Portland Youth Corps is a collaboration between Portland Parks and Recreation, Maine Audubon, and Portland Parks Conservancy. Its mission is to promote personal and professional growth through community service, environmental stewardship, and hands-on conservation opportunities within Portland�s beautiful parks. Youth Corps members are aged 14 to 17; two sessions of teens spend four weeks during […]
News & Notes
Scenes from Summer Camp!
Summer camps returned to Gilsland Farm this summer in a big way, as we ran more weekly sessions, brought back preschool camps, and moved programming almost exclusively outdoors! And after 8 weeks of camp, 78 mystery animals, 128 nature journals, and too many turkey sightings to count, we wanted to share some scenes from camp: […]
September: The ideal month for planting native plants in Maine
The nights are cooler, the dew point is higher, and the soil is warmer: we have made it to September, the ideal month for planting in Maine!� What makes it ideal? Plants that go in the ground this month have a few weeks to settle, root out a little, and become dormant for winter. Plants […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for September: Hermit Thrush
As fall migration ramps up, birders should expect to see summer residents packing up and getting ready to move to their wintering ranges. The Hermit Thrush is one such migrant, a visually unassuming bird that has a recognizable and flute-like song often heard throughout northeastern woods. They are not typical visitors to feeders but as […]
Maine Audubon Releases Guide to Habitat Restoration and Native Plantings for Solar Development
Thanks in large part to incentives put in place by Governor Mills in 2019, clean, renewable solar energy is cropping up all across Maine. From fewer than 100 MW of solar energy on the ground in Maine in 2019, there are more than 525 MW installed today. Maine is on track to meet its clean […]
Ten Questions for Our Seasonal Loon Biologists�
What�s it like to work with loons in the field? For the spring and summer of 2022, two seasonal biologists, Earl Johnson and Jill Marianacci, have been working with Maine Audubon on the Loon Restoration Project, doing everything from building artificial nests for loons that struggle to hatch chicks, scouting lakes to find suitable sites, […]
The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Access Act: Frequently Asked Questions
In early August 2022, Maine Senators Angus King and Susan Collins jointly introduced a bill to allow for the growth of one of Maine’s most important conservation areas: Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Maine Audubon is a proud supporter of the monument, which protects habitat for Canada Lynx, Moose, and hundreds of species of […]
Commonly Misidentified Species: Plovers
COMMONLY MISIDENTIFIED SPECIES: It�s not always easy to identify Maine�s most beloved birds. Maine Audubon biologists and naturalists commonly field identification questions along the lines of �is it this, or is it that?�. Many species look similar from a distance, but there are some great telltale signs, both visual markers and behaviors, that can help […]
Help Monarchs, Plant Milkweed!
Monarchs are on decline across much of North America. This is due to a myriad of factors including habitat loss; use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicide; and climate change. One of the best things YOU can do is plant milkweed host plants and nectar-rich native perennials. Maine Audubon sells native plants; order online and […]