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Posted on by Hannah McGhee Posted in Looking at Lakes and Ponds, On the trails, Recorded workshops & trainings
Trail volunteers having a good time

Our volunteers are what make our work possible. We couldn’t do nearly as much as we do in land conservation, water quality monitoring, and education without the many passionate people who give their time.

In this event we run through the variety of volunteer opportunities available, and talk about precautions we are taking this season due to COVID. This will be followed by a chance to ask questions about the opportunities that interest you most. There is a job for every interest, whether it’s monitoring water quality, stewardship, handy-work, hospitality, nature education, or photography!

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Posted on by Barnaby Porter Posted in Barnaby's Blog
painted wooden sculpture of three mackerel

There’s a song that sings, “June is busting out all over,” and it’s true. In May, when things first green up, the land all around has the appearance of tidiness under the gentle spell of new growth. There is still an openness to the woods that allows birds’ songs to carry far, and weeding the just-planted garden is only a simple chore. The lilac outside the kitchen window hesitates to unfold its curling leaves; its greatest effort spent in building lavender buds. (…)

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Posted on by Hannah McGhee Posted in Recorded workshops & trainings
Don Lyons holding a puffing

New lessons from puffins and terns Hear from Dr. Stephen Kress and Dr. Don Lyons about seabird restoration in Maine. The story of how a colony of Atlantic puffins was restored off the coast of Maine offers hope and inspiration at a time when many seabird species worldwide are threatened because of invasive predatory mammals, marine pollution, and the effects of climate change. Dr. Kress provides examples of how methods he developed for bringing puffins back to Maine are helping to create new colonies of endangered seabirds around the world. Dr. Lyons shares how restored colonies of puffins and terns are …

Saving Seabirds Read More »

Posted on by Hannah McGhee Posted in On the trails, What's New
A young volunteer helps cut back invasive vines

Our stewardship team is looking for volunteers to help with two outdoor tasks: keeping trails trimmed up and continuing the effort to remove invasive plants at Round Top Farm. Here’s the scoop on both opportunities.

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Posted on by Barnaby Porter Posted in Barnaby's Blog
Barnaby Porter in his dory

Quite a long time ago, I had a job at the Darling Marine Center just two miles downriver from my house – not very far. In fact, from the shore where I kept a little dory passed down to me from my grandfather, I could just about see the end of the dock at work. The thing about that dock was that it was on the opposite shore, in another town, and to get there from here, without a boat, meant a 14-mile drive up to the bridge in town and (…)

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Posted on by Hannah McGhee Posted in Recorded workshops & trainings
Aram Calhoun wading in a vernal pool

You know that small springtime pool of water in the woods that dries up in the summer? It is a critically important habitat for a number of insects and amphibians and it is called a vernal pool. Join Dr. Aram Calhoun, professor of Wetland Ecology at the University of Maine, to learn about vernal pool ecology and what you can do to manage pools on your property.

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Posted on by Hannah McGhee Posted in Recorded workshops & trainings
American bullfrog

Who’s behind the spring serenade? As our Maine frogs start to move about and sing, spring is a good time of year to find and identify them. Join naturalist Sarah Gladu for an online program to learn all about Maine frogs: how to find them, how to identify them by their song, what interesting behaviors and characteristics they may have, and why they are important in our local habitats. Sarah will also talk about some threats to frog populations and share ideas for helping to protect frogs and other amphibians in your neighborhood. Recorded on April 9, 2021 in Damariscotta, …

Finding Frogs Read More »

Posted on by Hannah McGhee Posted in A Conservation Legacy, Season's Successes, What's New
aerial photo of Twin Villages Foodbank Farm and Chapman Field and Forest

Funding from three project partners in the past two weeks has brought Coastal Rivers close to the finish line in our campaign to permanently conserve Chapman Field and Forest, a 32-acre parcel in Damariscotta. Adjacent to Coastal Rivers’ 115-acre Salt Bay Farm property on Belvedere Road, the property includes forest, wetland, and a significant amount of farmland with excellent soils.

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Posted on by Barnaby Porter Posted in Barnaby's Blog
Barnaby's saw mill

Town meeting is a springtime event around here. It is on this occasion that the townsfolk at last break out of the rut they’ve got themselves into, hanging around the kitchen stove and looking out the window, wishing the weather would finally straighten out. When the appointed day arrives, cars and pickup trucks congregate at the Town Hall, and their drivers, grumbling about the lack of parking space, file into the hall prepared to do battle until they drop, or the sun sets, whichever happens first. It’s a time-proven system for (…)

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Posted on by Steven Hufnagel Posted in What's New
pussy willows

A letter from Executive Director Steven Hufnagel March 29, 2021 Spring returns! As the first green things poke up above ground, we too are feeling the promise of better times ahead as we emerge from the long Covid “winter.” I am grateful to you for helping us weather the challenges of this past year. You have been right there with us, inspiring us with your encouragement, kindness and support. Above all, your support made it possible for us adapt. Hopefully you were among the hundreds who enjoyed one of our online programs, now available on our website. Perhaps you or …

COVID-19 update – Spring 2021 Read More »