Within three days of each other, two new offerings at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens will look at living things from entirely different angles. On Tuesday, August 14, children 7 and up will experience A Day in the Life of a Plant, and on Friday, August 17, a representative from the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset will bring three live birds and will present Birds of Prey: New England’s Majestic Raptors. Both programs are in the Seagull Pavilion of the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden.

In the plant-based class from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, young children will learn what plants need in order to grow big and strong and might be surprised that plants need some of the same things they do. They’ll talk about plant parts, the life cycle of a plant, and how photosynthesis works and will discover some neat adaptations of plants at the Botanical Gardens. Participants will also get to transplant and take home their own plant. The fee is $8 for members and $10 for nonmembers. 

The Chewonki program from 10 to 11 a.m. on Aug. 17 will introduce children of any age to birds of prey and give them an exciting look at a trio of live, non-releasable raptors. Participants will learn how survival techniques differ from species to species. They’ll compare special hunting adaptations of nocturnal and diurnal raptors, including their talons, their sharp, curved beaks, and their different wing and tail shapes. They’ll also be able to handle and examine feet, wing, and skull specimens to better understand these majestic birds. The fee is $10 for members and $15 for non-members, which includes Gardens admission. 

Pre-registration is required for both of these programs. To sign up, call 633-4333, ext. 101, visit www.Mainegardens.org, or stop by the Botanical Gardens.