BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 23, 2020
Anyone with some native tree species already growing on their land has a ready-made natural nursery from which to select seedlings for transplanting. Maine has 66 native tree species growing from Kittery to Fort Kent. From an ecological standpoint, all of the native species evolved to grow without human-added soil amendments in the Maine ecosystem. At the same time, insects, reptiles, wildlife and birds native to Maine evolved right along with these trees and need them for food and shelter. Simply put, you can’t have one without the other, so by transplanting native trees and promoting their growth, you are helping Maine’s native creatures survive.