Rodents are a group of mammals defined by one key feature: one pair of continuously growing front teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. We have a lot of rodent species in Maine, including mice, rats, squirrels, beavers, porcupines, and more. Rodents are a fascinating and diverse family, but they’re not always the most […]
Policy & Advocacy
Conservation Groups File Appeal Urging CMP Compliance With Mature Forest Requirements
For Immediate Release – December 18, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – Several of the state’s leading conservation groups have filed an appeal with the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) asking them to require improvements to Central Maine Power’s (CMP) flawed Conservation Plan for the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project. As outlined in its permit […]
Trump Administration Proposes Four Additional Changes to the Endangered Species Act
2025 has been a difficult year for the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The new administration and Congress are working quickly to weaken the effectiveness of the Act, one of the most popular and successful environmental laws in the nation. In May, the Department of the Interior proposed changing the way it defines “harm” under the […]
Forest Conservation Easement Report Published
Approximately 90% of Maine is covered in forestland, making it the most heavily forested state in the nation. Millions of these acres are included in a complex grid of small and large working forest conservation easements. Maine Audubon undertook a detailed assessment of the terms of these easements and conducted an analysis of how well […]
NECEC’s Conservation Plan Was Not Fit for Approval
Proposed in 2017, Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission line would carry hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts, requiring a 150-foot-wide, 53-mile corridor through undeveloped woods in Western Maine. Maine Audubon has engaged throughout the entire review process to assess wildlife impacts and push for adequate mitigation outcomes. Developing a Conservation Plan […]
Nurturing Young Environmental Stewards: The SeDoMoCha Collaboration
Becoming a drop of water, acting like a migrating fish, and designing dams– middle school students have enjoyed hands-on nature based learning experiences thanks to Maine Audubon educators. In the fall of 2024, Fields Pond Audubon Center partnered with SeDoMoCha Middle School’s 21CCLC (21st Century Community Learning Center) after-school program to provide hands-on, nature-based learning […]
Plovers All Over: 2025 season recap
Yes, it was another record-breaking season! Breeding pairs of Piping Plovers hit a record high in 2025 reaching 174 pairs, smashing 2023’s record of 157 pairs. A total of 251 chicks fledged, only one chick shy of reaching 2022’s record number of fledglings, resulting in a productivity rate of 1.44 chicks fledged per pair. Although […]
Maine Audubon Delivers Petitions to Protect the Endangered Species Act
Last week, staff from Maine Audubon were in Washington D.C. to hand-deliver a petition signed by more than 1,800 Mainers asking Maine’s Congressional delegation to protect the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Maine Audubon Advocacy & Outreach Manager Nick Lund met with staff in the offices of Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Jared […]
The Coastal Birds Crew has Fledged!
The 2025 Coastal Birds Project season has officially reached its end. As of Friday, August 22, all of the Piping Plover chicks have fledged and many are already flying south to their wintering grounds—with some flying as far as the Caribbean! This year, Maine fledged 251 chicks, which is just one bird shy of the […]