Maine Audubon regularly features posts by guest authors as part of our Maine's Naturalist series. If you'd like to explore contributing a post about Maine wildlife, send an email to media@maineaudubon.org. Today's post is from Polly Haight Frawley, 2019 graduate of the Maine Master Naturalist …
Insects
Let plants thrive in July
Happy summer! It's late July, but don't believe the hype about summer being mostly over. Ecologically, there are still three important months left of the growing and blooming season before we get to fall. Each of those months is special and important is its own way. July's focus should be letting …
What is an Insect BioBlitz?
What's one of the best ways to spend a beautiful Saturday in July? Catching “bugs” at Fields Pond! And that's exactly what more than two dozen of us did on Saturday July 13th at the Fields Pond Insect BioBlitz. Armed with nets, magnifying lenses, and clear jars, we documented everything from …
Maine’s Naturalist: The Monarchs are Back!
Maine Audubon regularly features posts by guest writers, including graudates of the Maine Master Naturalist Program – in our Maine's Naturalist series. If you'd like to explore contributing a post, send an email to outreach@maineaudubon.org. Today's blog post is by Maine Master Naturalist Karen …
Following Monarchs to Mexico: Part 2
This is Part 2 of the Lambert family sojourn to Mexico in pursuit of Monarch butterflies. Read Part 1 here. An Intergenerational Quest In the fall, monarchs across the eastern United State and Canada migrate to a plot of fir trees in the mountains of Mexico last visited by their great great …
Following Monarchs to Mexico: Part 1
After three years of raising monarchs from eggs and caterpillars here in Maine, the Lambert family followed the Monarchs south to Mexico to see the next stage in their life-cycle. Here are some reflections from the metamorphosis and migration of Monarchs: At a time when Earth calls on human …
What Are Maine Insects Doing in the Winter?
One of the small consolations of living through a cold, dark Maine winter is that, hey, at least we're not getting bitten by mosquitoes! There are thousands of "bug" species in Maine. You see them all over in the spring and summer -- bees, mosquitoes, flies, and dragonflies zip through the air, …
Bad News: The Emerald Ash Borer Has Arrived in York County
Yesterday, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced that the invasive Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed in western York County. From their release: Entomologists have confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) in western York County, Maine. This …
Nature Moments: The Buzz About Bees
Bumblebees have tiny brains but extraordinarily sophisticated behavior. If you follow a bee as it forages for pollen and nectar, you're likely to find that it specializes on only one type of flower. In this latest Nature Moments video, ecologist Patty Jones explains that bees' choices are influenced …