The world of aquatic macroinvertebrates is a wild one. These creatures lack a backbone (think insects, snails, and crayfish), are “macro” because they’re big enough to see with the naked eye, and they are definitely worth a closer look! For starters, there’s the Water Scorpion, a predatory insect named for its long breathing tube that […]
Maine's Naturalist
Musings on Trees: Loss but also hope
I had never spent much time thinking about trees until recently. I’ve always been drawn to the less charismatic, mosses, ferns, grasses, and other flora under the canopy. Like any nature lover, I’ve always appreciated trees, but as a part of the larger forest rather than a community in and of themselves. I knew very […]
Small Wonders: How to Be a Spring Peeper
So you want to be a Spring Peeper, an amphibious, one-inch long, beloved herald of spring? I get it! Why wouldn’t you want to be a tiny tree-dwelling frog singing your heart out on a warm spring evening? In honor of Maine “Big Nights,” (warm, rainy spring nights during which frogs and salamanders migrate from […]
No fooling! Phenomenal Storytelling in Bangor on April 1
We’re taking the show on the road! Since we launched Phenomenal: Seasonal Stories from Your Wildlife Community, a biannual live storytelling event, back in 2024, it’s been a wonderful experience hosted at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. People gather to listen to Maine scientists, writers, naturalists, activists, and community members share stories that connect […]
March Is Here: It’s Time to Get Excited for Spring Programs at Maine Audubon
It may not look or feel like spring outside this year yet, but March 1 always marks the beginning of our busy spring programs season at Maine Audubon. In 2026, we are thrilled to announce a robust slate of events and programs for people of all ages all around the state. Our offerings feature the […]
Call it a Big Night!
In a few short weeks the Earth will mark its journey around the sun with equal sunlight for both its southern and northern hemispheres, also known as the vernal equinox or “spring” in our northern hemisphere. You may have been noticing that the sun sits higher on the horizon these days (called the “solar altitude […]
Small Wonders: Winter Tree Bingo
Winter is an invitation to look closer. It’s also a season of working with what you’ve got, and what we’ve got right now in Maine is a whole lot of “bare” trees! Start squinting at them and you’ll notice that they’re bursting with signs of life. Written on bark, branches, and buds are the stories […]
Small Wonders: Connections
The other day, while staring out at a snowy Gilsland Farm, I wondered to myself “what are Scarlet Tanagers up to right now?” Something about it being ten degrees was making me think of these striking summer residents. Male Scarlet Tanagers (pictured above) look like ripe Roma tomatoes with solid black wings and a whitish, […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for January: Tufted Titmouse
You don’t have to be an expert to know what’s on the mind of a Tufted Titmouse. As one of the most vocal birds in Maine, they’re a great subject for studying bird behavior. Their most familiar noises might be their squeaky (dare I say ‘mousey’) contact calls and the raspy, mechanical scolding which you […]