We are thrilled to announce the slate of presenters for the next installment of Phenomenal: Fall 2025, our bi-annual storytelling event. Join us for a cozy and entertaining evening of live storytelling focused on nature’s many magical responses to the onset of winter.
In mid-November, we’re adjusting to shorter daylight hours during which views have opened up after leaf drop. Most migratory species have departed, and those of us who remain here are hunkering down in one way or another. It’s impossible to miss the phenology around us this time of year—all cues that tell us, ready or not, we’re heading into another Maine winter. Our storytellers are professional biologists, naturalists, artists, and Wabanaki conservation leaders. Each of them has chosen two stories which connect them, and which they’ll share to help connect us, to this season in Maine and beyond.
We’ll hear from leaders we revere as they each share personal stories to help us relate and reconnect to the ways wildlife prepare for winter, including the amazing phenomenon of hibernation. Our special guests will tell stories around our evening’s theme, with time for questions afterward. This will be presented as a hybrid program, so you can either join from home or gather with us in Falmouth. For folks attending in person, we’ll have time to mingle, and beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks will be provided.
The storyteller lineup for Thursday, November 13, features:
Judy Camuso, Commissioner, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Judy was the staff naturalist at Maine Audubon before working her way up through MIF&W to become appointed to this cabinet position. Her stories will come from a career that has spanned fall bird banding all the way to her view from the top as Maine’s head wildlife official.
Michael Boardman, wildlife artist and naturalist
Michael is a longtime friend and partner of Maine Audubon. We deeply admire his artwork, appreciate his leadership amongst fellow naturalists, and honor his activism as he intertwines nature, travel, and deep observation of special places and species.
Noah Perlut, Ph.D., ecologist, Professor, Assistant Academic Director, University of New England
Noah is a revered scientist, educator, and ambassador for wildlife and habitat conservation. His teaching, research, and fieldwork has taken him to exciting and exotic habitats, yet we are just as impressed by his more accessible studies that focus on familiar species like Grey Squirrels and gulls nesting in downtown Portland.
Andrea Francis, community leader, Executive Director of Bomazeen Land Trust, member of the Mi’kmaq Nation and the Elsipogtog First Nation
Andrea has been involved in numerous important community institutions and initiatives around Portland and beyond for ten years. We value and hope to hear more about her travels and many generations of personal, cultural, and professional connections to lands we now call Maine.
