Just as biodiversity strengthens natural systems, the diversity of human experience strengthens conservation efforts for the benefit of nature and all human beings.
Maine Audubon is committed to embracing human diversity in all the communities where we work. We are dedicated to increasing the diversity of our staff, board, volunteers, members, and supporters and “bringing nature home” to all people and all communities.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) matter to Maine Audubon because the contributions, experiences, perspectives, and values of diverse individuals and communities make conservation efforts stronger. Maine Audubon aims to expand our network’s reach and engage more people in our mission.
We respect and value the individuality of each member of our community, and we are committed in all we do to freedom from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, national or ethnic origin, politics, or veteran status.
Respect, inclusion, and opportunity for all people assures a healthier, more vibrant future for all of us who share our planet.
News & Updates
Considerations of the Audubon Name 2024 Update
(November 2024)
Maine Audubon has emerged from a listening process that involved our full staff, board, membership, and a wide array of stakeholders outside of our organization, to examine the Maine Audubon name and brand, its origins, and its future. Read more here >
Considerations of the Audubon Name
(UPDATED June 13, 2023)
John James Audubon’s contributions to conservation and the study of birds must be viewed alongside his promotion of racist ideas and actions that have contributed to the centuries of institutional racism derived from slavery in America. We are aware that some National Audubon chapters, as well as one independent Audubon, have made the decision to change their name; others are in different stages of consideration including National Audubon. Though our organization was not created by Audubon, it does bear his name. Maine Audubon has embarked on work to explore the namesake issue, and to consider the possibility of a name change. Our work on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) had begun long before this information came to light and the facts of Audubon’s history have strengthened our resolve to ensure that the understanding, enjoyment, and protection of wildlife in Maine are available to everyone. Our EDI commitment is one of the cornerstones of our strategic planning.
Full statement and more on our process >
Reflections on John James Audubon
Maine Audubon, and the other Audubon organizations around the country, are asking themselves what it means to carry the name John James Audubon. In the coming weeks, we will be looking into our own history as well as charting our future, one in which we acknowledge and recognize inequity inherent in many environmental policies, and work to be more inclusive, diverse, and equitable both internally and in Maine’s communities. Read the full article >
Andy’s Note: Time to Listen
We know we have much work to do to understand and address inequity in our organization and systems. As we undertake this important work, we’ve realized that one of the first steps we should take is to listen. Our staff is seeking out and listening to Black voices in the environmental education and conservation community and our board and staff are devoting time at each meeting to discuss our anti-racist work. We want to hear from you. What are some ways in which we can make a real difference in our community? How can Maine’s environmental organizations become anti-racist in everything they do, both internally and externally?
We invite you to share your comments, feedback, and criticism with us by sending email to media@maineaudubon.org. We are committed to sharing our progress with you and will report back on what we hear from you and our next steps. Thank you for your support as we undertake this essential work for meaningful change.
Joint Statement on Racial Justice
June 4, 2020
One of the hallmarks of Maine Audubon’s vision is to create accessible, inclusive, and welcoming wildlife sanctuaries that provide a haven for Maine wildlife and broaden access to nature and experiential learning for everyone. Stepping over tree roots, navigating an uneven path, and climbing up a grassy slope: these present unsurmountable obstacles for many people. With that in mind, we are thrilled to report that we have secured funding from the Recreational Trails Program, as well as Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust, Fields Pond Foundation Inc., Athletic Brewing Company Two for the Trails, Martin’s Point Health Care, and other generous donors, which will enable us to construct an approximately 2265-foot-long All Persons Trail at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center this year. Opening week is scheduled for October 19 through 23; look for more details about the opening coming soon!
On a humid morning in July, students from the Sprout Lewiston program met under a tent in the orchard at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth with Mihku Paul, a Wabanaki cultural sharer and regular partner of Maine Audubon. Mihku welcomed students in her language, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, and then asked the students to share what languages each of them spoke. Collectively, the group of eleven young women spoke at least eight different languages including Somali, Dari, Pashto, Lingala, and others. That morning marked the start of another wonderful summer of learning and outdoor adventure.
With the school year having finally come to a close, Maine Audubon is celebrating the end of another year of working with schools to get kids outside and exposed to Maine to wildlife and habitat.
Research tells us that children who have positive experiences outdoors are more likely to develop pro-environmental behaviors as adults. Maine Audubon is proud to play a part in creating safe, wondrous, and meaningful learning experiences for students both in and outside of the classroom.
