Suddenly, it's September, the month of the Autumn Equinox. I usually enter September in denial. Summer in Maine is so fantastic that I'm reluctant to relinquish my grip on it. Given our wet summer this year, I suspect that I'm not alone. However, when I look around, I have to admit there are …
News & Notes
Fall Planting Season is Here!
September is the new May for planting. In Maine, late summer into fall is the best time to get native plants in the ground. Benefits of fall planting include cooler temperatures, increased (continued) rainfall leading to reduced watering, and early spring growth. If you’re wondering what to add to …
Fields Pond Celebrates its 25th Birthday!
“I’m the same age as Fields Pond!” exclaimed Brianna Guy, educator and naturalist at Fields Pond Audubon Center, as she twirled around last weekend in a butterfly costume. Her enthusiasm for the center was contagious for all who celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Fields Pond in Holden last weekend, …
Fighting for the Future of the Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act is turning 50 this year! Enacted in 1973, this law is one of our most important tools to conserve our nation’s most vulnerable species – which, right now, includes 740 animals and 940 plants. Fifty years of experience has proven that the Endangered Species Act works: the …
Trees grow in Lewiston thanks to a community effort
On a blistering hot day this past July, if you were passing by 75 Lincoln Street in Lewiston, you would have been treated to quite a sight: about a dozen young women with shovels, rakes, and work gloves, working side by side with members of the Lewiston Public Works department, planting …
Plover Party spreads good cheer and great care
Thanks to all the folks who joined our Coastal Birds Crew at Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth for a plover party last week, especially to special guest Beacon, the Maine Mariners mascot! Also a big shout out to the rangers and staff at the state park, and to our new group of volunteers …
Record what you see and contribute to community science
Whether you are already a keen observer of nature, or are just starting to take notice of those plants and animals around you, consider getting involved in a community science project this summer. There are many ways that observations from individuals can help naturalists, planners, city parks …
Fields Pond Update: Youth activities were highlights for June
There’s not much we love more than seeing young people experiencing the wildlife and habitat at Fields Pond Audubon Center. So our busy month of June brought us much delight, and with the start of summer camp, July and August promise to deliver more of the same. In June, more than a dozen youth …
BirdSafe Maine – Spring 2023 Bird Strike Summary
We’ve officially reached the end of Bird Safe Maine’s Spring 2023 collision monitoring season, our sixth season of monitoring for collisions around Portland. This season our team saw its greatest number of volunteers monitoring to date: 45 volunteers contributed to monitoring over the course of two …