Boothbay Region Land Trust kicks off its "Cabin Fever Reliever" series this weekend with a talk by ornithologist Dr. Jeffrey Wells, "Bird Conservation Secrets Everyone Should Know," Sunday, at 2 p.m., at the Boothbay Harbor Town Hall.

Future BRLT Cabin Fever Reliever programs, intended to provide some diversion during winter weekends, will also include an opportunity to watch a logging demonstration, view a specially scheduled nature documentary at the local movie theater, attend a program on birds of prey and hear the story of the legendary Bob Speed, also known as "Ponytail," who lived on Lower Mark Island. All of the programs are open to the public, free of charge, except for the film program for which there will be a modest ticket price.

This Sunday's program, co-sponsored by the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, will feature Wells discussing his newly published book, "Birders Conservation Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk." Wells, senior scientist for the International Boreal Conservation Campaign and Boreal Songbird Initiative, will discuss his views on the links between the state of birds, the growth of birding in the U.S. and its impact on communities, economics, policy and conservation in Maine and throughout North America. The speaker, whose career has included bird conservation and birding activities for the Audubon Society, is a visiting fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and recently joined BRLT's board. He will welcome questions from the audience and sign copies of his book procured by Sherman Books & Stationary. Refreshments will be served.

The second Cabin Fever Reliever event will be a logging demonstration at BRLT's Ovens Mouth Preserve, Saturday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The demonstration, organized by Wolf Schumann, BRLT's lands and stewardship coordinator, will include a portable sawmill, horse-drawn log skidding and firewood splitting. A bonus for those attending will be beans and ham served from a pot over a fire, hot dogs, cookies and beverages. Logger Lance Chadwick will be on hand to answer questions. The purpose of the event is to show the public how BRLT promotes forest management on its properties.

A special matinee film event will be held at the Harbor Theatre, Sunday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. Details of the nature documentary will be announced in the coming weeks. Ticket prices will be substantially reduced.

"Birds of Prey - New England's Majestic Raptors" will be the subject of the Sunday, March 30, program, presented by the Chewonki Foundation. Co-sponsored by the Boothbay Region High School Outing Club, the program will feature three live raptors the audience can examine. The audience can learn about what defines birds of prey and their survival and hunting techniques. This program will be held at 2 p.m. and the location will be announced at a later date.

The final program, "Ponytail and Lower Mark Island," on Sunday, April 27, will feature a talk by retired history professor Jack Bauman, who will share stories about Bob Speed, known as "Ponytail," who lived on Lower Mark Island from 1957 to 1964. Mike and Anne Grimes, BRLT volunteer stewards for Lower Mark, will talk about the island, its natural history and current use. This program, co-sponsored by the Boothbay Region YMCA, will be held in the Y's Coastal Club Room at 3 p.m.

BRLT hopes to provide something for everyone with this winter's "Cabin Fever Reliever" series and BRLT's programs throughout the year. In addition to land conservation and stewardship of its preserves and hiking trails, BRLT's mission serves to educate about wildlife, ecology, conservation and local history.

For more information, to suggest an idea or to become a volunteer, contact BRLT at 633-4818 or brlt@bbrlt.org .