The Maine Audubon Society (originally the Maine Ornithological Society, founded in 1897) merged with the Portland Society of Natural History in the middle of the 20th century, combining collections and rededicating itself to its common purpose. Today, Maine Audubon carries on that legacy.
In 1986, historian Herb Adams wrote a chronicle detailing much of the early history of the organization now called Maine Audubon, including two large and devastating fires and nearly two centuries of creative programming designed to get the people of Maine learning about nature. It first appeared in Habitat as a series of articles (reprinted in 1993). Read that chronicle here.
Gilsland Farm, the Falmouth location of Maine Audubon headquarters, has its own unique history.
Since time immemorial, the Wabanaki and their ancestors have lived on the land upon which the Maine Audubon wildlife sanctuary called Gilsland Farm currently sits. Comprised of the Abenaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Wolastoqew (Maliseet), and Mi’kmaq tribes, the Wabanaki, or “People of the Dawnland,” are the original stewards of what is now known as Maine. Specifically, the Aucucisco band of the Abenaki inhabited modern Falmouth and Casco Bay. Despite the efforts of colonization and assimilation, the history of this land starts with these Indigenous people. Read more in “The Original Story of Gilsland Farm” here >
In 1911, the land was purchased by David Moulton, a Portland lawyer and dedicated conservationist, and he named the area Gilsland Farm. In 1974, his family gifted the property to Maine Audubon. Read more about the history of Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Center here >
In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement has caused Maine Audubon to look inward at its own role in inequity and racial inequality, just as it has for millions of Americans. For the hundreds of Audubon societies around the country, that reflection has included a renewed analysis of the character of our namesake: John James Audubon. Visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion page for more information.