As a follow-up to last month’s article about the whitetail buck with three legs and only one horn, I’d be remiss not to write about the other permanent resident buck at the Wildlife Center. Rather than simply missing an antler, this deer has two, but they’re both deformed and remain in velvet. He’s the oldest Read More
Protecting Wildlife
Maine is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and, for some species, Maine makes up a vast majority of their range or provides essential habitat that can’t be found elsewhere. NRCM works to protect Maine’s wildlife by advocating for policies that ensure they have healthy habitat and abundant resources to thrive.
Puffins and a Purposeful Person
Many people think of Dr. Steve Kress as “the puffin man.” He’s widely revered for reestablishing puffin colonies to the coast of Maine, and rightly so. But when it comes to bird conservation, Steve is much more than that. We first met Steve when we were graduate students at Cornell University years ago. (Interestingly, Steve Read More
Critter Chatter – Oh, Deer! What’s Up With That? Part 1
While visiting Don at the Wildlife Center the other day, awaiting the arrival of a family of six baby opossums whose mother had likely been the victim of a car accident, we got to talking about one of the white-tailed bucks that is a permanent resident at Duck Pond. I’d only seen him from a Read More
New Mind-blowing Tool Unveils the Secrets of Bird Migrations
During migration, birds mysteriously come and go—the sudden appearance of ducks in the bay or at your local pond. Maybe you’ve noticed a warbler or sparrow flitting about in the backyard shrubbery that you hadn’t seen the day before—or maybe even for weeks or months? Maybe you wondered where it was headed next? Perhaps you Read More
Critter Chatter – Fall Preparations
I stopped in to see Don at the Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center today and was surprised to find only one critter in the house: a young gray squirrel, which likely had been injured by a cat. It was able to move and used its front paws for eating from the food dish, so Don Read More
Critter Chatter – The Chipmunk Continues to be Charming
As I sat on our back deck the other day, watching one of “my” chippies fill his cheeks with peanuts, it dawned on me that I had only seen one or two chipmunks at Duck Pond Wildlife Center since I started writing this column about three years ago. Don confirmed they’ve had a few over Read More
One of Maine’s Gems: Take a Photo Tour of the Moosehead Region
The Moosehead Lake region is one of Maine’s greatest gems. It is well known and loved for its stunning vistas, endless recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat for iconic and threatened species, close-knit community, and rich cultural history. The centerpiece is Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest lake, stretching nearly 40 miles long and 12 miles wide. For thousands of years the Abenaki people Read More
Color Them Incredible: Artwork by Maine Artist Toki Oshima
Wildlife is an important part of Maine’s identity, but many species are of high conservation concern. We’re highlighting a few at-risk species in this special coloring section provided by talented Maine artist Toki Oshima. We invite you to get creative, and send us your finished “artwork” care of Allison Wells, 3 Wade Street, Augusta, ME Read More
We All Want to Help the Birds We Love
People have a tendency, it seems, to want to help birds. We put up feeders filled with seed and suet, telling ourselves that it will do them good while also acknowledging that this will allow us to enjoy hours of watching their behaviors and interactions at close range, without disturbance to them. Some people go Read More
