Braving freezing temperatures, students and teachers from King Middle School joined leaders from Portland Parks, Maine Audubon, US Fish and Wildlife, and others to unveil a new interpretive sign about an ongoing project in Deering Oaks park early in the morning on Wednesday, November 17. A short …
Environmental Education
Announcing the 2022 Junior Duck Stamp program!
Announcing the 2022 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program! Educators, now is the time to get your students prepared to create some innovative and beautiful waterfowl art! Maine Audubon is collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the 28th annual statewide Federal …
Tracking an Invasion at Gilsland Farm
All the basic information about the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is right there in its name: "emerald" refers to the hue of its iridescent body; "ash" for the family of trees that these jewel beetles feed and lay their eggs on; and "borer" for the tunnels young beetles dig through the …
Fond memories from Gilsland Farm summer camp
Before summer truly comes to a close, we wanted to thank our Gilsland Farm summer camp families for a fantastic summer and share a few favorite memories. Camp days offer so many different ways to engage with the natural world, learn about wildlife, and have fun with friends. Like learning to use …
Nanotagging Monarch Butterflies — Very, Very Carefully — at Fields Pond
Once inside the front door of the Nature Center, summer visitors to the Fields Pond Audubon Center have been greeted by a display of Monarch Butterflies. Beginning as either eggs or small caterpillars, we collected these from the plethora of milkweed plants that grow all around the Nature Center. …
Big Update on a Successful Piping Plover Season!
Somehow it’s August! The piping plover breeding season is beginning to wind down, birds are taking off from Maine beaches to migrate South for the winter, and Maine Audubon’s Coastal Bird Crew is breathing a little easier. 170 young birds fledged off of beaches from Georgetown to Ogunquit is no …
Dune Grass Habitat: Essential For More Than The Birds
I recently was surveying for some of the last piping plover chicks of the season on Old Orchard Beach when a woman approached me, pointing to the bright green runners of beach grass at my feet. "What type of grass is that?", she asked to which I replied, "dune grass", caught off guard by such a …
Summer is a great time to explore
Summer is a great time to explore Gilsland Farm, and we have plenty of opportunities to get your family outdoors and learning about wildlife together! We have several new programs this year, so take a look. Read & Ramble: Join us for an outdoor storytime, geared towards children ages 3-5 and …
2021 Piping Plover Census Smashes Last Year’s Numbers, But Not Without Its Challenges
Over 120 pairs of endangered piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) were recently counted during the annual Piping Plover Census: a combined effort led by Maine Audubon, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife, and a diverse network of volunteers. Monitors traveled …