Citizen Science at the Norlands
Citizen Science at the Norlands
Over the past few years, Norlands has taken part in several citizen science initiatives.
The first is a project on iNaturalist, a global platform where people photograph and document wild plants, animals, birds, insects, fungi, and other living things.
The second is a hotspot on eBird, a platform run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology where birdwatchers record and share their sightings.
Although both platforms are used worldwide, they also include smaller, local projects and hotspots that allow communities to build more focused datasets. While Androscoggin County already has many observations, relatively little data had been collected from the town of Livermore.
That’s part of what makes the Norlands projects so meaningful. By contributing observations, you can help create a growing record of the plants, animals, and fungi that call Norlands home. Over time, these observations can help scientists, conservationists, and future visitors better understand how local biodiversity changes through the seasons and from year to year.
Want to become a citizen scientist yourself? Read on!
iNaturalist
iNaturalist can be used either in a web browser or through the mobile app, available for both Android and iPhone. For most people, the app is the easiest way to get started.
Begin by downloading the app to your phone. When you first open it, you’ll likely be guided through a brief introduction to its features (shown below).
As advertised, you can use iNaturalist to identify almost any living thing you encounter, either by taking a photo or uploading one you’ve already taken. The app uses image recognition to suggest possible identifications based on your photo, which you can then review and confirm before submitting your observation. If you’re not 100% sure about the identification, don’t worry—simply submit your best guess, and after you upload it, members of the iNaturalist community can help identify or confirm what you’ve found.
Once an observation has been confirmed by enough users, it is deemed research-grade. These observations become part of a global biodiversity database used by scientists, conservation organizations, educators, and nature enthusiasts. Researchers have used iNaturalist data to track species distributions, monitor invasive species, document rare plants and animals, and study how wildlife responds to environmental change. Check out this article to learn more about the amazing scientific discoveries made possible through iNaturalist observations!
If you’re using iNaturalist while exploring the Norlands property, your observations will automatically be added to the Norlands project. Every sighting counts, and helps to build a more complete picture of the biodiversity of Livermore.
eBird
Like iNaturalist, eBird can be accessed through a web browser or the free mobile app, available for both Android and iPhone. The app is the easiest way to record birds while you’re out exploring.
Unlike iNaturalist, which can help identify almost any living thing from a photo, eBird will not identify birds for you. The app works best when users are reasonably confident in their own identifications. That said, you don’t need to be an expert to contribute! For example, if you’re new to birding, the Merlin Bird ID app (also developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) is an excellent companion to eBird. Merlin can help identify birds by their appearance, songs, and calls, making it a great tool for learning. Of course, like any identification tool, it isn’t perfect, so it’s always a good idea to review its suggestions before adding birds to an eBird checklist.
To get started with eBird, download the app and create a free account.
Whenever you go birdwatching, tap Start Checklist and record every bird species you see or hear during your outing. Complete checklists provide the most useful information for scientists because they help show not only which birds were present, but also which ones were not detected.
If possible, try to record all of the species you hear and see, along with the number of individuals of each. But if you aren’t sure exactly what you’ve encountered, don’t worry –– eBird lets you record birds at a various levels of specificity. For example, if you know you’ve seen a warbler but can’t tell which kind, you can enter is generally as “New World warbler species.”
You don’t have to count every bird perfectly, either. Just enter your best estimate of how many individuals you observed. If you can’t make a reasonable estimate, you can always enter “X” in the amount section to indicate that the species was present but not counted.
When you’re finished, review your checklist and submit it. If you’re at the Norlands, be sure to select “Norlands Living History Center” as your location. As of 2026, our eBird hotspot is still very new, and every checklist helps us learn more about the birds that visit and live on our property throughout the year!
Thank you for reading, and happy exploring!
Living History Day Schedule – July 11, 2026
We have a full day of activity for the whole family planned at the Norlands this week. This week, you can even dress up like it is 1870!
July 11, 2026 at the Norlands
- Baking in the Farmer's Cottage 10:00, 12:45, 2:00 (30 min)
- School in 1876 - 10:45. 11:45, 1:15, 2:15 (30 min)
- Mansion & Exhibit Entry - Self Guided 10:15, 1:15, 3:15 (45 min)
- Mansion & Exhibit Guided Tour - 11:15, 2:15 (45 min)
- Learn to Knit / Crochet - 11:15, 1:45 (30 min)
- Ice Cream Making on the Porch - 3:15 (45 min)
- Stories of Old Livermore with Mercy Lovejoy 11:00am-3:00pm
- Civil War Encampment with Private Suttles 11:00am - 3:00pm
- Games on the Lawn - All Day
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Visit the Animals - All Day
- Historian Talks - All Day (see below)
Historian Talks
- The Washburns' Busy Cradle 10:15, 12:15 (45 min)
- Livermore & the Revolutionary War 11:00, 2:00 (15 min)
- Washburns & Livermore in the Civil War 10:45, 1:45 (15 min)
- 19th Century Clothing 11:45, 2:45 (15 min)
Guide:
- Children's favorites at the Norlands (but bring the whole family)
- Good for older children and adults
- Deep dives into history - adults love these (but kids do too)
August Farm-to-Table Dinners
Emelia has teamed with Boothby Farms to create the ultimate gourmet burger meals. Our dinners are from 6:00pm-8:00pm in the barn, with pre-dinner tours available at 4:30pm. You can also make a full day of it by coming to Living History Days and relaxing on our porch before dinner.
