David Lamon has taken on a new role of Northern Operations and Programs Director, expanding his gaze beyond Fields Pond to include all areas in Maine’s northern regions. Read on to see what’s been happening at Fields Pond and beyond lately!
Remembering Judy
As you’ve hopefully heard by now, Fields Pond Audubon Center is turning 25 this year and we’ve got several different events to mark the occasion. Many are public, but a particularly personal one took place this past week.
Judy Kellogg Markowsky was the first Fields Pond director and was instrumental in the center’s founding. Earlier this week, a group of her family and friends took a memorial hike in her honor at the center. Judy’s cousin Kit Pfeiffer helped organize the event. Kit says, “Since a number of us couldn’t make the anniversary celebration, we wanted to celebrate Judy’s legacy now that Fields Pond is 25.”
All that and ice cream
Our grand public celebration of the 25th anniversary will take place on August 26 with a Butterfly Festival that includes Monarch tagging, an Insect BioBlitz, butterfly crafts, and more. Come dressed as your favorite butterfly and join the Butterfly Parade at noon! This is a free event for the whole family.
This just in: We’re delighted to announce that Darling’s Ice Cream Truck will also be here from 12 – 2 pm! As part of Darling’s Ice Cream for a Cause program, Darling’s will hand out free ice cream, and any voluntary donations (cash or check donations only) will go to the Fields Pond Audubon Center.
Cultivating Stream Explorers
David Lamon, Director of Northern Operations and Programs, led a Stream Explorers workshop at Taunton Bay Education Center in Sullivan in July, showing people how to determine the health of a stream by examining water samples and identifying the prevalence of more or less sensitive macroinvertebrates (water bugs). This community science initiative began in the Portland area but is spreading statewide, and participants range from kindergartners to octogenarians!
Onawa and Borestone news
David also had the opportunity to visit Onawa Lake, which is adjacent to Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary, last month. He gave a presentation to the Onawa Lake Community Association called “Maine’s Common Loons: Past, Present, and Future.” Onawa Lake has a population of loons and in fact during this year’s loon count, volunteers counted 20 loons, one of their highest totals in recent years. We look forward to hosting our Onawa neighbors and other community members at the annual Borestone lodges open house, taking place this year on August 9.
