Hello again! In my last post, I gave a preview of the "Sustainable Home" section we have been putting together in the Nature Store at Gilsland Farm. Well, it's here! Curated by Maine Audubon staff, this new section is designed to help us all make more environmentally-responsible, sustainable …
News
Native Plant Pop Quiz #2!
Welcome to "Name That Native Plant!" -- a quiz to help familiarize you with the native plants that provide such critical support Maine's insects, birds, and other wildlife. For our second installment, we're featuring this Maine Audubon-grown native plant... I am a striking plant, with …
Rare Bird Alert: GREAT BLACK HAWK [UPDATE: 11/29/18]
[UPDATE Nov. 29, 2018] This just keeps getting wilder. The Great Black Hawk, not seen since Oct. 30, was refound this morning in Deering Oaks Park in Portland. Unlike last month's appearance which was seen by just a single birder, dozens have enjoyed the bird today, and it continues as of …
Native Plant Pop Quiz #1!
Welcome to "Name That Native Plant!" -- a quiz to help familiarize you with the native plants that provide such critical support Maine's insects, birds, and other wildlife. For our first installment, we're featuring this Maine Audubon-grown native plant... I am the ultimate “Bringing …
Nature Moments: The Songs of Trees
If you close your eyes on a breezy day, you can identify trees just by the rustle of their leaves. Are they singing to each other? For David G. Haskell, ecologist and author of The Songs of Trees, listening closely to the distinctive voices in a forest "can ignite our curiosity and get our minds …
Native Plants for Sale All Summer (and Fall)!
The third annual Native Plants Sale & Festival in June was a huge success. We are proud to have sold over 2,000 fantastic plants native to Maine! We've also spent the last few months planting hundreds more at Gilsland Farm and at various locations in Portland. At each of these sites, we've …
A Walk and Talk about the Endangered Species Act
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 …
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 …