Half a century ago, there were no Wild Turkeys in anyone’s backyard in Maine. A combination of deforestation (for agriculture) and unregulated hunting led to the extirpation of Wild Turkeys across much of the Northeast by the late 1800s. The birds you see today are the result of decades of successful reintroduction efforts across the […]
News & Notes
Meet Our New Snapping Turtle, Leo!
The Gilsland Farm Visitor Center is pleased to introduce the newest member of our team, measuring in at about 6 centimeters long with a mass of 9.07 grams. This new addition brings us so much joy already! Please join us in welcoming our baby Common Snapping Turtle, Leo! On a chilly September afternoon, Andy Kapinos […]
A “Phenomenal” Evening of Storytelling
PLEASE NOTE: This event has been rescheduled to November 21 Maine Audubon and our partners are really proud of our science-based approach to our work, and we host many programs to share the latest research, data, and findings of top experts in the fields amongst which we work. However, when we talk to these experts […]
A Huge Opportunity for Maine Trails on the Ballot this November
Trails are essential to our enjoyment and appreciation of the outdoors. Maine Audubon offers dozens of miles of trails across our eight centers and sanctuaries, allowing visitors to access diverse habitats while diverting traffic from sensitive areas. But trails take a lot of work. Many people think that the more primitive a trail is, the […]
Expanding Districtwide Fieldwork with Portland Public Schools
It’s been an exciting fall with Portland Public Schools (PPS). As PPS continues to grow its outdoor learning opportunities for its students as part of the integrated Wabanaki Studies & Life Science units, Maine Audubon continues to offer its support during districtwide fieldwork. This fall, that took the form of two projects, one at a […]
Keep those hummingbird feeders up
Every spring, Maine Audubon gets inundated with questions asking “when should we put our hummingbird feeders up?” and every fall, typically in September, we get asked “when can our feeders come down?” So, it is time for our semi-annual Public Service Announcement about hummingbird feeders! All summer long, Maine has been home to Ruby-throated Hummingbirds […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for October: Yellow-rumped Warbler
Let’s get the laugh out of the way first: yes, they are called Yellow-rumped Warblers, they do have yellow rumps, and sometimes we even call them “butter-butts”. This unique feature, present in all sexes and plumages, makes this species one of the easiest warblers to identify. Even in the fall, when most warblers are relatively […]
Putting Gilsland Farm to Work in the Effort to Preserve Maine Ash Trees
Maine is the most forested state in the nation (with almost 90 percent of forest land) so we might be forgiven for taking trees for granted. But many of the tree species in Maine are or have been under threat. Fungal diseases have attacked chestnut and elm trees and invasive insects are threatening hemlocks, oaks, […]
Maine Sport Outfitters first retailer to take part in lead tackle buyback program
As a new law expanding the ban on sales of certain sizes of lead tackle comes into effect, we are working to help tackle stores adapt and respond, by offering to buy their inventory. We’ve just had our first success story this week and wanted to share the news! Thanks to a grant from Maine […]