The November 2016 elections brought new faces to the Maine Legislature and to the committees that analyze environmental issues, all within a political climate in which vetoes from the Governor have come to be expected. The session was extended beyond its June adjournment date because of stalled …
News
Maine Audubon receives $97,000 grant to improve habitat in Kennebec River watershed
This month, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $1.2 million in funding to “protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat in New England.” This includes a grant of $96,368 to Maine Audubon to improve mature forest habitat for forest-dwelling birds. Our work through this …
Reminder: Keep your hummingbird feeders up
You can tell it is October when we start using words like Selasphorus or Archilochus - these two mouthfuls are the genera of some of the hummingbirds that occur in North America, which could be in your yard right now. Even though mostly all of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have left Maine by the …
Nature Moments: Swimming with Leeches
Bowdoin professor and biologist Nat Wheelwright explains his latest video: I used to be afraid of leeches until I tried a simple experiment which showed that they much prefer frogs. Now I'd much rather swim in a natural pond than a sterile chlorinated pool. If you want to make your own natural …
Photo: Geese and other birds are on the move
October is a busy time for many bird species, as their migration routes bring them through Maine. You've likely seen flocks of geese and other migrating birds in the sky -- a sure sign of autumn. Our Wild Goose Chase van trip next month is a great opportunity to look for migrating geese. Consider …
My DC “Fly in” to protect ANWR for wildlife
Although Maine Audubon's lens is usually (and rightly) focused on wildlife and habitat issues within the state of Maine, there are times when issues "from away" warrant our time and attention. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is one of those. Maine is an unparalleled fall destination …
62 species seen at our 2017 Big Sit!
On Saturday we hosted the Big Sit at Maine Audubon's Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. Over the course of the day, more than 30 people came by to help us count as many birds as we could. Ultimately, we counted 62 species of birds (see the full list), which was 10 more than last year. …
Photos from our Merrymeeting Bay Trip
On Saturday, September 23, Maine Audubon's 48th annual Bald Eagles of Merrymeeting Bay trip left Boothbay Harbor with beautiful, sunny weather. The five-hour round trip took us through a variety of habitats as we cruised on open ocean to the mouth of the Kennebec River, up the river to Merrymeeting …
Nature Moments: Bouquets & Biodiversity from Your Lawn
In this installment of Nature Moments, Bowdoin professor and biologist Nat Wheelwright asks what would happen if we stopped -- gasp! -- mowing our lawns. Mowing lawns costs time, burns fossil fuels, and produces a biological desert. When Nat let his own grass grow, three dozen flower species …