The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 25, 2023
The day was sunny, and I was determined to spot a monarch. So I visited the most butterfly-packed place I know: Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden in Southwest Harbor. It only took me about a minute of wandering to spot my first monarch butterfly. Fluttering around the flowerbeds, it nearly tickled my nose on the way past. Then I saw another. And another. Running around with my camera, I was like a kid in a candy shop.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 25, 2023
In Maine, we are lucky to have six national wildlife refuges: Aroostook, Sunkhaze Meadows, Moosehorn, Maine Coastal Islands, Umbagog and Rachel Carson. Many studies detail the economic benefits of conserving refuge lands. The direct positive impacts on the local, regional and state economies are plentiful: outdoor tourism, lodging occupancy levels, local business revenue, the list goes on. There are also many other indirect benefits that we may not think about in our day-to-day lives. Take a hike along a rugged mountain path, cross-country ski over open fields, bird watch in a dense forest, canoe on a meandering stream, go hunt and fish in your favorite spot. All these activities enhance our quality of life. All these activities are supported by the FWS and refuges. Get out on a refuge and explore your sense of wonder. ~ Bill Durkin, Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
FRANKLIN JOURNAL • August 24, 2023
Kandi Karkos of Wilton was at a youth baseball game in Auburn when she saw a pair of Luna moths mating so she captured them and took them home to learn more about their life cycle.
DAILY BULLDOG • August 24, 2023
With concerns over a high deer population in Farmington, residents turned out to the select board meeting Tuesday night to meet with the board and experts from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on possible solutions. Tracy Williams spoke on behalf of a group of residents who signed a petition to address the issue. She said that they are wondering what can be done to address the high deer population, adding concerns about tick-borne illnesses and other issues that can be associated with a high deer population.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 24, 2023
The Land for Maine’s Future board voted Thursday to withhold $1.7 million in grants to protect about 6,700 acres of prime trout fishing area along the Kennebago River in western Maine because the local land trust behind the deal cannot guarantee deeded public access. The two parcels chosen to receive money from the state’s land conservation fund in 2022 are part of the $11 million, 10,000-acre Kennebago Headwaters project. The area provides high-quality habitat for the eastern brook trout and is home to moose, Canada lynx and marten.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 24, 2023
A swimmer drowned in Toddy Pond in Orland on Thursday. the body was of a 44-year-old man from Winterport was recovered.
LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • August 24, 2023
In July, Farmington Selectman Dennis O’Neil presented a petition asking that an ordinance against in-town deer feeding be adopted. Officials with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife attended a Select Board meeting in August to share information and made suggestions about reducing the deer population. It is illegal to feed deer from June 1 to Dec. 15, game wardens can talk to individuals and if it continues, can give citations. If Farmington was to pass one on deer feeding, the warden service doesn’t enforce, that would be the responsibility of local police.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 24, 2023
Funding for two western Maine conservation projects remains uncertain due to lingering concerns about public access. The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust wants to preserve over 10,000 acres near the head of the Kennebago River. But the organization has not been able to prove it can guarantee public access to the land for two parcels it plans to buy. A divided LMF board rejected on Thursday a motion that would have approved funding if the trust promised to work in good faith to secure public access. Board member Roger Berle reluctantly voted against the motion.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 24, 2023
Maine's first charging station for electric airplanes will be installed next spring at Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head. Airport manager Jeremy Shaw says a $294,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission will also fund two electric vehicle chargers, and all three will be powered by a solar farm that's being developed at the airport. Shaw says within two years Penobscot Island Air is hoping to deliver packages and groceries to nearby islands using an electric plane that's capable of vertical take-offs and landings.
MORNING SENTINEL • August 24, 2023
Search-and-rescue teams scoured the Kennebec River on Thursday for a 42-year-old man who police say may have entered the water earlier in the week and hasn’t been seen since. It’s believed John Lessard entered the river Monday near the north end of the RiverWalk downtown, Waterville police Sgt. Jason Longley said in a statement. Search efforts through the week have not turned up any sign of him.
