The Nature Conservancy in Maine

We’re thankful for nature. ?? ?? Sunset at Portland Head Lighthouse in Fort Williams; Cassidy Girvin/TNC Photo Contest 2021. Puffins on Machias Seal Island; Brynda Ivan/TNC Photo Contest 2023. Waves breaking on rocks at Giant’s Stairs in Harpswell; Gwen Fraser/TNC. A view of Jesup Path with autumnal colors in the trees in Acadia National Park; Nick Hall. Mushroom at Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area; Phoebe Parker/TNC. Blackburnian warbler on Monhegan Island; Charles D. Duncan/TNC. Atlantic White Cedar Bog, Appleton Bog Preserve; Sam Moore/TNC. Morning sun in a clearing near Smart Mountain in Maine's Boundary Mountains; Jerry and Marcy Monkman/EcoPhotography. Moose cow (Alces alces) photographed at Baxter State Park; Ross Geredian. Northern lights display at Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park; Jeremy Gray /TNC Photo Contest 2019.

?? Do you enjoy watching deer? Do you want to help Maine’s biologists better understand the white-tailed deer population? If so, there’s still time to submit your observations for the 2024 Rut Watch – a community science project led by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Volunteers are needed across the state, and everyone can participate! ???? The Rut Watch is just one of several community science initiatives that MDIFW uses to gather data about Maine’s wildlife. Keeping their database current can be challenging, especially for species that are uncommon, or that live in more remote areas - so they rely on Mainers who are passionate about wildlife to help gather data. Check out their website to find a project that interests you & get started today: https://lnkd.in/eFP2QwUR ?? Kent Mason #CommunityScience #MaineWildlife #Maine #deer #MaineDeerSpy #wildlife #natureconservation

Do you live, work, go to school, own a business, or utilize social services in Brunswick? Do you care about local greenhouse gas emissions, and our community being more resilient to the impacts of climate change??? ?????? If you said yes to those questions, now’s a good time to check out the Town of Brunswick's Climate Action Plan. A draft is ready to be presented to the town council, but they want YOUR feedback by December 5th! Honest, constructive feedback is a vital part of this plan’s developmental process, ensuring it is both representative of our community’s morals and values, as well as actively mindful of its struggles and concerns. https://lnkd.in/e3wxbURK We’re writing this post from our Brunswick office, and feeling proud to be part of such an engaged, active community. It’s exciting to see Maine towns leaning in and creating detailed plans for climate action! ?? #communityengagement #climateaction #BrunswickME #midcoast #climatesolutions #conservation #gogreen #climateactionplanning

Did you know that coyotes can run up to 43 miles per hour when chasing prey? These impressive canines are one of the fastest land mammals in the world. They can also sustain these speeds for extended periods of time thanks to their relatively small, flexible bodies and extraordinary stamina, especially while pursuing prey or fleeing from possible dangers. Now, we’re not usually in the business of ruining childhood memories (hopefully), but we do want to set the record straight on this canine’s impressive speed: Looney Tunes' cartoon roadrunner might have been able to out-run the coyote every time, but IRL roadrunners aren't so lucky. Coyotes can out-pace them substantially - the birds can only achieve top speeds of about 20-25 mph. Sorry, Beep-Beep! ?? You also may have heard the phrase “quiet coyote” used as a classroom management tool while growing up. It’s a cute way to signal a moment for quiet listening, but the coyote’s taxonomical name is “Canis latrans” – which roughly translates to “barking dog.” ?? In many parts of Maine, you can listen for group yip-howls of coyotes at night: these are short howls that often rise and fall in pitch, punctuated with staccato yips, yaps, and barks. These talkative speedsters are both beloved and beleaguered by their human neighbors. But love ‘em or hate ‘em, coyotes play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by controlling rodent populations, reducing the spread of diseases like Lyme, and cleaning up carrion. Next time you hear one yapping, if you’re not a roadrunner, you can just keep calm and carri-on. ?? ?? Gwen Fraser / TNC #nature #wildlife #biology #FascinatingFactFriday #animalsofmaine #coyotes #animalfacts

Happy World Fisheries Day to all the fishionistas out there! ?????? World Fisheries Day highlights the importance of sustainable fisheries all over the world, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by drawing some outfit finspiration from our aquatic friends. With our help, you can finally channel your inner: ?? Chain Pickerel ?? Redbreast Sunfish ?? Alewife ?? Black Crappie ?? Largemouth Bass And while we have your attention, check out “Stimulating a Sea Change in Fishery Management” to learn more about how TNC works with fishermen & other partners to help this ecosystem avoid further decline, all while supporting Maine’s fishing communities: https://lnkd.in/gFxT9vXD #WorldFisheriesDay #SustainableFishing #StealTheirLook #TheNatureConservancy (p.s. shoutout to our pals at nature_dcmd for the post inspo! ??)

