MAINE PUBLIC • October 2, 2023
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Kittery is the first refuge in Maine to host New England cottontails after dozens of the rabbits were released there this year. New England cottontails are a protected species in Maine and conservationists say there are only 320 left, but there is evidence the species is rebounding. In September, volunteers planted 700 native plants on Cutts Island in Kittery as part of the refuge's program to restore New England cottontail habitat. It's been a 10-year process. Refuge Wildlife Biologist Kate O'Brien says vanishing habitat caused the once prolific species to decline over decades, but with help the population of the threatened rabbits is growing again.