My first step to becoming a naturalist was seeing a mushroom called Exsudoporus frostii, or Apple Bolete (pictured above). I was walking in the Middlesex Fells in Massachusetts and something blood red caught my eye. I thought it was trash. It turned out to be a deep red mushroom with a funky-looking webbed stem, as […] The post Small Wonders: Every fungus has a story appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
The 2025 Coastal Birds Project season has officially reached its end. As of Friday, August 22, all of the Piping Plover chicks have fledged and many are already flying south to their wintering grounds—with some flying as far as the Caribbean! This year, Maine fledged 251 chicks, which is just one bird shy of the […] The post The Coastal Birds Crew has Fledged! appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
Back-to-school sales seem to have started in July this year, so we’ll have to look for a few other signs that summer is winding down: goldenrod blooming everywhere, cooler mornings, and woodchucks munching on a few early windfall apples. At Maine Audubon, that of course means the end of our summer camp season. But before […] The post See you later, summer campers! appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
This summer marked our fourth year working with Lewiston-based nonprofit Maine Community Integration (MCI). With each passing year, the relationship between Maine Audubon and MCI deepens, and creates greater trust and understanding for the work and experiences that are possible. The mission of MCI is “creating opportunities for New Mainer girls and their families to […] The post Sprout Lewiston Takes Root appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
If you’re walking the mowed paths of the West Meadow at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, you may notice a few Trail Closure signs. These signs have been added because Maine Audubon is experiencing a change among the trees that many other places in the country are also seeing. As visitors and readers of our various […] The post Gilsland Farm: Trail closed for Emerald Ash Borer study appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
Last week, I saw a couple of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds whizzing around the nursery and perching in nearby trees. I love spotting these tiny and shiny birds—the only hummingbird native to New England. Even though this is the only species we typically see on the East Coast, they really pull their weight as pollinators; many native […]| Maine Audubon
I remember feeling a unique joy anytime I encountered spittlebugs as a kid. These are the teeny insects that leave surprise wet spots on your shins as you walk through tall grass. Sap-suckers like spittlebugs are everywhere, but most are much more inconspicuous. There are tens of thousands of species of insects all over the […] The post Small Wonders: Spittlebugs, Aphids, and Leafhoppers appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
Compliance with Voluntary Guidelines Will Help Reduce Bird / Glass Collisions in Maine On Tuesday, August 5, the State of Maine’s Bureau of General Services (BGS) released final guidelines for incorporating bird-safe principles in publicly-funded buildings in Maine. The result of a law passed in 2023, the guidelines were developed in collaboration with Maine Audubon, […] The post State Releases Guidelines for Bird Safe Architecture appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
Two Maine Audubon staffers were able to attend the National Audubon Society’s Audubon Leadership Conference in Montreal last month. The event was the first of its kind since 2016, and gathered over 400 staff, board members, and volunteers from Audubon chapters and partners across North, Central, and South America to make connections, share intel, and […] The post At the National Audubon Society’s “Soaring, Together!” Conference appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
If you don’t know any better, you might mistake the Red-bellied Woodpecker’s call for that of a frog, or perhaps a clown lost in the woods. This isn’t a bird you would have heard often if you grew up in Maine, but now their loud, rolling “kwurr” can be heard commonly in the southern part […] The post Backyard Bird of the Month for August: Red-bellied Woodpecker appeared first on Maine Audubon.| Maine Audubon
2025 marked the launch of Maine Audubon’s four Community Tree Nurseries in Portland, Auburn, Bangor, and East Machias. Working with professional partners in municipal public works, urban forestry, vocational education, and habitat restoration, these nurseries will produce native species of trees and other plants for city arborists to use in replacing canopy trees in Maine’s […]| Maine Audubon
Looking for a way to enjoy Maine’s beautiful coastline, engage with other people, and help our migrating shorebirds at the same time? Become a Shorebird Ambassador with Maine Audubon! Shorebird Ambassadors walk the Maine shoreline during migratory shorebird season (July-October) to both monitor the birds and to share the birds’ stories with the general public. […]| Maine Audubon
As we reach peak summer in southern Maine, it is hard not to think about climate change with every day that hits 90+ degrees. In addition to the heat, there are other extreme conditions that are being exacerbated by climate change. Although our native plants are adapted to a range of regional conditions, hitting those […]| Maine Audubon
Maine Audubon has been working to protect Common Loons for decades, so we know that the Fourth of July is one of the busiest periods on Maine lakes and ponds. The potential for conflict is high, especially since many loons have vulnerable chicks by their sides in July or may still be nesting. In many […]| Maine Audubon
We always get questions about fireworks around the Fourth of July, but since the change to Maine’s law in 2012, now allowing the sale of consumer fireworks, we hear about more and more conflicts with wildlife and not just around the July holiday. This simple answer is yes, fireworks definitely disturb birds, but let’s consider […]| Maine Audubon
BirdSafe Maine is a statewide collaboration to raise awareness about the bird-window collision problem and encourage adoption of available solutions, through research, policy, design solutions, and education. For more information, contact Advocacy and Outreach Manager Nick Lund. We want to know where birds are striking windows anywhere in Maine. If you find a dead or stunned […]| Maine Audubon
May 31 marked the end of BirdSafe Maine’s Spring 2025 bird monitoring season. It was, sadly, another eventful effort in Portland and around Maine, though there are signs of significant progress. Read on to learn about how it went. On the Portland Route We recorded 43 total birds dead or injured on the streets of […]| Maine Audubon
Bird-Friendly Maple The same forests that make Maine one of the top three maple producing states also support some of the highest diversity of nesting birds in the country. In an effort to bring together Maine’s maple industry with bird conservation, Maine Audubon has partnered with Audubon Vermont, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and the […]| Maine Audubon
News and notes from Maine Audubon, a Maine nonprofit committed to protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat| Maine Audubon
It’s that sweet time of year again: Maine Maple Sunday weekend is coming right up on March 22-23. During that weekend you have a chance to visit maple producers to learn more about how maple syrup and other maple treats are made. You’ll also have a chance to learn more about how these sugarbushes are […]| Maine Audubon
By Ethan Daly, Loon Restoration Team Technician I was recently checking in on one of our new loon nesting raft sites near Gray, Maine. As I stood on the shore, speaking with a volunteer about how to minimize human disturbances to the raft, we watched two paddle boarders weave in between our strategically placed raft […]| Maine Audubon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 28, 2024 MAINE AUDUBON media@maineaudubon.org BirdSafe Maine Announces Winners of Inaugural Bird Safe Awards BirdSafe Maine�a partnership between Maine Audubon, the University of Southern Maine, and the Portland Society for Architecture�honors companies, schools, and individuals working to protect birds from window strikes FALMOUTH, ME � As many as 988 million birds […]| Maine Audubon
