NRCM Blog

Wolf Inquiry Project - volunteer opportunity coming up this weekend.

We thought you might be interested in this opportunity - please contact Laura Sebastianelli directly if you would like to participate.  Thanks!

Wolf Inquiry Project Offers a 2nd Volunteer Training 

Holden – Due to popular demand, the Wolf Inquiry Project, an indeendent citizen science program, will be offering volunteers a second training opportunity to participate in research to proactively investigate Maine's north woods for the presence of gray wolf. Over 45 volunteers attended the first training workshop held May 30. “Attendance far exceeded our expectations.” said Project Director, Laura Sebastianelli. “We received over 60 calls and emails from potential volunteers who could not make our first workshop, asking us to please consider offering another training. Since we have enough equipment to engage more people, we realize training more volunteers means collecting more data.”

The 2nd Wolf Inquiry Project training session for new volunteers will be held on Saturday, June 20th at Maine Audubon’s Fields Pond Center in Holden from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The hands-on workshop for new volunteers will train participants in the use of digital audio recording equipment and field techniques to effectivel conduct “howling surveys”. Project protocol, data collection, and other documentation methods will be reviewed.

Canada Lynx Get Habitat Protection in Maine

Looks like Maine is once again home to critical habitat for the Canada Lynx.  This would overturn the 2006 decision not to designate critical habitat in Maine.  There isn’t a map linked to this news release but they do say that over 9,000 square miles of Maine is included.  My guess is that this is very close to what was designated before.  This is good news. 

Diano Circo
North Woods Policy Advocate and Outreach Coordinator

From a Portland Press Herald news update today:

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reversed a 2006 decision and announced today that nearly 10,000 square miles of northern Maine forestland will be protected as critical habitat for Canada lynx..."  Read the rest of this news story.

Read the full U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service news release here: http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=A953CB8A-0A91-A120-C59E1BD38E43C712

Autumn Outing Becomes Rodent Rescue

Over the Columbus Day weekend my partner and I took a walk on some land our neighbor manages as a wood lot along a river in Leeds.

The weather was fantastic for October and the leaves seem to be at their peak for color. We headed over in our boat and landed on a small landing he told us we would find. There was a wide mown path leading out through the land which we followed as it meandered through open woods with water on both. He manages the woods with a small tractor and selectively cuts here and there maintaining a clean and beautiful wood. We enjoyed our walk and got back in the boat to head back down the river and home.

Not far past the landing I saw a beaver on the shore line. He/she just sat there looking at us. We decided that was odd behavior for a beaver and looked more closely and realized that this beaver had actually managed to chew through a fairly large tree, probably 10 inches in diameter only to have it land on his tail and pin him where he sat. We landed a bit down stream and slowly moved up to check out the exact circumstances which proved to be that he was pinned under the tree. He remained fairly calm and we wondered how long he had been there.

The two of us couldn’t move the tree so we went after a couple of boats of men fishing a bit farther down stream. The second boat agreed to help. They got their canoe up there and we all got out to try and get the tree off the beaver. The beaver did get a bit more agitated when we all arrived but he just wanted to head into the river. We levered it off some with a large maple log but not enough. What ended up working was a rope tied as high as we could reach. We wiggled the tree enough so that the beaver slid on out and disappeared into the river with a very restrained slap of his/her tail. We all felt relief and hoped the beavers tail was not too damaged.

All in all a perfect Autumn day!

Leslie B.

Birding on the Greenbelt in South Portland

Wanting to exercise but not walk this spring, I purchased a bike.  Looking for a safe place to ride in peace and away from traffic, I found the section the ET trail between Evans Street and Wainwright recreation fields.  To my delight as a birder, I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of birds serenading me as I enjoy my rides.  The following birds are nesting along trail:  American Robin, Veery, Northern Cardinal and Catbird; Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Redwing Blackbird, Song and Chipping Sparrows, Red-eyed Vireo, American Goldfinch, and  five warbler species – Black and white, Common-yellowthroat, Black-throated Green, Yellow, and Ovenbird.    

In the open fields of the landfill area, Bobolink and Savannah Sparrow are nesting on the cap and Barn and Tree Swallows are catching bugs on the wing.   Many other species can be observed during spring and fall migration. 

Killdeer like open grassy/gravelly areas for their nest so it not a surprise that a pair chose to nest at the recreation fields.  They did not know their chosen spot would be in such a high traffic area – beside the path to the recreation building.   Thankfully, the rec staff marked their nest area off with flags.  People have been wonderful in keeping clear of their nest (even the huge crowds at the soccer tournament) so the birds are still sitting on four highly camouflaged eggs in a scrape on the ground.  (as of July 14th)  Riding slowly by on a bike or in a car does not seem to disturb them, but approaching on foot will trigger them to move from the nest and begin a distress display and loud call to distract your attention from the nest.   When this occurs you should move away quickly so they can get back to incubating the eggs.

Once the little ones hatch, they will be running all around the area so care must be taken not to accidentally step on them. 

Marie Jordan