Category Archives: Program

The State of Maine’s Loons – with “The Birdist” Nick Lund – Tuesday, November 19th

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The Common Loon is an iconic denizen and for many epitomizes a Maine summer. But how well do you actually know the Common Loon?  Do they migrate?  What do they eat? How long do they live?  How many Common Loons are there? Why are loons important? This program will start with an in-depth look at the physiology and habits of the Common Loon, including how its body is built to be an effective underwater hunter, and the timing of its arrival on Maine breeding lakes. We will also take a look at the threats faced by loons. Nick Lund is … Continue reading →

Oaxaca Mexico: Rare Birds and Ancient Cultures – with Doug Hitchcox and Ken Janes – Tuesday, October 22nd

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In March 2019, Maine Audubon, in association with Field Guides Birding Tours, made a trip to south-western Mexico in search of rare species that are unique to the Sierra Madre mountains area. Based in the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca, known for great birds, authentic food, and amazing human history, the group explored many habitats including the semi-arid deserts near Teotitltán and the pine forests of La Cumbre at altitudes of up to almost 10000 feet.  Doug and Ken will report on the successful search for rare endemic species like Dwarf Jay, Gray-barred Wren, Mountain Trogon and Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo in … Continue reading →

Photographing the Night Sky: Capturing the Stars, Milky Way, and Northern Lights with Mike Taylor – Tuesday, Sept 17th

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Photographing the Night Sky: Capturing the Stars, Milky Way, and Northern Lights with artist, astro-photographer, philosopher, musician, movie buff, and self-proclaimed connoisseur of beverages made from malted barley Mike Taylor. Mike Taylor been interested in observing and photographing the features of the night sky since he was a child.  He says it is an awe-inspiring experience that too few people ever get to enjoy. Nature at night is so radically different from the day! Moonlight, unusual noises, or unfamiliar sights can awaken your inner child. We marvel at the world again. Mike is a contributing member of the International Dark-Sky … Continue reading →

The State of Maine’s Wildlife – with Judy Camuso, Commissioner of Maine IF&W – Tuesday, June 18th

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Judy Camuso’s career began at Maine Audubon and she has been engaging people with wildlife ever since. Knowing that people will conserve and protect the things they love, her mission became to share her passion for nature. An important opportunity led her to become Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s first female regional biologist and later to become the Director of the Department and most recently Commissioner.  This amazing woman is a licensed bird bander and an avid birder, as well as a hunter, who canoes, hikes and bikes. Camuso is a leader in protecting Maine’s inland fish, and … Continue reading →

The Black Ghost: Understanding the Maine Black Bear – with Deborah Perkins – Tuesday, May 21st

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Wildlife ecologist Deborah Perkins brings us an engaging, informative, and visually dramatic show for all ages!  Deborah’s experience as a bear biologist included studying black bears and grizzly bears across North America.  In Maine, she worked with the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s black bear program.  Have you ever climbed into a bear’s den?  Well, Deb has! In fact, Deb has worked on various other bird and mammal studies throughout North America including shorebirds in the Canadian Arctic, Canada Lynx in northern Maine, and seals and seabirds in Maine. In this program Deb will bring her Black Bear adventures … Continue reading →

Fighting Against the Rising Tides: A Biologist Looks at the Impact of Climate Change on Birds That Live in the Saltmarsh – with Logan Maxwell – Tuesday, April 16th

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Biologist Logan Maxwell recently completed her master’s work at UNH.  Her research focused on ways climate change affects birds along our coast. Our saltmarshes provide breeding habitat for a community of uniquely adapted birds that are threatened by the ongoing changes in vegetation, loss of habitat, and increased tidal flooding due to rising sea levels. Logan’s aim was to figure out how saltmarsh birds might adapt to this changing environment.  Birds that live in our saltmarshes are seriously impacted by lunar high tides. These tides are the leading cause of nest failure.  Saltmarsh nesting birds are extremely vulnerable to even slight … Continue reading →

Bringing Nature Home with Eric Topper on Tuesday, March 19th

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Bringing Nature Home is Maine Audubon’s new community engagement and habitat stewardship initiative based on the bestselling book of that title by Doug Tallamy.  Join Maine Audubon’s Director of Education, Eric Topper, to explore the plants, practices and perks involved in restoring native food webs in our gardens, yards and communities. Like many places, the landscape of coastal Maine has changed dramatically.  Today, gardens, yards, neighborhoods and towns are playing increasingly critical roles in supporting native food webs for birds, pollinators and other wildlife.  Our individual efforts to support wildlife can be both intimately rewarding and broadly beneficial. With an … Continue reading →

The Outlook in Augusta: a Legislative Update with Eliza Donoghue on Tuesday, November 13th

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What will be happening in the Maine Legislature after the November election?  How will environmental concerns fare in Augusta next year with a new governor and new legislature?  What’s the outlook for advancing solar and other alternative energy sources in Maine, and for protecting Maine’s forests, waterways and wildlife? Eliza Donoghue is Maine Audubon’s Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist, and spends much of her time advocating for these concerns in Augusta.  She joined Maine Audubon in July, 2017, bringing with her extensive experience and familiarity with the Maine State House, the Land Use Planning Commission, the Land for Maine’s Future program, … Continue reading →

Diving and Birding in the Heart of the Coral Triangle with Monica and Bill Grabin on Tuesday, October 16th

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There is an area in the southwest Pacific known as the Coral Triangle.  It encompasses parts of six different island nations, and it has the greatest marine biodiversity of any area on earth.  And at the heart of the Coral Triangle, on the eastern edge of Indonesia, lies an area of West Papua known as Raja Ampat, meaning Four Kings.  Over 1,300 species of fish and 500 species of coral have been documented in this one area, and in 2017, Monica and Bill Grabin had the good fortune to explore it for themselves. On their fifth trip to Indonesia for … Continue reading →

