Tackling climate change is one of the most difficult and pressing tasks Mainers face, both personally and collectively. Maine's lawmakers have set some ambitious goals for reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions and for procuring retail electricity sales from renewable energy sources. This …
News & Notes
ANDY’S NOTE: Energy Matters
We turn the clocks back this weekend, so we can't deny it any longer: winter really is coming. Last November, we had 16 inches of snow in the Portland area! With these shorter days and colder temperatures, our thoughts inevitably turn to keeping warm. But those thoughts clash with news …
National Audubon Reports on Climate Risks to Maine Birds
Today the National Audubon Society released a new report, Survival By Degrees: 389 Species on the Brink, which gives detailed projections for how climate change will impact the ranges of hundreds of bird species. The report contains state-by-state breakdowns of these projections, and the Maine …
Andy’s Note: A new season brings hope
The autumn equinox has passed. It is a good time to reflect upon a summer well-lived and to ponder the promise of a new season in Maine. A few weeks ago, an evening trip in my car coincided with a massive flying ant swarm. These swarms are an annual late summer event, as alates (the breeding …
“Bringing Nature Home”: Blooms, Berries, and Seeds
Fall is in the air and news. A couple of crisp mornings, the first foliage maps, and migrating birds all spell the final weeks and months of what has largely been a great growing season. However, it's not over yet! In fact, judging by the blooms, berries, and wildlife we're seeing around us, one …
Summer Camp 2019 Reflections
The summer camp season has come and gone here at Gilsland Farm, giving us a chance to reflect on all the learning and fun that happened. Across 8 weeks of camp, 165 campers spent their days engaged with the landscape and wildlife of Gilsland Farm. Coming from 18 different Maine towns (not to mention …
Bird numbers declining by the billions
A shocking new report published this week in the journal Science has outlined what many avid birders in Maine have been telling us for years: the number of birds we are seeing in our fields, forests, coastlines, and even our feeders is shrinking. Dramatically shrinking -- on average by 29%, or one …
2019 Bar Harbor Pelagic Trip Report
On Saturday, Septmeber 14th, Maine Audubon ran its annual pelagic tour out of Bar Harbor. While the seas were unfortunately rougher than predicted, we did have a few amazing highlights while on the water: Birds: Great Skua takes the top place again as our highlight bird. Only a single …
New Protections for Wild Brook Trout!
Thanks to the hard work of hundreds of volunteer anglers, the Heritage Waters Work Group, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the many people who attended public informational meetings and hearings, most Brook Trout in northern Maine will soon have one less thing to worry …