Sandplain Grassland Plant Community The Sandplain Grassland is a rare plant community that occurs near the coast in southern Maine. They emerge on flat sandy plains, especially in places where ancient glaciers melted and the runoff deposited sand and gravel. The soil is very well-drained and acidic. Historically, these communities were more frequent, maintained by […]
News
Small Wonders: Alarm Calls
About a year ago, on the way to work, I stopped to admire a Black-capped Chickadee that had landed in a small tree only a few feet away. It watched me while making its “chickadee-dee-dee” call, and I gazed back, feeling grateful that a wild animal had chosen to share space and interact with me. […]
Unplug at Borestone Mountain this September
After Maine Audubon took over Borestone Mountain from National Audubon in 2000, it took a lot of hard work to get the lodges back into the condition that visitors appreciate now. Two volunteers who played a big part in that were George Libby and Gary Roberts, and they started leading weekend trips called the “Borestone […]
Emerald Ash Borer Summer Update: Information, Action, and Community Science
Ash trees are being threatened by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive pest which has arrived in North America. Ash trees—which make up about 3% of all trees in Maine, an estimated 511 million trees—feed and support numerous species of insects, birds, and mammals, and are vital to Maine forests and communities. Once EAB has […]
Stories from the 2026 Loon Count
The 43rd Annual Loon Count is a wrap! More than a thousand volunteers headed out on the water and surveyed more than 400 lakes across the state from 7 to 7:30 am on Saturday July 18. Despite some wind, it was a beautiful morning for the Loon Count. We want to give a huge shout […]
Finding creative expression at Borestone Mountain Monson Arts retreat
Never in a million years would I consider myself an artist. But I came home from the Borestone Mountain Monson Arts nature journaling workshop, this June, having discovered a new way to communicate artistically through immersion in the natural world. This, in a nutshell, is the goal of this collaboration. For the fourth year in […]
Fun new features at Fields Pond!
We are so fortunate at Maine Audubon to have amazing members like Joyce Rumery and Kendra Burton, whose generosity and creativity have transformed our summer camp headquarters this year. Thanks to their collaborative efforts, campers and visitors alike are discovering two wonderful new additions to FPAC—and the joy on their faces says it all. For […]
Maine Audubon Voices Concerns About the Federal Government’s Changes to Endangered Species Act Definition of “Harm”
On July 10, 2026, the federal Department of the Interior finalized a proposed rule to constrict the definition of “harm” included in the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Maine Audubon is deeply concerned about this new rule, and had previously submitted comments denouncing the proposed change. As a reminder, the federal ESA to date has been […]
All Persons Trail Coming to Gilsland Farm
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. […]