Following Darwin’s Footsteps: Wildlife Watching and Birding the Galapagos – with Sue Keefer and Steve Norris – Tuesday, Sept 18th

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After a career running children’s summer camps, then living aboard a sailboat, and working for Vermont State Parks, Sue Keefer and Steve Norris have spent seven summers helping out at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge where you may have encountered them trying to keep invasive plants at bay, mowing, painting, or leading bird, butterfly, tide-pool, history, and photography programs. In the winter of 2017-18, Sue and Steve acted on a long-standing bucket list item. Their love of Ecuador compelled them to visit to the Galapagos Islands – the “Showcase of Evolution”. Their original plan for a “non-bird-centric” trip soon fell … Continue reading →

Land of the Prikichi: Birds of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao by Dr. Jeffrey Wells – Tuesday, June 26th

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**** PLEASE NOTE: The date for this program has been changed from June 19th to June 26th **** The sunny islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao lie just off the coast of Venezuela with a rich history steeped in both Caribbean and Dutch culture. They are well known as popular winter getaways for scuba divers and beach-loving families from the U.S., yet fewer people know of the fascinating mix of birds that can be enjoyed here at any time of year. North American birders will be intrigued by South American tropical landbirds like the vibrant green Prikichi (Brown-throated Parakeet), the bright orange “oriole on steroids” Troupial, or the … Continue reading →

A Video of our March 2018 program: Of Mallards and Men: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 – with Dr Kurk Dorsey

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A video of our great March program entitled Of Mallards and Men: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, presented by UNH’s Dr Kurt Dorsey, is now available and can be watched by clicking on the link below. Our special thanks to the Wells Reserve for recording and editing the program, and making this video available (and for everything else they do!).

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Restoring the Great Fish Migrations of Atlantic Rivers with John Waldman – Thursday, May 24th

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Professor John Waldman is coming to the Wells Reserve Thursday evening, May 24th, at 7 p.m.. His program: “Restoring the Great Fish Migrations of Atlantic Rivers.” Highly recommended! Atlantic rivers once “ran silver” with great runs of migrating salmon, shad, alewives and sturgeon, but only a small fraction of these runs flourish today. John Waldman is an aquatic conservation biologist with a singular passion for diadromous fish – fish that spend a part of their lifecycle in fresh water and another part in salt water. He will draw on this most recent book, Running Silver: Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their … Continue reading →

Birding Around the World – with Becky Marvil – Tuesday, May 15th

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Birding Around the World with one of Maine’s most experienced and enthusiastic birders, Becky Marvil.  In the summer of 2015, Becky, her husband Josh (the pilot), and two other couples spent 30 days traveling around the world in a private plane. Their route took them from the US to Newfoundland, the Azores, Turkey, Oman, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Taiwan, Russia, and Alaska. In addition to sightseeing and learning about different cultures, Becky’s background in biology and ornithology caused her to focus on the birds, photographing and videotaping many species, and learning about their regional family variations AND similarities from one stop to … Continue reading →

Web Feet and Slimy Skin – Maine’s Frogs with Kris Hoffman – Tuesday, April 17th

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Web Feet and Slimy Skin will be presented by Dr. Kris Hoffmann from the University of Maine,   Kris spoke to us in September about turtles.  Her return promises a fascinating, informative, and funny program – this time on Maine’s fabulous frogs. Anatomy meets ecology in this hour-long presentation. Join us as we learn why frogs are slimy, how metamorphosis affects more than their legs, where they go in the winter, how they use their eyes to help swallow, what you can do to help their populations, and more. She will describe the biology of these water-loving animals, introduce us to … Continue reading →

Of Mallards and Men: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 with Kurk Dorsey – Tuesday, March 27th

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Of Mallards and Men: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 by author, birder and UNH History Professor Dr. Kurk Dorsey.  This event will help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which is the basis for much of the protection afforded wild birds in the US and other nations, but is currently being weakened.  In December, the Interior Department issued a ruling that businesses which accidentally kill non-game migratory birds during their operations are not in violation of the MBTA. A popular speaker for Seacoast Audubon, Kurk’s expertise in environmental history blended with his … Continue reading →

Feral Newfoundland with Deborah Gordon – Tuesday, November 14th

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Join artist, musician, and photographer Deborah Gordon as she reveals secrets and hidden natural wonders of Newfoundland and Labrador. Learn about the less frequented outposts, national and provincial parks, World Heritage Sites, and the infectious humor and uplifting spirit that comprises the culture and people of Canada’s most eastern province. Newfoundland and Labrador are surprisingly accessible, and you will learn the options and necessary preparations for travel and accommodations, seasonal activities, literature and history resources as Deborah is excited to share her expertise on this region. Her captivating, in-depth slide show of the wildlife, landscape, architecture, and mystery of this … Continue reading →

The Art of Science: Building a Field Guide with Jonathan Alderfer – Tuesday, October 17th

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The National Geographic will publish the newest edition of the Field Guide to the Birds of North America this September. Join artist, co-author and co-illustrator Jonathan Alderfer for an inside look at how this latest edition was conceived and brought to press. Jonathan will also display a selection of his original field guide illustrations and discuss the painting process. Jonathan Alderfer has specialized in painting birds and natural history subjects for more than thirty years. For ten years he was National Geographic’s resident birding expert at their headquarters in Washington, D.C. While there, he authored, edited, or illustrated more than … Continue reading →