Walk into most of the woodlands in our region today, and you will find a lack of dead and dying trees. Yes, that’s right – most of our forests do not have enough dead and decaying trees. To many people, this may seem counterintuitive. Why would we want more dead and dying trees on the landscape? Read More
birds
My Maine This Week: Maine Wildlife by Jayne Winters
Please enjoy these beautiful Maine wildlife photos by NRCM member Jayne Winters of South China, Maine. And from all of us here at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, we wish you (and the turkey in this photo!) a very happy Thanksgiving! Do you have beautiful photos of Maine’s wildlife or scenic Maine landscapes to share? Read More
A “Winter Finch” Holiday for Birders
For birders, especially those of us here in Maine and the eastern U.S., a holiday of sorts is fast approaching. Bird enthusiasts anticipate it the way many youngsters look forward to Christmas morning. But this fine-feathered special occasion takes place just once every two years or so. Staffers at the Natural Resources Council of Maine Read More
My Maine This Week: Kristin Jackson
“This cute Northern Saw-whet Owl was hanging out on Munjoy Hill in Portland this weekend just in time for Halloween festivities. He safely flew away to a tree after this photo was taken.” Photo by NRCM staff member Kristin Jackson of Portland, Maine. Learn more about the Northern Saw-whet Owl in this Boothbay Register column, “The Invisible Owls,” by Read More
My Maine This Week Slideshow: Images by Callie Wronker
How did I get interested in nature photography? Well, I always liked being outdoors, especially in the woods, and I’ve always been interested in how things come together, whether it’s a garment (I used to make clothing), or a house (I bought a 70-acre woodlot in Waldoboro once upon a time and built my own Read More
Postcard from Vienna, Austria in the Year of the Bird
Since Jeff has just returned from a conference abroad, we decided to share his experience and perspective with readers of our column. Members of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) have seen firsthand the power of working with like-minded allies. The recently completed Penobscot River Restoration Project is a great example. NRCM, a founding member Read More
To Brazil and Back: Nighthawk Migration Revealed
Birders in Maine have recently begun noting the first pulses of southbound, migrating Common Nighthawks. In fact, staff at the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) could very well see one while leaving the office in Augusta after a long day! Based on checklists submitted to eBird, the online database housed at our old stomping Read More
Yellowlegs and the Year of the Bird
The fact that we can hear the calls of yellowlegs echoing around our favorite cove here in Maine as the tide recedes on a warm, late-summer evening is thanks to the forethought and persistence of bird enthusiasts a hundred years ago. They ushered through the Migratory Bird Treaty, and then the legislation to enact it in the Read More
Long Journeys for Conservation
In the Year of the Bird, as the Natural Resources Council of Maine joins other groups in celebrating 100 years since the signing of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is exciting to know that some of the biggest players in bird conservation today are not necessarily ones many bird enthusiasts know or recognize. A Read More