This spring, fifth graders in Ms. Estes’ class at Mary Snow School wrapped up a yearlong investigation into watershed health with an inspiring environmental action project, thanks to support from the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant program. Their learning journey brought them from the top of Copeland Hill in Holden to the […]
Maine Native Plants
May Phenology Report: Early and False Springs
Spring is alive and well in southern coastal Maine! The landscape is filled with all kinds of beautiful colors: white and pink petals everywhere, and the deep reds and bright yellow-greens of baby leaves. As the days get warmer, our insect friends emerge—so far I have seen American Lady (pictured above) and Cabbage White butterflies, […]
Native Plants Festival Special Guest Speakers Address Meadows, Bees, Rain Gardens, and More
Maine Audubon is pleased to announce its annual Native Plants Festival and Sale will take place this year on Saturday, June 7, from 9 am to 3 pm. The popular festival, designed to showcase and provide information about the importance of native plants, will take place at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Road, Falmouth. […]
Pollinator Spotlight: Solitary Bees
We’re using the time leading up to the 10th anniversary Pollinator Parade, hosted at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center on May 10, to highlight a few of our favorite pollinator species! If you have tickets to the parade, consider this some extra costume inspiration. And even if you can’t attend, we hope these posts will help […]
Developing Community Tree Nurseries Across Maine
Maine Audubon is thrilled to announce an exciting new project which will develop four community tree nurseries in Maine’s three largest cities, as well as in Machias. Similar to commercial plant nurseries, with tree nurseries the idea is to create space and infrastructure for small tree and plant seedlings to be grown along until they […]
April Phenology Report: Snowmelt and the Growing Season
The recent warm temperatures and spring rain have driven away what is left of this year’s dumping of snow. Although our plants have been dormant and waiting all winter, cues like snowmelt let them know that it is time for the growing season again! One study from 2022 (Zheng J. et al, 2022. Agricultural and […]
Announcing the 2025 Plant Genus of the Year!
Each year, we highlight one standout group of plants that deserves a little more love in our gardens. Last year, we chose Swida dogwoods as our genus of the year. In 2025, it’s all about Carex. Often overlooked but endlessly valuable, Carex (also known as sedges) are some of the most versatile, resilient, and ecologically […]
Maine Audubon heads to water conference to talk about healthy streams
Maine Audubon biologists and educators will be taking part in the 2025 Maine Sustainability & Water Conference, scheduled for March 27 at the Augusta Civic Center. The conference is an annual gathering where “ . . . professionals, researchers, consultants, citizens, students, regulators, and planners gather to exchange information and present new findings on sustainability […]
This February, learn about Maine native plants in this four-part online course
Back by popular demand, the 2025 “Bringing Nature Home” short course will return this February as a four-part online series. This is a great opportunity if you’re new to the world of native plants and are looking to learn more about backyard ecology and the simple actions you can take to create wildlife friendly habitat. […]