BRUNSWICK

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay’s sixth presentation of its 19th annual Winter Speaker Series, “Maine’s Rare & Endangered Invertebrates: Conserving the Little Things that Matter,” features Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Dr. Phillip deMaynadier. The event, taking place Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick, is free and open to the public.

Invertebrates, smaller organisms lacking a backbone, are the dominant form of life on earth both in diversity and biomass (living weight). It is estimated that Maine alone hosts over 16,000 inland species of invertebrates, comprising approximately 95 percent of the State’s animal life. Whether insects (butterflies and bees), crustaceans (crayfish and fairy shrimp), mollusks (snails and mussels), or arachnids (spiders and mites) — to name a few groups — Maine’s invertebrates are both fascinating in their diversity of form and function, and critically important for sustaining natural ecosystems.

The famous Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson refers to invertebrates as “the little things that run the world” because of their life-sustaining services in crop pollination, soil enrichment, seed dispersal, waste recycling, biological pest control, and food chain support. On this last point, consider for example, that most of Maine’s more conspicuous wildlife — birds, bats, amphibians, reptiles, and fish — are insectivorous for at least a portion of their life history.

Phillip deMaynadier has worked as a wildlife biologist for Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for 16 years where he currently serves as Leader of the Reptile- Amphibian- Invertebrate Group. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications, is active on several State and national non-game wildlife technical committees, and serves on the Graduate Faculty at University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife Ecology where he received his doctorate.

FOMB hosts their Winter Speaker Series October-May on the second Wednesday of each month. The April 30 presentation, Royalty of the River: Kennebec Sturgeon Status features Tom Squiers, fisheries biologist. Speaker Series presentations are always free and open to the public and supported by Patagonia, Inc. in Freeport. Visit fomb.org for more information.