The Peony Circle of Friends

Like the peony plants whose multicolored blooms open spectacularly every year at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, the members of Maine Audubon’s Peony Circle of Friends are a fine and dependable rootstock for growth. They are the people, businesses, and organizations who have supported Maine Audubon for 20 years or more - in many cases, many more - through volunteer work, membership, or other financial gifts. Maine Audubon owes its growth to the Peony Circle of Friends’ support. It is through their enduring generosity that Maine Audubon will continue to work for wildlife conservation to protect Maine’s great natural heritage.

See the complete list of Peony Circle members here. (PDF)

Meet Bob and Sandi Duchesne, of the Maine Audubon Peony Circle of Friends

“I’m very proud to tell people that I’m a Maine Audubon member.”

When Bob and Sandi Duchesne attended their first Penobscot Valley Chapter meeting over 25 years ago to meet like-minded people and learn the best birding spots in the Bangor area, they never knew that it would evolve into a lasting relationship with Maine Audubon.

Since that fateful day nearly three decades ago, Bob and Sandi have been true champions for Maine's wildlife. In addition to being members since 1989, both have served on the Penobscot Valley Chapter and Maine Audubon board of trustees. They lead many field trips for the PVC (and attend a fair amount too), and lead an expert birding team, The Cardinal Sins, in each year’s Birdathon fundraiser. Currently, Bob is serving as both a Maine Audubon trustee and as PVC president (again!), and Sandi is the PVC secretary.

Sandi admires Maine Audubon's continuing efforts to develop a workable conservation plan for the Northern Forest that all stakeholders can support. She says, "We support Maine Audubon because we appreciate their science-based approach to environmental activism, and its willingness to reach out to Maine’s industrial interests and traditional outdoor sportsmen to engage them in joint efforts to protect wildlife habitat. Because so much of Maine’s undeveloped land is in private ownership, I think Maine Audubon’s approach is the right way to go. I’m very proud to tell people that I’m a Maine Audubon member."

A state legislator fighting hard for Maine's environment, Bob says Maine Audubon's science-based approach to conservation will always be crucial for the protection of Maine's wildlife, especially with the current administration's recent attempts to roll back important environmental regulations.

Bob and Sandi have been birding for as long as they can remember, and love to share this passion with novice birders. Check Maine Audubon's website for programs and trips led by these dedicated environmentalists, it’s sure to be one you’ll remember.