For the last two weeks of May, Memorial Middle School sixth grade students in South Portland have been immersed in the process of designing and creating interpretive trail signs. Students first looked at different examples of commercially produced trail signs by searching online. They identified characteristics and elements of effective signs and possible topics. On Read More
vernal pools
Bowdoin Biologist Investigates Tadpole Die-off
Nat Wheelwright says 200,000 died in less than a day last year. ‘It was like a nuclear bomb went off.’ by Chelsea Diana, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story More than 200,000 wood frog tadpoles died within 21 hours last year at a pond in Nat Wheelwright’s backyard in Brunswick, in what may be Read More
Creature Feature: Wood Frog
With spring in Maine comes the return of many wonderful natural sounds. Among them, the short, distinctive raspy clucks of the wood frog, which some characterize as sounding like the quacking of a duck. About two inches in size, the wood frog is typically tan or dark brown overall, with a white belly that may show dark mottling. They have a distinctive dark “mask” that extends to behind ear, a light stripe on the upper jaw, and a dark patch on the chest near the base of the front legs.
Senate Holds the Line on Protecting Vernal Pools
A LePage-backed bid to reduce buffer zones for development is overwhelmingly rejected. by Tom Bell, MaineToday Media State House Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA – By a wide margin, the Maine Senate on Wednesday rejected an attempt by Gov. Paul LePage to roll back regulations aimed at protecting the state’s largest vernal pools. Read More
Push to Relax Maine’s Vernal Pool Protections Continues
by Susan Sharon MPBN Radio news story One of the more contentious debates behind the scenes this legislative session has been over a 250-foot buffer zone for vernal pools. These are temporary but important bodies of water that provide breeding habitat for amphibians in the spring. They’re also a veritable food basket for larger wildlife. Read More
State House Action Day 2011 Has Record-high Turn Out
Once a year, NRCM organizes a day for Maine citizens to come together at our office, to learn about policies that affect our land, air, water, and wildlife during in the legislative session, and to go together to the State House so they can speak to their representatives. Today we had the largest turnout ever Read More
A Feast—or Perhaps a Plague—of Frogs
A brief warning to readers before proceeding: this story could make you a bit queasy. Queasy doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I’ve never been a picky eater. My parents demanded that I eat everything on my plate, whatever it was. I remember as a kid dreading Easter dinner at my grandparents’ house Read More
Sweeping Anti-Environment Agenda Emerges at State House
Record Number of Rollback Bills Proposed to Weaken Environmental Safeguards News release At a State House news conference today, a broad range of people spoke out in strong opposition to dozens of bills introduced by lawmakers that would repeal or weaken laws that protect Maine’s environment and the health of Maine people. Although the governor’s Read More
Vernal Pools Fuel Maine Woods
by Travis Barrett, Outdoors Writer Kennebec Journal news story WAYNE — In an instant we are all five years old again, tromping our way through ankle-deep muck and sloshing along in the water in rubber boots. Mosquitos are relentless in their pursuit of our flesh, so the only sound to interrupt that of the splashing Read More
