The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 29, 2020
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a series of free one-hour online home gardening discussions starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 30. Additional sessions are scheduled each Monday at 9 a.m., Wednesday at noon and Thursday at 6 p.m. through April 23.
TURNER PUBLISHING • March 29, 2020
Upstream—an organization dedicated to restoring sea-run fish passage and ecological health to Cobbossee Stream—is encouraging people to clean up the Earth wherever you may be, either inside or out, along the stream, out for a quiet stroll, in your backyard or in your bedroom to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. We are respectfully following the CDC guidelines and will not have an organized shout out and stream clean up this year to ensure our Earth lovers are safe and healthy. Wear gloves, keep social distance and pick up litter and trash wherever you may be! Also on the upcoming calendar, Wishes for Fishes Outdoor Community Art Show will be held May 2-31 at Gardiner Waterfront Park along Steamboat Lane to recognize World Fish Migration Day. Welcome home the returning sea-run fish to the Kennebec River and Cobbossee Stream.
TURNER PUBLISHING • March 28, 2020
This is a great year to start (or continue) a garden! Ask a few Maine Organic Farmers & Gardners Assn. staff members about their favorite plant variety to grow from seed, and enthusiasm sprouts. Here’s a brief list.
Shiloh Pond and the 215 acres of Maine woodland that surround it have provided the town of Kingfield with recreation opportunities, as well as community and social cohesion, for generations. We are negotiating an agreement with the owners to purchase the land with the goal of turning it over to the town, but we need to raise an additional $200,000 before the closing. ~ The Trust for Public Land
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 29, 2020
Scientists today point to four apocalyptic conditions that at various times have devastated Maine’s fisheries: The widespread construction of dams; pollution; overfishing; and the introductions, both legal and illegal, of non-native fish. Many now add a fifth to this list of threats: climate change. Here is a brief look back at the history of Maine’s fisheries, highlighting one species that has persevered, one that is struggling to survive, and a third — a non-native — that is thriving.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 29, 2020
Every alpine resort in Maine has reported an indefinite closure. While most of the larger resorts disclaimed that the closure was “until further notice,” in all likelihood nothing will reopen this season. What does a skier do in a time of coronavirus? As I’ve been sticking to self-imposed social distancing at home, I’ve found myself gravitating toward ski movies and ski writing. If you do choose to venture outside for fresh air and exercise during this outbreak, the National Recreation and Park Association has provided recommendations for doing so safely. ~ Josh Christie
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 29, 2020
In Maine, however, hitting the trail for a hike is, at least as I am writing this, strongly encouraged, provided you follow healthy practices, some of which are very new while most are actually quite routine: Keep your hands clean, Don’t share anything, Don’t touch, Cover your mouth, Keep your distance, Senior or existing medical condition?, Feeling sick?, Camping, Leave No Trace, Getting to the trail. ~ Carey Kish
WASHINGTON POST • March 29, 2020
A rich scientific literature has documented the outdoors’ physical and mental health benefits and found more reasons than ever to spend time outdoors. While limiting numbers of people crowded into indoor spaces is crucial for slowing coronavirus spread, that need not apply to the outdoors. If our nation’s parks were to join the list of shuttered societal institutions I suspect the health toll in terms of heightened anxiety, depression, addiction, suicides and deaths of despair – already likely to rise from the massive economic downturn we’re experiencing – would be catastrophic. ~ Gabriel Popkin, science journalist
PORTLAND PRSS HERALD • March 28, 2020
Joseph Demakis began his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail on March 17 in Georgia. Just a day later, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy urged hikers to get off the trail for fear of the spread of coronavirus. Once Demakis got word from another hiker, he quickly ended his plans for a six-month hike and came home to North Waterboro, where he is self-isolating.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 28, 2020
Early last week, public beaches in York, Kittery, Wells and Ogunquit were closed for fears of spreading the coronavirus, after a weekend that saw large numbers of people gathering on the beaches. Then on Thursday, Maine closed 10 coastal state parks from southern Maine to the midcoast. On Saturday, public beaches in Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough had visitors, but not many.
SUN JOURNAL • March 28, 2020
A man died Saturday after falling through the ice at Hall Pond in Paris. According to Paris Police Chief Michael Dailey, the 62-year-old male fell underneath the ice before rescue personnel could reach him. A 60-year-old female and a dog were rescued about 150 yards from the shore.
SUN JOURNAL • March 28, 2020
Coronavirus has put an end to the season for resorts that were counting on spring skiing for more revenue. If you don’t mind hiking for your skiing, there is plenty of snow left on the trails even if the lifts have ceased. ~ Dave Irons
SUN JOURNAL • March 28, 2020
Anglers must still abide by all of the fishing regulations as outlined in the new fishing law book, but nobody needs a license for the first 30 days of the open water fishing season, which commences April 1. The Maine Fish and Wildlife Department said that the license hiatus “is intended to encourage Maine people to enjoy the outdoors as we confront the challenges associated with COVID-19. ~ V. Paul Reynolds
MAINE PUBLIC • March 28, 2020
Freeport outdoor retailer LL Bean says it is working with Maine Health to create “sneeze masks” for health care workers. The company is working with existing materials, such as dog bed liners, and sent prototypes to MaineHealth earlier this week. “Now we're gearing up for production. So we'll start more full fledged on Monday with our stitchers working to create those masks,” Bean spokesperson Marie McCarthy said.
MAINE PUBLIC • March 28, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the panic-buying of certain items, notably toilet paper. Some stores have sold out, others have resorted to rationing - in some cases to just one roll per customer. The sudden demand for what some are calling "white gold" is proving to be a challenge - and an opportunity - for one fledgling family business in a part of Maine that has struggled through hard times in the paper industry. "It's been insane. I don't sleep much." And that's how it's been for Marc Cooper and his son Jake since their toilet paper start-up in Bangor, Tissue Plus, was launched into go-mode this month.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 28, 2020
Warming ocean temperatures are causing some species of whales pursuing food to stray more frequently into shipping lanes, scientists say. The phenomenon already has increased ship strikes involving rare North Atlantic right whales on the East Coast. For the right whales, which number only about 400 and have lost more than 10 percent of their population in just a few years, the death toll is driving them closer to extinction, said Nick Record, senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine.
MAINE PUBLIC • March 28, 2020
Freeport outdoor retailer LL Bean says it is working with Maine Health to create “sneeze masks” for health care workers. Bean spokesperson Marie McCarthy says the company is working with existing materials, such as dog bed liners, and sent prototypes to MaineHealth earlier this week.
MAINE PUBLIC • March 28, 2020
The sudden demand for what some are calling "white gold" is proving to be a challenge - and an opportunity - for one fledgling family business in a part of Maine that has struggled through hard times in the paper industry. "It's been insane. I don't sleep much." And that's how it's been for Marc Cooper and his son Jake since their toilet paper start-up in Bangor, Tissue Plus, was launched into go-mode this month.
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND • March 28, 2020
Switch off your lights at home for an hour on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at 8:30 pm your local time.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 28, 2020
U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) has joined a bipartisan group of senators to urge passage of a legislative package that would enact Senator King’s bipartisan Restore Our Parks Act and would permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). “I am thrilled my colleagues have come together for this bipartisan effort to address the $12 billion backlog at our national parks and support permanent funding for the vital work of the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” said King.
