Last week brought what could be the most comprehensive attacks to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) we have ever seen. Legislative proposals in Congress and proposed rule changes from the Executive Branch would do everything from bar specific animals from being listed as endangered for a decade, to …
News
Andy’s Note: The Recipe for an Amazing August
The arrival of August always leaves me feeling like the low gas indicator on my dashboard suddenly lit up. It is a jarring reminder about the finite quality of summer. As I'm writing this, I'm preparing to head to Limestone to celebrate my 40th high school reunion. Forty years is a long time, but …
Maine’s First White M Hairstreak
One of the big draws for me getting into birding when I was a high schooler was the opportunity to make contributions to ornithology through citizen science. I found eBird early on and seeing my sightings fill in gaps on range maps or bar charts provided the instant gratification I needed to stick …
The Supreme Court and Maine’s Wildlife
Environmental Law is an incredibly important field. It defines how the nation views and treats the natural realm, and it demonstrates to the world our values with respect to the environment. Here in Maine, environmental laws protect livelihoods, as so many of our careers and lifestyles depend on …
Nature Moments: Getting to Know Bug Spit
You never know what you're going to find inside a gob of spit in a meadow. If you're lucky, it might be a young spittlebug. As Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright explains, the "spit," which is left over from feeding on plant sap, protects these harmless insects from …
Summer Camp Recap: Aquatic Adventures
One of the highlights of camp each week is field trip day! Last week our aquatic adventurers explored Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth to check out the tide pools and other coastal habitats. Campers found lots of crabs, hermit crabs, periwinkles, barnacles, fish, and even an eel! …
Roundup: Reports & Images from the 35th Annual Loon Count
Saturday morning, July 21, was the 35th year of Maine Audubon's Annual Loon Count. On Lakes and ponds around the state, over 1,400 volunteers headed out to tally the loon adults and chicks in their designated areas. Over the coming days and weeks, their reports will be collected and aggregated, …
Take Action: Important Land Conservation Tool to Expire in September
One of the nation's most important land conservation funding tools will expire on September 30th -- unless we take action. For more than 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has protected wildlife and habitat in every state. Without action from Congress, this bipartisan program …
Celebrating Moths with Maine Audubon
Moths are an underappreciated, relatively little-known group of insects. They aren't just little brown bugs that come to your porch light! Varying from leaf miners (at barely 0.1 inches long) to the Atlas Moth of Asia (with a wingspan of over 12 inches -- around the same size as the world's largest …