On May 1, Maine Audubon's Director of Finance and Human Resources, Dorothy (Dori) H. Barnes (May 4, 1966–May 1, 2020)–our passionate, hard-working, larger-than-life, fierce, loyal friend–left this world way too soon. Dori always spoke the truth and she kept us honest. Generous and inclusive, she …
News & Notes
Seven Months in the Life of a Snapping Turtle
Seven months ago, a nest of Snapping Turtle eggs hatched at the edge of the parking lot at Gilsland Farm. You can read about that eventful day and the decision to overwinter one of the hatchlings in a previous blog post, Introducing Our New Roommate: A Baby Snapping Turtle. After consulting …
Elementary Connections: Spring Wildflowers
What woodland flowers bloom first in our area? How can you tell them apart? What insects or animals help these early blooming flowers reproduce and grow through pollination? Ephemeral: What does that mean? When talking about the early-blooming flowers that pop up in forests around New England, …
Good luck, young salmon!
If you've followed along with our adventures in salmon-rearing in previous years, you know that May is when we typically release our Atlantic Salmon fry into the Presumpscot River watershed. Of course, this year has been anything but typical, with participants in the Fish Friends program scrambling …
Connections: Mast Landing scavenger hunt
Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary is a little gem right outside of downtown Freeport. It's often overlooked but is a great place for a short family-friendly walk. If you have a chance to visit, see if you can spot any of these things below! This is an action scavenger hunt, in which you are challenged …
Connections: Everyone Loves Hummingbirds
With their shimmering feathers and ability to hover and fly backwards, hummingbirds have always fascinated us. Historically, they have been seen as symbols of love, peace, playfulness, and joy. In nature, they signal the arrival of plants, flowers, insects, and warmer days to come. In Maine, the …
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Provides Grant to Track Species of Greatest Concern in New England
A major grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will enable a New England research partnership to dramatically expand a revolutionary new migration tracking system across New England. The three-year, Competitive State Wildlife Grant of $998,000 will be matched by $355,500 in private …
Connections: A Blanding’s Turtle Story Walk
It's almost time to start watching for turtles crossing the road. As turtles emerge from their winter brumation (the reptile and amphibian version of hibernation), they look for places to lay eggs. One way to learn about this is to read A Blanding's Turtle Story, a picture book written by Melissa …
Family Fun Connections: Earth Day
As you could probably guess, I'm a big believer in acting like it's Earth Day everyday. I try to be mindful of my impact on outdoor spaces I visit, use resources with care, and do what I can to create habitat all year, not just on April 22nd. But what to do when Earth Day rolls around, and the 50th …