T.S. Eliot famously said that “April is the cruellest month.” Looking ahead at all we have planned for the coming weeks, I respectfully beg to differ!
In Maine, April brings a lot to be excited about. Among other things, it brings a long-awaited thaw. Melting snow reveals the beautiful earth we’ve missed so much during the winter…but it also reveals a disconcerting amount of litter. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we’re planning a series of events that will let us all dedicate a “Workday for Wildlife” — kicking off with our Annual Scarborough Marsh Clean-up on Saturday, April 21. We’ve also included trail maintenance and other volunteer opportunities around the state. Learn more about this exciting new initiative.
This month also features the April installment of our vacation camps, complete with a live wildlife show on the final day. If you’re looking for a great activity for your children during vacation week, you can’t go wrong here. Our educators continually put together smart, enriching activities that develop an informed appreciation for wildlife and nature in the next generation of environmental stewards. (And while you’re at it, get a jump on summer and check out our June-August camp offerings.)
April also brings the end of Maine’s legislative session. As you know if you subscribe to our Action Alerts, we’ve been busy on the advocacy front, sharing news and enlisting your help reaching out to legislators on everything from solar policy to offshore drilling. This week on April 4, we’re bringing a corps of folks to Augusta to participate in Conservation Lobby Day (it’s an amazing experience, so please sign up if you haven’t already!).
I’m not just a big fan of our advocacy efforts — I’m also a participant. Earlier in March, I traveled to Washington, DC, and had some excellent conversations with Maine’s congressional leaders. We were talking about the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and how important it has been to conservation efforts in the state. (You can learn more about this trip in my blog post about it.) At a moment like this, we all need to lend our voices to the causes that matter to us.
How are you making your voice heard? Will I see you at Conservation Lobby Day? At a #workdayforwildlife event? Outside getting your boots muddy? I certainly I hope I do!