Our next Climate Action Happy Hour is right around the corner! Are you a Mainer age 21+ with a passion for climate solutions? If so, we hope you can join us at Aprés in Portland, ME, on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm ???? Together we’ll sip, snack, make new connections, and learn how TNC is taking climate action for people and nature—in Maine and well-beyond! The evening will feature three TNC conservationists - Hadley Couraud, Abby King, and Jocelyn Runnebaum - who will share TNC's holistic approach to conserving our forests, rivers, and oceans. They will discuss how their boots-on-the-ground work in Maine connects to work taking place across the globe — from Maine's Western Mountains to Tanzania. Come grab a seltzer, meet some new folks, and learn how we can take action for our climate future, together. ?????? Register here & join the fun ?? https://lnkd.in/enYxXK49

Ever wonder where your electricity comes from when you flip the switch? ??? In the U.S., we sometimes take this simple step for granted – but our demand for electricity is increasing, and our continued reliance on fossil fuels is causing major problems for the planet. The good news is: we can make a change! Watch this edition of Climate Shorts to learn more about the relationship between climate and electricity, and discover steps you can take to help reduce your carbon footprint and promote sustainable energy. ??? #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #ClimateAction #EcoFriendly ?? Climate Shorts clips are made in collaboration between TNC Washington and StacyNguyenCreative ??

When you think of hibernation, you probably think of mammals first: maybe a slumbering bear, or a certain groundhog-turned-meteorologist. ???? The idea of a cozy winter snooze might not conjure up the image of *checks notes* ...fly pupae??? But a long, deep sleep is indeed on the horizon for select insects. Last month, TNC Maine's Kelsie Daigle (Land Relations Manager) had the pleasure of joining Tom Schmeelk, a Forest Entomologist with the Maine Forest Service, for a fascinating day in the field. Together, they set up a "Cyzenis albicans emergence cage" - a small but mighty tool in our fight against the invasive winter moth (Operophtera brumata). This cage will house fly pupae through the chilly Maine winter, allowing them to hibernate until spring. ? Come springtime, the magic begins! As temperatures rise, the flies will emerge from these pupae, with males coming out first. Tom will return to the site, armed with apple slices that act as a sweet nectar source to feed the hungry males until the females make their grand entrance. Once mating is observed, Tom will open the cage, releasing the flies into the trees. There, they will seek out nectar from trees like red maple and the females will lay their eggs on leaves that winter moth caterpillars have damaged through feeding. And here’s where the process gets a little less cozy, and a lot more creepy. The ingested fly eggs will lay dormant inside the winter moth caterpillars until they drop to the ground and pupate, after which the fly egg hatches into a maggot and consumes the winter moth pupae... from the inside out. ?? This leads to the ultimate demise of these pesky caterpillar populations. It’s a natural form of pest control that sounds more like the plot of a horror movie than a Hallmark one. ?? Bug brutality aside, the day of fieldwork ended on a tender note: Kelsie’s favorite moment of the day was watching Tom kneel beside the cage and whisper “Have a good sleep!” to the hibernating cocoons. It was a sweet touch to this scientific process. ??? ?? Kelsie Daigle / TNC

You’ve probably heard us mention biodiversity, and you might be wondering: what exactly IS biodiversity, anyway??? ?????????????? Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, and we’re all part of it: from lobsters to pine trees to the majestic moose, and from seabirds to black bears to blueberries – nature is all connected. Tragically, we’re losing biodiversity faster than at any time in human history. Between 1970 and 2018, the world’s seen wildlife populations decline by an average of nearly 70%. More than one million species could disappear by 2050. But there’s still hope for nature, and there’s no time like RIGHT NOW to take action and help preserve our beautiful world. ?????? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ewy_Su4T #biodiversity #nature #climateaction #NoPlanetB #saveourseas #conservation #climate #environmentalism #lovenature #tnc #climatescience

Did you know that the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) can sometimes have black fur? A genetic mutation causes the production of extra melanin, the pigment that provides hair its color. ???? These “melanistic foxes” have also been referred to as black foxes, blue foxes, and our personal favorite: silver foxes. That’s right, the term “silver fox” refers to more than just many nominees for People’s Sexiest Man Alive?. The term has been used in reference to actual vulpines since the 1700s, although describing gray-haired men as silver foxes also dates back pretty far - to at least the 1920s, and specifically to the career of baseball player Jesse Petty, who was nicknamed ‘The Silver Fox’ because of his prematurely white hair and charismatic personality. ? Unlike their handsome hominid counterparts, red foxes only have a lifespan of about 3 years in the wild (10 to 12, in captivity). But they certainly make the most of their time: foxes are opportunistic feeders and will consume any food presented to them. Like the red morph, the silver fox adapts different strategies when hunting different prey. When hunting smaller mammals, the foxes adopt a "mousing position" from which they can locate prey based on sound. Quicker terrestrial prey requires more practiced behavior, often involving stalking and rapid pursuit. When prey escapes to hidden caches or burrows, foxes are known to occasionally nap beside the entrances and lie in wait for prey to reemerge. From their striking appearance to their cunning behavior, these rare foxes are the epitome of sophistication. Never forget – a silver fox is more than just a pretty face ???? ?? Melanistic fox photographed at MDIFW’s Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. Gwen Fraser / TNC