Boothbay Region Elementary School principal, who was in attendance. 

“Many of our field trip experiences are one-offs, so this would be an ongoing integrated learning opportunity not just for our students, but our educators,” added Tricia Campbell, Boothbay Region High School principal. 

Discussion included adding after-school clubs, high school internships, and classes for adults/seniors.  

Another benefit of the glasshouse is stabilizing CMBG's annual revenue by operating year-round, independent of Gardens Aglow. Ostherr estimated an additional 10,000 K-12 students and 35,000 overall visitors to come in the winter, with special events in the glasshouse acting as a draw. She believes CMBG’s parking lot will accommodate the increased traffic, but timed ticketing will be used if there becomes a congestion issue.  

“In the same way that Gardens Aglow became an opportunity for a lot of local businesses ... I think there's going to be opportunity (here), especially for the hospitality industry and the retail industry.”  

40 new full-time employees will be hired to support extended operations.  

Enhancements to the surrounding area will complement the glasshouse, including improvements to the adjacent butterfly and insect house. During the summer, the focus will be on educating visitors about the importance of pollinators, native plants and insects. When the plants enter dormancy in the winter, the emphasis will shift to teaching students about the activities that occur beneath the soil in preparation for spring blooms.

The whole area will be nestled in a new indigenous garden. CMBG is collaborating with representatives from each of Maine’s five tribes that make up the Wabanaki. According to Ostherr, studies have shown that in areas where indigenous people have stewardship of the land, the environmental outcomes are better than areas with Western stewardship.  

“We want to weave some of the things that (the Wabanaki) know about how to care for the land into ... our ethos and how we think about stewarding the planet and this place.” 

Construction is expected to begin in 2028 and finish in 2030.