Habitat, Winter 2024-25
This winter, Maine Audubon has embarked on two efforts to be more inclusive of Wabanaki knowledge and history in our work advancing so many shared values. We are undertaking work with a consultant and advisors representing Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, and Abenaki perspectives to develop a formal Interpretive Plan for the organization. We intend to use this framework to review all the ways Maine Audubon presents itself, imparts information, and advocates for its mission to ensure that we are not continuing to harm Wabanaki people and communities. Maine Audubon is also participating in the third cohort of First Light Learning Journey, a network of land trusts and other conservation organizations committed to exploring Wabanaki co-stewardship and land return. We will undertake and reflect upon both of these efforts internally and across the organization, and at the same time continue to partner directly with Wabanaki leaders and advisors on education, conservation, and advocacy projects.
Habitat, Fall 2024
Schoolyards are busy places full of people, even in the summertime, and many schools have robust gardens, large trees, hedgerows, and even flower beds that provide food, shade, and beauty that humans need and appreciate. However, on closer inspection, many of these places have been planted—like other developed landscapes—with species lacking the ecological connections and benefits that their native counterparts provide. This is additionally problematic when the students’ curricula is increasingly focused on native plants, especially as a means to study the cultural and natural history of the places they call home. Over the summer, our partners at Maine Association for New Americans helped us recruit 10 teens to help us learn about and plant species from the K-5 Wabanaki Studies curriculum at Portland elementary schools. These new plantings will enable teachers and students to visit these plants as they grow and bloom during the school year while they study their importance to Wabanaki culture, relationships with wildlife, their indications for climate change, and other ecological benefits they provide. And the schoolyards just got more beautiful, too!
Habitat, Spring 2024
As we have often reported here, one strategy Maine Audubon has pursued specifically with equity in mind has been to develop districtwide programming, where every student in a particular grade level participates in the unit and associated fieldwork. Much of this effort thus far has centered in Portland Public Schools—Maine’s largest and most diverse school district, and one of Maine Audubon’s longest standing partners. This spring, Maine Audubon will work with every student in kindergarten and grades 1 and 3, and we will also visit every public Pre-K classroom for nature-based activities. Every student in those grades, including those who need language, developmental, or other learning accommodations, will benefit from our field-based and wildlife-focused environmental literacy programs. Based on what is being learned and developed, Maine Audubon is also working to adapt and replicate these units for other districts in Maine including Bangor, where we have been working with the entire fifth grade this school year.
Feb. 2024: This spring, we are increasing the accessibility of our birding programs with a new series called Accessible Beginner Birding at Gilsland Farm. We meet for an outing intended to be more accessible to more people, with less emphasis on walking, standing, and using binoculars. We will walk a slow loop around the buildings here, stopping only in locations where there are places to sit, and focusing a bit more on birding by ear. Read the blog post >
Oct. 2023: Maine Audubon is taking the holiday to honor, reflect, and learn in order to bolster action we will continue to take in support of Wabanaki people, communities, and, most importantly, sovereignty. Read about ways we are doing this here >
Habitat Magazine, Fall 2023
Maine Audubon is collaborating with Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS) to create statewide educational programs on native pollinators which are grounded in Indigenous Ecological Knowledge. WaYS is a nonprofit indigenous-directed organization focused on creating educational opportunities for Wabanaki youth which incorporate both Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge, or “a two-eyed seeing” perspective. We spent the summer working together to explore exactly what such a project should look like in order to best support Wabanaki communities, Maine students as a whole, and native pollinators. Please stay tuned for more updates on this exciting partnership!
More: wabanakiyouthinscience.org
Habitat Magazine, Fall 2022
We were delighted to launch a new youth development and habitat stewardship program this summer in Lewiston. Maine Audubon partnered with Healthy Homeworks and Maine Community Integration to pilot Sprout Lewiston, designed to engage local youth in restoring habitat and beautifying their communities. Over the course of five weeks, a total of 16 teens learned about ecology, met local experts, restored native plants and wildlife habitat in Lewiston public parks, and had some fun in the outdoors!
In the news: Sprout Lewiston growing a love for ecology and education (Lewiston Sun Journal)
Habitat Magazine, Fall 2022
Maine Audubon welcomes all visitors to our centers and sanctuaries, and we are committed to making our spaces accessible and inviting. We are now offering our Gilsland Farm trail guides in French, Portuguese, Swahili, and Somali, and our Scarborough Marsh guide is also available in French. These guides are available on our website and in printed form at the Visitor Centers as well.