Thursday, October 1st marked the official start of Maine’s Paint Stewardship Program making Maine just the eighth state in the nation to establish a system to help people dispose of unused, unwanted paint without taking it to a landfill. The Maine Paint Stewardship Program is modeled on those already proving successful in other states around Read More
Nature of Maine Blog
The Natural Resources Council of Maine’s “Nature of Maine” blog gives you the inside scoop on some of the latest issues facing Maine’s environment. From environmental news to threats to opportunities, NRCM is on the frontlines of the latest goings-on—and we’re often leading the charge on efforts to protect Maine’s precious lands, air, waters, and wildlife. Read what NRCM staff members have to say and get the perspective of some of our members and supporters who have been guest contributors.
Perhaps you have an issue you’d like to write about. Maybe you’re an expert on a particular topic and are inspired to share your expertise. Maybe you’ve recently made a visit to a spectacular Maine nature preserve or other natural area and would like to write about it (captioned photos welcome!). For submission guidelines, email nrcm@nrcm.org.
Students Lead the Transition to Clean Energy
Students have been the driving force behind the continuing decline in energy costs at Camden Hills Regional High School since it opened in 2000. While the school owns and operates the 155-foot tall wind turbine erected in 2012, the genesis and work to bring wind power to the high school came from the Windplanners, a Read More
The Deep Roots of Maine’s Land Conservation
Every month, I hike or ski or camp or enjoy the beach on lands in Maine that have been set aside for the public to enjoy. In my neighborhood alone, I can take the family to Dodge Point in Newcastle, Damariscotta Lake State Park, or the Camden Hills. With a longer drive, I can enjoy Read More
Update @Pontifex: Pope Francis Goes to Washington
Update on my June blog post on Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change: Pope Francis arrived in DC on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning, addressed the nation from the lawn of the White House, so it seems like a good time to update my blog post from June. Although the Pope addressed a lot Read More
Exploring the Mahoosuc Public Reserved Lands: Grafton Notch, Baldpate, and More
The Appalachian Trail (AT) in Maine passes through four Public Reserved Land units as it winds its way from the New Hampshire border to Katahdin, but very few hikers know this, even though the first step into the state by a thru-hiker is in the Mahoosuc Public Reserved Land Unit. The land around Grafton Notch Read More
A New Maine National Park: The “Wow” Factors
As I travel around the state and call or email my fellow Mainers about my main current, focus area here at NRCM, the National Park and Recreation Area proposal, I am sometimes met with a question best summarized recently by a friend (who wholeheartedly supports the idea of a park, by the way): “Where is the Read More
Farmington Turns Waste Into Cash…and Gardens
Farmington, Maine has partnered with the local campus of the University of Maine to put an unused recycling center to good use, generating cash for the town and fertilizer for local gardeners. When the Sandy River Recycling facility closed in 2004, Farmington officials and residents wondered what they would do with the site and the leftover Read More
Volunteers Help Keep Maine Waters Strong for Future Generations
by Roberta Hill, Invasive Species Program Director, Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) is the oldest and largest statewide citizen lake monitoring program in the nation. The mission of the VLMP is to help protect Maine lakes through widespread citizen participation in the gathering and dissemination of credible scientific Read More
A Bold Initiative in South Portland
South Portland is serious about sustainability. This year the city hired its first Sustainability Coordinator, and in her first year on the job Julie Rosenbach has set some ambitious goals for the city. Earlier this year South Portland announced a new goal — zero waste at all city events. This new benchmark is part of Read More