Dinners are scheduled for August 15 & 22.
The Menu includes:
Charcuterie Board
Bruschetta on garlic toast
Garden salad with farmhouse vinegarette
Ultmate Burger Bar :
Boothby’s grass fed 1/3 pound burger
Homemade buns
Homegrown bacon
Homemade mayonnaise
All the fixings
Seasoned potato wedges
Herbed Coleslaw
Melt-in-your-mouth Blueberry Cake with vanilla ice cream
September Farm-to-Table Dinners
Apple Picking season is here and Emelia has picked a pork dinner for you! Our meals are from 6:00pm-8:00pm in the barn, with pre-dinner tours available at 4:30pm. You cn come early to relax on our porch before dinner.
The menu for the September 19 & 26 dinners includes:
Charcuterie Board
Sausage rolls
Garden salad with farmhouse vinegarette
Apple and onion braised pork
Mashed potatoes
Roasted carrots
Fresh baked yeast rolls
Apple dessert, TBD
July Farm-to-Table Dinners
We’re kicking off Farm-to-Table season with kabobs! Our meals are from 6:00pm-8:00pm in the barn, with pre-dinner tours available at 4:30pm. You can also make a full day of it by coming to Living History Days and relaxing on our porch before dinner.
Emelia’s menu for July 11 & 25 includes:
Charcuterie Board
Marinated cucumbers and cherry tomatoes with feta
Garden salad with farmhouse vinegarette
Mediterranean Chicken and vegetable kabobs (all veg kabobs as a vegetarian option, please make an option at purchase)
Orzo pasta with roasted red pepper salad
Artisan bread with olive oil dip
Seasonal fruit dessert TB
Strawberry Heritage Days June 27 & 28
Kick off your 4th of July week by joining us for an old-fashioned celebration of America’s 250th birthday at the Norlands Strawberry & Heritage Days June 27 & 28th. We’ll have a craft fair & demonstrations, a special America 250 exhibit in the Mansion, a patriotic day of School in 1876, games on the lawn, music, ice cream making, a full menu of picnic foods in the Farmer’s Cottage Kitchen, and, of course, Strawberry Shortcake. PLUS… we have OXEN visiting for the weekend – a Norlands tradition. Admissions to the grounds is FREE, with admissions to our exhibit in the Mansion and School in 1876 $5 each or a pre-order special of both for $8.
Hours: June 27 10am – 7pm
June 28 11am – 4pm
Click here for advance purchase of Mansion & School Tickets, Strawberry Shortcake and a full Picnic meal. Read carefully – there are a lot of options!
“The Washburns and Livermore: In Service to America” – special exhibit with rare treasures from the Norlands archive. This walk through history features some remarkable items even Norlands old-timers have never seen before! – $5
“School in 1876” – The schoolteacher is prepared to teach you about America’s first 100 years through reading, writing, penmanship, declamations and quizzes about the history of this great Republic. This is a great chance to show off your knowledge of 1876. Be sure to make your manners! –$5
Strawberry Shortcake $8
Picnic Meal $15 adults, $10 kids under 10 (add on Strawberry Shortcake for $5). Family packages available online.
Ice Cream Churning $5
Picnic Meal Options: BLT on homemade bread, Hummos & Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on homemade bread, Hot Dogs with the Fixings, Fox Farm Potato Chips, watermelon and a local beverage – Maine Roots Soda, Ricker Hill Sparkling Cider (non-alcoholic) and other sodas.
Fun Ways to Spend the Day!
Continental Army Camp – Enlist as a Livermore soldier in the Continental Army, learn to march like a real soldier and sing Yankee Doodle!
Stories in the Barn with Mercy Lovejoy – Hear entertaining stories of old Livermore from the town pauper, Mercy Lovejoy, interpreted by Willi Irish. 11am – 3pm Saturday
Dancing on the Lawn– learn classic 19th century dances with our expert instructors on Saturday
Games on the Lawn – Badminton, Croquet, Graces and more
Games on the Porch – Learn to play Euchre and Backgammon
Craft Show – Shop from our local artisans and bakers
Craft Demonstrations – See how our local artisans make their unique creations
See Oxen Demonstrations & Meet our Animals
Peek in the Library and the Meeting House
Hike on our Trails * Visit Bartlett Pond
June 27 at Noon: Presentation of the Colors, recognition of all Livermore Revolutionary War Veterans.
A highlight of the weekend is the America 250 Community Sing-Along Celebration in the Meeting House. We’ve got a great playlist of classic American patriotic songs to sing together and readings from important speeches and documents in U.S .History. What better way to kick off 4th of July week than packing our 1828 historic church for a non-commercial, fun and meaningful reminder of the reason for the 4th of July season! The services in 1876 and 1976 packed the Meeting House – let’s do it again!