BATH – Dana Wilde, author of “A Backyard Book of Spiders in Maine,” will speak about Maine’s diverse and captivating spider species at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 29.

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust’s virtual evening lecture will provide curious observers of arachnids with insights into their biology, ecology, behavior, and natural history. Wilde will read pieces that explore spider bites, arachnid cognition, as well as nursery web and fishing spiders. Participants are encouraged to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the lecture.

Wilde lives in Troy, and writes the Backyard Naturalist column which appears regularly in the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel and occasionally in the Sun Journal newspapers. He also penned the award-winning Amateur Naturalist column in the Bangor Daily News.

He has been a college professor, editor, Fulbright scholar, and NEH fellow. His writings have appeared in The Maine Entomologist, and his books include “Summer to Fall: Notes” and “Numina from the Maine Woods and Nebulae: A Backyard Cosmography.”

Registration is free and required in order to receive the Zoom link for the presentation.

The Zoom link will be sent out to registrants before the event. For more information and to sign-up, visit kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call 207-442-8400.