LOS ANGELES TIMES • August 24, 2023
Using satellite imagery, researchers found that four of five observed emperor penguin colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea region experienced 'catastrophic breeding failure,' meaning that no chicks born in 2022 are believed to have survived.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 24, 2023
The smoke from Canadian wildfires that drifted into the U.S. led to a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published two studies Thursday about the health impacts of the smoke, which shrouded city skylines with an orange haze in late spring. A medical journal also released a study this week.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 24, 2023
The problem of PFAS in Maine’s environment has prompted concerted statewide efforts to find ways to eliminate these “forever chemicals” from wastewater and drinking water. We’ll learn about the challenges facing water and sewer districts across the state, and what they’re doing to reduce the risks posed by PFAS—and to find innovative solutions. Panelists: Tim Wade, Maine Water Environment Association; Roger Crouse, Maine Water Utilities Association; VIP Callers: Onur Apul, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Scott Firmin, Portland Water District; Howard Carter, Saco Water Resources Recovery Department; Amanda Smith, Bangor Department of Water Quality Management.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 24, 2023
Residents in the northern Penobscot county town of Patten are raising questions about a proposed metallic mineral mining project. Ontario-based Wolfden Resources held a public meeting with its community advisory committee Wednesday to discuss its application to the state to rezone 400 acres. Esther Harte, a seasonal resident of nearby Island Falls, who worried that the project could have far-reaching impacts on ground water sources. Other residents voiced support for the project. Several people traveled from the Pembroke area Downeast, where residents halted a Wolfden mining proposal last year. The Land Use Planning Commission has yet to schedule a public hearing on the rezoning request.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 24, 2023
Fall migration is underway. You can go somewhere to watch it, perhaps a mountaintop for hawks or a mudflat for sandpipers. Or you can just stay home and watch it. Some birds that nest farther north seem to be migrating early. Reports of bay-breasted warblers being seen in southern Maine started weeks ago. Since Maine set records for both heat and rainfall this summer, some birds may have simply given up prematurely. You know the old saying: “If you don’t like the weather in Maine, wait a month. Or two.” Some warblers may have left Canada early because much of their breeding territory caught fire. But enough about climate change. ~ Bob Duchesne
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 24, 2023
Maine’s congressional delegation is asking the U.S. Justice Department to shut down illegal Chinese-run marijuana growing operations in the state. A letter signed by Maine’s U.S. senators and representatives this week to Attorney General Merrick Garland comes in response to a report on a conservative news website suggesting there could be as many as 270 growing operations here worth more than $4 billion. Profits from these operations allegedly are being sent back to China or used in other criminal activities.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 24, 2023
Scientists are tracking an unusually large and long-lasting bloom of brown algae in the Gulf of Maine. This particular species of coffee-colored phytoplankton, Tripos muelleri, is not new to the Gulf of Maine or toxic on its own to sea life or humans, but it has never before been found here in such large numbers, spread out over such a large area, for such a long time. As the phytoplankton die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean and are consumed by bacteria, which can deplete oxygen and contribute to events like the New York Bight die-off.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 24, 2023
The soggy summer has left growers across Maine struggling to overcome delayed and diminished hay harvests. Many are already looking to buy hay out of state, despite last year’s record harvest. And some may not survive a crisis that could have ripple effects for years to come. Farmers across Maine have harvested about one-third of the hay needed to feed farm animals through the coming winter, said Jacki Perkins, a dairy and livestock specialist with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Maine is home to 7,600 farms that employ more than 13,000 workers. They include more than 100 dairy farms.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 24, 2023
Mosquito season Maine runs from April to October. With 43 different species of mosquitoes in Maine — about half of which want to suck your blood — it’s not uncommon to experience itchiness this time of year. But some of those mosquitoes do worse, carrying dangerous diseases you want to avoid, such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus and Jamestown Canyon virus.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 24, 2023
A week or so ago, Chris gathered the crew for a scouting excursion to Wildlife Management District 8, west of Moosehead Lake, to check out some promising areas for his October bull hunt. It never gets old making the trek up Route 15 through Greenville, with an obligatory stop at Indian Hill Trading Post, and into the Greater Brassua Lake metroplex. While we found most of the roads to be in pretty good shape, our efforts on the final leg of our trip were thwarted. Three different roads that were handy to good hunting areas, or access to them, had experienced washouts from the relentless heavy rains in recent months. Moose hunters and bird hunters alike should take into consideration the possibility that their plans could be affected by damaged gravel roads or road closures.
