– By STEPHANIE BOUCHARD

Special to the Maine Sunday Telegram

We continue our summer adventure of exploring Maine’s flora and fauna by venturing through the midcoast, a region with so many nooks and crannies, it will take you many summers to discover all its wonders.

But, for starters, we have a handful of places to share spread between Woolwich and Belfast. From organic blueberry fields to sculpted gardens to boat tours to seek out the adorable Atlantic puffin, the midcoast region packs in quite a variety for people of all ages.

Beech Hill Preserve — Protected by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust, the 295-acre Beech Hill Preserve in Rockport is the only bald hilltop in the area. Its grassland bird habitat, home to more than 125 species, is one of the reasons it is an official stop on the Maine Birding Trail. The preserve is also home to a commercial organic blueberry operation at which folks can pick for free on Aug. 6.

Make sure to check out the sod-roofed stone hut at the hill’s summit. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open only at designated times each month. Entrances are located on Beech Hill and Rockville roads. Go to www.coastalmountains.org for information.

Belfast Garden Club — When folks think of Maine’s flora and fauna, they may think more in terms of the wild variety but the state’s avid gardeners provide a more sculpted option blending landscape design, with native plants and exotics and each gardener’s own personality.

The members of the Belfast Garden Club offer a special program through the summer when one private garden a week in the Belfast area is open to the public. The gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays through Aug. 26. Admission is a $4 donation per garden. Proceeds go toward the club’s civic beautification projects. Go www.belfastgardenclub.org and click on Open Garden Days for information on the next open garden.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens — To gardeners and non-gardeners alike, the 250 acres with tidal shore frontage that is home to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is undoubtedly some of the most exciting in the midcoast area. Blending formal gardens with natural habitat is just one of the secrets to the garden’s success.

If you’re very lucky, you might even get to see the flash of the red crest of a pileated woodpecker as it soars through the property’s woodlands.

CMBG has something for everyone: Music is offered through the summer; a children’s garden will delight the older folks as much as the younger; education programs are available for hardcore gardeners; and there are even special dining events for foodies. The garden is on Barter’s Island Road. Call 633-4333 or go to www.maingardens.org for information. Admission is $12, $10 for adults age 65 and older, $6 for youth ages 3 to 17; free for children under age 3.

Lane’s Island — The 45-acre preserve is on a small island connected to Vinalhaven by a causeway. Visitors will find fields and shrublands covered with salt-tolerant plants and cobble beaches. The island was once home to Native Americans. Go to http://tinyurl.com/3m6f94m for information.

Maine State Aquarium — Operated by the state’s Department of Marine Resources, the Maine State Aquarium in West Boothbay Harbor allows folks to see sea creatures up close and personal, and even to touch a few of them, too, in the 20-foot-long touch tank. The aquarium is home to regional fish and invertebrates such as sharks and skates, northern shrimp and sea stars and urchins. The aquarium at 194 McKown Point Road is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 4. Admission is $3 to $5. Go to www.maine.gov/dmr/rm/aquarium/index/html for information.

Merryspring Nature Center — Located in Camden and Rockport, Merryspring’s 66 acres encompass meadows and forest. The center’s cultivated gardens include a hosta garden, an herb garden, a children’s garden, a rose garden and a daylily garden. The center offers education programs and a lecture series as well as an annual kitchen tour of local kitchens in private homes. Merryspring is open 7 days a week during daylight hours and admission is free. Go to www.merryspring.org for information.

Puffin tours — Puffins can only be seen at a handful of islands along the Maine coast. Along the midcoast, about 100 nesting pairs make their home on Eastern Egg Rock. Several boat tours to Eastern Egg Rock are available, although landings on the island aren’t permitted. Monhegan Boat Line from Port Clyde (www.monheganboat.com/puffin.html), Hardy Boat from New Harbor (www.hardyboat.com) and Cap’n Fish (www.mainepuffin.com) from Boothbay Harbor offer puffin tours out to Eastern Egg Rock. Your puffin tour will likely find you seeing other creatures of the area, including whales, seals, gulls, ducks and guillemots.

Robert P. T. Coffin Wildflower Reservation — The 177-acre Robert P.T. Coffin Wildflower Reservation is a sanctuary of the Massachusetts-based New England Wildflower Society. Pink lady’s slipper, yellow violet and white baneberry are just a few of the more than 100 wildflowers that grow in the reservation bordering Merrymeeting Bay, where you’ll find many birds, including bald eagles. The sanctuary is also home to a swamp, a brook and 1,256 feet of sandy shore and tidal marsh. It is located off Route 128 in Woolwich. Go to http://tinyurl.com.3bmrh6r for information.

Salt Bay Farm Heritage Center — The Damariscotta River Association’s home base is located at a former farm with more than a mile of shorefront and wetlands for both fresh and saltwater habitats. Fields around the farmhouse offer visitors a variety of plants and wildlife sightings. An organic community garden at the farm allows local folks to grow their own food. DRA also offers various activities and educational programs. The farm is on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta. Go to www.draclt.org for more information.

Stephanie Bouchard is a freelance writer who lives in Bath.