One of my favorite autumn traditions is to paddle my kayak on Casco Bay to watch the sun set and the full moon rise. This week, I did exactly that to celebrate the Harvest Moon. Low in the sky and about 180 degrees apart, the sun and moon sent shimmering beams on the nearly flat bay in the direction …
News & Notes
Brush with Nature benefit exhibition and sale shares a wealth of creative inspiration
Fall is here and with it the smell of apples, leaves, pumpkin spice and . . . paint? Maine Audubon's Brush (and weave and sculpt) with Nature benefit exhibition and sale opens October 6 and runs through November 12 at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. Earlier this spring, 28 artists were …
Maine Audubon goes to Washington!
Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and I had the opportunity to take part in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act with our partners in wildlife conservation across the country, who gathered in Washington, D.C., in September. This gathering brought much-needed attention …
Native plants sales season ends as it began: all smiles
The Native Plants Festival in June, which kicked off our 2023 season, was a fabulous success, with more than 800 people in attendance despite the weather, and nearly all of our plants sold. But it was just the beginning of our native plant selling season. And what a season it was! Here are the …
University of Maine students help increase accessibility at Fields Pond
UMaine students are once again improving the environment at Fields Pond! This fall, students from the University of Maine Construction Engineering Technology (CET) program removed the ageing footbridge along the Meadow Path at the Fields Pond Audubon Center. The bridge was originally constructed to …
Campers became Stream Explorers this summer in Auburn
(This is the third guest blog post in our occasional series, Stream Explorers and Youth) This summer at the YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston’s Outdoor Learning and Education Center (OLEC) we had the opportunity to run a Stream Explorers activity as part of our regular summer camp programming. The center …
From the Interns: Spending a Summer with the Piping Plovers
The Coastal Birds project hires seasonal biologists, technicians, and interns every summer to help with Piping Plover and Least Tern conservation on the beaches from York to Georgetown. Every summer, we are fortunate to have energetic students who are willing to do whatever it takes! Here, they …
Arborist Jeff Tarling joins Maine Audubon, introduces speaker series in October
When Jeff Tarling retired from his role as Portland’s Arborist in January, we were sad to see him go, but honored to have collaborated with him on many projects. Jeff worked for the city for 34 years and became well known for his passion for trees, his community engagement, and his commitment to the …
Where are the birds?!? (post Hurricane Lee Edition)
It is that time of the year again, when a combination of factors can cause a decreased detection of birds, especially at bird feeders. Some years this is more noticeable than others, and based on the number of phone calls and messages we've been getting recently, there are a lot of people asking …