Fern identification is fun and easy! Unlike flowering plants -- with leaves, buds, and flowers to remember at different times of year -- ferns look pretty much the same all season long, so there is just one set of characteristics to learn.

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon at Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center, Egypt Road, Jefferson, join instructor Hildy Ellis, who will demonstrate how to identify ferns using the random access Guide to Common Ferns of New England, which will be provided to all participants. In addition to identification tips, the talk and walking tour will cover fascinating fern natural history, reproduction, and ecology. This is an outdoor program; please wear sturdy shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and bring a hand lens or magnifying glass.

Ellis is district coordinator for Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District. She has a BS in horticulture from the University of Maine, where she conducted graduate research on ornamental invasive plants. As an undergrad, Ellis studied tree fern ecology on the island of Dominica.

To register, go to http://www.midcoastconservancy.org/discover-world-ferns/ or call 389-5150.