Ferns might be my favorite plant group. Many share a recognizable morphology—a “ferny” look—yet they’re a class of plants with gorgeous structural diversity. Yesterday I took a walk at Gilsland Farm with a macro lens to see what species were up. I bumped into a fern about forty-five seconds after leaving the Visitor Center. The […]
Gilsland Farm
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 […]
Building for Barn Swallows
In my years of regular birding at Gilsland Farm, I’ve seen several species come, and others go, as breeders on the landscape. These changes are generally caused by changing habitat compositions and of course our warming climate, which has caused historically southern species to now nest here. We typically think of nesting habitats as the […]
Celebrate Earth Day 2025 with Maine Audubon
At Maine Audubon, we feel like every day is Earth Day! But of course, we still do honor the official day, which falls on April 22 this year. We’ve got a week packed full of special events designed to have fun while doing our best for the planet. Please join us! APRIL 18 Gilsland Farm, […]
Celebrate Spring Early at Phenomenal: Spring 2025 — Our Seasonal Story Slam
Phenomenal: Spring 2025 Our Seasonal Story Slam Featuring Scientists, Naturalists, and Cultural Knowledge Sharers Back by popular demand! We are thrilled to announce the return and the developing slate of presenters for Phenomenal: Spring 2025. Join us for a cozy and entertaining evening of live storytelling to celebrate the return of Red-winged Blackbirds, the lengthening […]
Come mingle with wildlife and be inspired!
As your wildlife community, Maine Audubon prides itself on striking the balance between bringing people together to celebrate nature’s many wonders and the severity of potential threats to the wildlife and habitat that are so essential to the identity, ecology, economy, and culture of Maine. In more than a century and a half of engaging […]
Exciting Changes Coming to Gilsland Farm
Maine Audubon’s Native Plants Program Expanding into New Building Maine Audubon has unveiled plans for the Ann and Jim Hancock Native Plants Education Center and expanded, adjacent growing area, to be built at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm headquarters in greater Portland. Supported initially by generous donations from Ann and Jim Hancock, the new structure will […]
Meet Our New Snapping Turtle, Leo!
The Gilsland Farm Visitor Center is pleased to introduce the newest member of our team, measuring in at about 6 centimeters long with a mass of 9.07 grams. This new addition brings us so much joy already! Please join us in welcoming our baby Common Snapping Turtle, Leo! On a chilly September afternoon, Andy Kapinos […]
A “Phenomenal” Evening of Storytelling
PLEASE NOTE: This event has been rescheduled to November 21 Maine Audubon and our partners are really proud of our science-based approach to our work, and we host many programs to share the latest research, data, and findings of top experts in the fields amongst which we work. However, when we talk to these experts […]