Help Protect Our Refuge! Shutdown Update

We are writing with an update on the federal government shutdown and its impact on the Refuge.

• Refuge staff have been placed on furlough status, meaning they are effectively unemployed during the shutdown.

• The Refuge manager, two wildland firefighters, and one law enforcement officer are still working. Interns and partners continue to work while supervised by Refuge staff.

• Refuge buildings are closed to the public. 

• Our wonderful walking trails - Cutts Island, Carson Trail, Timber Point, Goosefare Brook – remain open. Observation platforms and outdoor restrooms are open.

• Hunting and fishing will continue, but all public events and meetings have been canceled.  

As you visit, we ask that you please pack in, pack out, and leave no trace so this special place stays protected for wildlife and for you and other visitors. (Like this osprey, keep your nest very tidy!)

And please help us keep the Refuge strong for wildlife and people by donating. You can give here. Thank you!

Photo credit: Matt Poole/FWS

RIP Dr. Jane Goodall: "We must let local wisdom and science be our guides"

Dr. Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most respected conservationists, has died. She said in 2020: "I read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and was inspired by her courage in battling with pharmaceutical companies, the government, and scientists about the danger to the environment of DDT. She wrote for the general public, letting people know the truth, challenging the belief that scientists were above criticism." Two pioneers and icons in the protection of our natural world. RIP Dr. Goodall.

Credit: Joel Saget/Agence France-Presse

Friends Now Accepting Pre-Orders for Highly Anticipated 2026 Wall Calendar

The calendar features winning entries from the annual 2025 “Sense of Wonder” photography contest. Proceeds from calendar sales enable the Friends to support the Refuge’s fieldwork and applied science, engage the public in conservation education and programming, and advocate for strong policies locally, across Maine, and nationally to preserve land that supports migratory birds and other wildlife. You can place your pre-order here.

Credit: Steven Wells

Our Nature Store Launches Later This Year

Friends board members and volunteers recently moved store fixtures and equipment to our Friends Nature Store, which will be opening later this year in the new Refuge Visitor Center at 188 Brown Street here in Kennebunk, Maine. A new sales counter, shelving, and merchandise displays were donated. Stay tuned for more news about the exciting launch of our Nature Store, which will help support the mission of the Refuge…

Credit: Ward Feurt

Credit: Jeanne Walsh

Credit: Jeanne Walsh

Help Protect Maine's Incredible Fish and Wildlife

Maine is updating the State Wildlife Action Plan which is a blueprint for protecting the state's amazing fish and wildlife, keeping common species common and preventing at-risk species from becoming endangered. The plan identifies inland and marine species of greatest conservation need and their habitats, threats, and recommended actions that can be used by natural resource agencies, land trusts, towns, businesses, and all of us as citizens. You can learn more and contribute to this important process by visiting this link.

Credit: New England Birds Plus

Spoiler Alert! Photo Contest Winner!

The annual judging for the Friends of Rachel Carson “Sense of Wonder” Photography Contest has been completed! Twelve winners and a Rising Star award were chosen. These images will appear in the 2026 Friends of Rachel Carson Calendar. Check back here for details on how to order your copies for friends and family, a perfect holiday gift. The calendar cover will feature this red-tailed hawk photo taken by Tom LeTourneau. Find more details here.

Credit: Tom LeTourneau

Good News For Maine's Piping Plovers!

Maine Audubon recently reported that Maine’s threatened piping plover population is having the best year on record, with 174 nesting pairs found in a recent survey. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge staff play an important role in efforts to support piping plover populations through research, habitat restoration, and nesting site protections. You can read more here.

Credit: Bill Gingras

Access To Nature Means Healthier Lives

Betsy Cook, Maine state director at the Trust for Public Land, writes in the Lewiston Sun Journal about the importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of the most successful conservation programs in U.S. history. You can read more here and you can contact our Maine congressional leadership here.

Credit: Judy Plouffe

For The Benefit Of The American People

Amanda Mahaffey recently wrote in the Portland Press Herald about the threats to Maine’s wildlife refuges and the important work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees that care for these amazing places. Read more here.

Credit: Betsy Wish

Friends Intern Battles Invasive Plants!

The Friends created a new internship program this summer that’s been funded by generous member donations. Our first intern Patrick Cadogan - who studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut - is working in the Refuge team with Visitor Services Manager Thomas Wall. Saco Bay News recently reported on their heroic efforts to remove destructive invasive plants at the Refuge’s important Goosefare Brook division. Read more here.

Credit: Tracy Birchall