Earlier this fall, an ad playing on the radio caught Dana Jenkins’ attention. “Calling all fishing tackle stores in Maine,” the announcer’s voice said. “Maine Audubon wants to pay your store for its lead tackle. A new law makes it illegal to sell painted lead jigs weighing 1 ounce or less or measuring 2.5 inches […]
Media Release
BirdSafe Maine – Fall 2024 Season Recap!
BirdSafe Maine‘s Fall 2024 migration season concluded on Oct. 31, our fifth fall on the streets. In that time we’ve made some amazing progress in that time—highlighted by a new bird safe architecture ordinance in Portland and a new law to create statewide guidelines—but this fall we enjoyed a very satisfying realization of the effectiveness […]
Plover Season Wrap-up: Breeding Pairs Down but Productivity Back on Track
Despite severe winter storm damage on the beaches, Piping Plovers arrived in Maine right on schedule, starting to arrive in mid March with many in time for the early April snowstorm and solar eclipse. Hardy little birds, the Piping Plovers weathered the storm and started staking out their nesting territories by mid April. Although some […]
Maine Audubon offers money to retailers to buy back lead tackle
Calling all Maine fishing tackle retailers: Maine Audubon is offering to buy back your store’s lead tackle to help get it off the shelves—and keep it out of lakes. As of September 1, 2024, the sale of painted lead jigs weighing one ounce or less or measuring less than 2.5 inches long is prohibited, and […]
Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count Set for July 20
Nothing symbolizes summer in Maine quite like the haunting wail of a loon. The urge to help them and make sure that future generations will be able to hear that call is what has galvanized people to turn out, year after year, early on a Saturday morning in July, to count loons and aid in […]
Help Loons on the Fourth of July
Maine Audubon has been working to protect Common Loons for decades, so we know that the Fourth of July is one of the busiest periods on Maine lakes and ponds. The potential for conflict is high, especially since many loons have vulnerable chicks by their sides in July or may still be nesting. In many […]
Happy Fourth of July: Loon Restoration Project Update
By Ethan Daly, Loon Restoration Team Technician I was recently checking in on one of our new loon nesting raft sites near Gray, Maine. As I stood on the shore, speaking with a volunteer about how to minimize human disturbances to the raft, we watched two paddle boarders weave in between our strategically placed raft […]
BirdSafe Maine Announces Winners of Inaugural Bird Safe Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 28, 2024 MAINE AUDUBON media@maineaudubon.org BirdSafe Maine Announces Winners of Inaugural Bird Safe Awards BirdSafe Maine–a partnership between Maine Audubon, the University of Southern Maine, and the Portland Society for Architecture–honors companies, schools, and individuals working to protect birds from window strikes FALMOUTH, ME — As many as 988 million birds […]
Maine Audubon Urges Federal Regulators to Remove Kennebec Dams
The story of America’s movement to restore wildlife habitat by removing unnecessary and underperforming dams began, in part, on the Kennebec River. In 1999, advocates from across Maine came together to celebrate the removal of the Edwards Dam near Augusta and the restoration of 18 miles of fish habitat not accessible since 1837. The movement […]