The Phippsburg Land Trust invites the public to a free guided walk at the Center Pond Preserve — also known as the Cooley Preserve — on Saturday, July 9, at 10 a.m. As part of the Second Saturday walk series, PLT Board Secretary Tim Richter will lead an exploration of the summer fungi that decorate woodlands with their unusual forms. The walk will cover mushroom basics, the perils of identification in the wild and how to identify safely from books, website references, and specimen testing. Participants are encouraged to bring cameras, field guides and pictures of unidentified mushrooms.

For more information or to register, contact Richter at (207) 443-5993 or walkinfo@ phippsburglandtrust.org. The preserve is located near the north end of Parker Head Road in Phippsburg, a few driveways south of the alewife fishway. Details for this event and other free events are posted at phippsburglandtrust.org. This mushroom walk will also be held on Oct. 8 to explore and explain common fall mushrooms.

The Phippsburg Land Trust is a membership-supported organization dedicated to protecting special wild and natural places in the town of Phippsburg. It holds conservation easements on private land and maintains eight preserves with trails open to the public.