This week Maine Audubon held its first ever Wildlife Champion Awards event at Gilsland Farm. We gathered in the Ann and Jim Hancock Native Plants Education Center to honor six state legislators who helped pass important legislation related to wildlife and habitat during the 132nd Maine Legislature, which convened in 2025 and 2026. Wildlife advocacy […]
Climate Change
July Phenology Report: Native Plants and Climate Change
As we reach peak summer in southern Maine, it is hard not to think about climate change with every day that hits 90+ degrees. In addition to the heat, there are other extreme conditions that are being exacerbated by climate change. Although our native plants are adapted to a range of regional conditions, hitting those […]
Maine Audubon comments on passage of seawall bill
Statement on the Passage of LD 228, “An Act to Allow Coastal Seawalls to Be Raised by up to 2 Feet in Order to Accommodate Predicted Sea Level Rise” On May 29, 2025, Governor Mills signed LD 228, “An Act to Allow Coastal Seawalls to Be Raised by up to 2 Feet in Order to […]
Wins for Wildlife: How We Worked to Site Wind Energy and Protect Wildlife in the Gulf of Maine
Offshore wind holds incredible potential to help meet the clean energy goals needed for a healthy climate. The Gulf of Maine, in particular, with its strong, sustained winds, is one of the best locations in the world to harness renewable wind energy. However, offshore wind development must be sited with care to avoid potential conflicts […]
Andy’s Note: Changes in ice out dates and bird song mark spring’s arrival
Happy spring! As we transition from winter to spring, two of the key indicators I always look for are the sharp increase in birdsong, which I notice during my morning runs, and the timing of ice out on the pond at Gilsland Farm and at my camp that lies about 30 miles inland on Loon […]
State Sand Dune Restoration Fund Now Taking Applications!
Coastal sand dunes are one of the rarest habitats in Maine, making up just about 2% of the state’s coastline. Built over time by the actions of wind and waves, dunes and associated beaches and salt marshes provide invaluable ecosystem services and economic benefits. The importance of coastal dunes is increasing as climate change causes […]
There’s a loon on the pond and winter’s coming. Should you worry?
On a recent ferry ride out to the Casco Bay Islands, I spotted hundreds of Common Loons on the ocean, many of them busy diving and foraging for their seasonal diet of saltwater prey. The majority had already traded in their striking black-and-white tuxedo worn during the breeding season in exchange for the duller, grayish-brown […]
Maine Climate Action Plan 2.0 Released
After years of work from stakeholders across the state, including Maine Audubon’s Ania Wright, Ches Gundrum, and Sally Stockwell, the state’s updated landmark climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait 2.0, has been released. The plan updates the original blueprint for statewide climate action, released in 2020, with new-and-improved strategies to help modernize Maine’s buildings, transition […]
New Report Outlines Escalating Impacts of Climate Change in Maine
For more than 40 years I have dedicated my professional career to protecting and improving the lives of our sacred wildlife. For nearly as long, I have been aware of the threats that a warming world poses to wildlife, the environment, and humankind. But I never imagined I would witness the dramatic changes we have […]