[click on a sign to enlarge]
Informational signs: Forestry for Maine Birds informational signs are (or will soon be) on display in Sewall Woods in West Bath, the Yankee Woodlot in Skowhegan, the Woodbury Sanctuary in Monmouth/Litchfield, the Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, and Mahoosuc Land Trust in Bethel. Tailored to each site, each sign describes one of eight different habitat features that are important to breeding forest birds. The signs highlight how active forest management can be used to create or enhance three layers of vegetation, small gap openings, and dead standing and down wood; why and how to conserve big old trees, softwood stands in hardwood forests, and riparian habitat; and how to reduce the threat of invasive species. Each sign, which is placed near an example of that habitat feature, includes a description of the feature, photos of birds that use that feature, and questions for the reader to consider, as well as recommendations for how to enhance habitat for birds and other wildlife in your own woodland. Templates are available to customize for other land trusts, municipal community forests, or Soil and Water Conservation District forests that are open to the public and being managed “with birds in mind.” Please get in touch with us if you are interested.