If you close your eyes on a breezy day, you can identify trees just by the rustle of their leaves. Are they singing to each other? For David G. Haskell, ecologist and author of The Songs of Trees, listening closely to the distinctive voices in a forest “can ignite our curiosity and get our minds […]
Nature Moments: Getting to Know Bug Spit
You never know what you’re going to find inside a gob of spit in a meadow. If you’re lucky, it might be a young spittlebug. As Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright explains, the “spit,” which is left over from feeding on plant sap, protects these harmless insects from predators and parasitic wasps. […]
Roundup: Reports & Images from the 35th Annual Loon Count
Saturday morning, July 21, was the 35th year of Maine Audubon’s Annual Loon Count. On Lakes and ponds around the state, over 1,400 volunteers headed out to tally the loon adults and chicks in their designated areas. Over the coming days and weeks, their reports will be collected and aggregated, allowing our wildlife biologists to […]
Nature Moments: On Climate Change, Trust but Verify
Is climate change just a hoax? It’s not…but why not follow Ronald Reagan’s advice and “trust but verify” by looking for evidence � pro or con � in your own backyard? If you pay attention to animals, plants and weather, you may discover that your neighborhood really is getting warmer, explains Bowdoin professor and Maine […]
Thank you to Oxford Elementary School!
We were thrilled to learn recently that Oxford Elementary School (OES) students had voted to award a very generous check of $1,000 to Maine Audubon as part of a recent project they’ve been doing on citizen science. As part of their work, students invited author Loree Griffin Burns to talk with them about citizen science. […]
“Grants for Teachers” Invests $10,000 to Engage Students in Habitat Stewardship
As part of the�2018 Maine Audubon Grants for Teachers Program, Maine Audubon has awarded 11 classroom grants totaling $10,000 to Portland teachers. The Spring 2018 grants program was administered by the Portland Education Foundation, with whom Maine Audubon has partnered to expand funding available to schools and classrooms throughout Portland to study Maine wildlife and […]
Nature Moments: Color and Communication in Turtles
Animals like painted turtles use different parts of their bodies to send distinct messages. Backs and bellies are designed to mislead predators, while faces, with their fine details, advertise a turtle’s identity and quality to nearby competitors and mates. Nature Moments�are produced by Nat Wheelwright and Wilder Nicholson, with help from Genie Wheelwright, Paul Benham, […]
Nature Moments: Benefits of Obesity in Woodchucks
Woodchucks are called groundhogs and whistle pigs for a good reason: they spend six months gorging themselves before going into hibernation. If they don’t double their weight, they might not survive the winter.�(Thanks to Chris Maher for sharing her expertise and Ariana van den Akker for her photography.) Nature Moments�are produced by Nat Wheelwright and […]
Hey Beachgoers, Watch out for Baby Piping Plovers
Headed to the beach to enjoy this wonderful weather? Be sure to be mindful of beach-nesting birds! This is a critical time for birds like the endangered Piping Plover. Coastal Birds Project director Laura Minich Zitske and her team have observed over 90 plover chicks on Maine beaches so far, with more on the way. […]