Planting for Climate Resilience: A Presentation by The Wild Seet Project

Together with Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, we are very excited to be hosting members of the Wild Seed Project in the Community Room at Graves Library on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 5:30pm.       

In addition to helping to sustain vital pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, native plantings offer countless other benefits that are indispensable in the age of climate change. When created and maintained with ecologically attuned landscaping practices, they can minimize flooding and storm water runoff, shade and cool cities, survive droughts, and facilitate carbon storage more effectively than the landscapes dominated by turf and mulch that blanket so many of our communities.

Andrea Berry from the Wild Seed Project will talk about the actions you can take to make your corner of the world more biodiverse and resilient to the effects of climate change. Andrea joined Wild Seed Project as the organization’s Executive Director in 2021. She also serves on the Board of Directors at Momentum Conservation and Resources for Organizing and Social Change.

Colin McKevitt, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Biological Technician, will address habitat management and native species planting. This includes shrubland habitats, salt marsh field surveying and restoration, and monitoring and managing invasive species. Colin is a key member of the Refuge team and is the manager of the Refuge native plant greenhouse. He instructs interns as well as community volunteers.

Copies of the publication "Planting for Climate Resilience" will be available for sale at the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, 18 Maine Street, Kennebunkport. For further information, please call 967-2778 or visit www.graveslibrary.org.

Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Time: 5:30pm
Location: Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library
18 Maine Street Kennebunkport, ME 04046

Earth Day Volunteer Opportunity!

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is celebrating Earth Day, Monday, April 22nd, by hosting a volunteer event to clean debris from the marsh! This is a great opportunity to get outside for Earth Day and help your local landscape. Recent storms have washed up lots of debris into the marsh and we could use your help!

Waterproof shoes and work gloves are recommended. Extra work gloves will be available if needed. We will provide bags for trash and will have a few trash picker tools.

Please RSVP to kelsey_herold@fws.gov if interested in attending.

*There is potential for an afternoon clean-up session (12:30 PM – 3:30 PM) at a different location in Saco if there is high interest! 

Temporary Online Gear Shop! (Updated)

The Friends of Rachel Carson NWR are offering a temporary online store to give our supporters the opportunity to purchase custom designed, refuge-themed logo items!

Hats, jackets, tees, and vests are available in a variety of colors and with a choice of one of the logos shown below that spotlight the plover, egret, and blue goose which is the representative logo of the National Wildlife Refuge System to which our refuge is a part. Deadline on purchases is Monday, April 1, 2024 and delivery or Biddeford pick-up available two weeks later. Spread the word!

Visit the shop here: https://rachelcarson24.itemorder.com

We thank you for your generous support!

National Public Lands Day Volunteer Opportunity at Rachel Carson NWR!

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a Rabbitat Planting Party on Saturday, September 23rd to celebrate National Public Lands Day. This year’s event will include planting native shrubs, managing invasive plants, and trimming overgrown young trees to create and restore shrubland habitat for the endangered New England Cottontail in Kittery, Maine. Activities will include digging holes, planting shrubs, using clippers or hand saws, and chatting about local wildlife and conservation. Fee-free National Park day passes will be available to all volunteers.

Please refer to the attached flyer for event times and contact Sarah at sarah_dudek@fws.gov for registration and more information.

Portland Press Herald Commentary by Friends President, Bill Durkin

A terrific commentary in today's Portland Press Herald by our president, Bill Durkin, on the direct and indirect benefits of Maine's national wildlife refuges! Read the commentary in full below, or via the Portland Press Herald online at: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/08/25/commentary-maines-national-wildlife-refuges-are-an-extraordinary-asset-to-our-state/

Maine’s national wildlife refuges are an extraordinary asset to our state: The direct and indirect benefits of this protected acreage are too numerous to list.

By Bill Durkin ~ Special to the Portland Press Herald

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts … There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” – Rachel Carson, “The Sense of Wonder.”

I’m a board member of the Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, a Maine nonprofit founded in 1987. Our small group supports the refuge and its staff in many ways.

As the summer slowly edges toward the fall season, I’ve been reflecting on how Rachel Carson and other refuges across the country uphold the mission of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service – to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The land and water protected by this refuge offer sanctuary for locals who seek the strength and healing the outdoors offers people and wildlife. Refuges enhance outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, and offer opportunities for young people to learn about the outdoors and protect vital habitats.

The Rachel Carson Refuge, named in honor of one of the nation’s foremost biologists, is located along the southern Maine coast. After arriving in Maine in 1946 as an aquatic biologist for the the Fish and Wildlife Service, Carson became entranced with Maine’s coastal habitat, leading her to write the best-seller “The Sea Around Us.” This landmark study, combined with her other writings, “The Edge of the Sea” and “Silent Spring,” led Carson to become an advocate on behalf of this nation’s vast coastal habitat and its wildlife – and the people who depend on it.

The refuge was established in 1966 to preserve migratory bird habitat along southern Maine’s coastal estuaries. Uniquely, the refuge’s acquisition zone is distributed across 12 towns, villages and cities, creating many creative municipal partnerships with the federal government. Through these local and state partnerships, the FWS protects approximately 5,600 acres within a 14,800-acre acquisition zone. The FWS brings money into local municipalities through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses revenues generated from offshore energy leases (not taxpayer dollars) to pay for new refuge lands. The FWS also supports infrastructure improvements through its operating budget.

The salt marsh habitat found at Rachel Carson Refuge is rare in Maine, which is better known for its dramatic, rocky coastline. Located along the Atlantic flyway, the refuge serves as an important stopover point for migratory birds, with shorebird migration in the spring and summer, waterfowl concentrations in the winter and early spring, and raptor migrations in the fall.

Southern Maine contains a greater diversity of terrestrial vertebrates, threatened and endangered species and woody plants than any other part of the state. Consisting of meandering tidal creeks, coastal upland, sandy dunes, salt ponds, marsh and wetlands, the Rachel Carson Refuge provides critical nesting and feeding habitat for the threatened piping plover and a variety of migratory waterfowl.

The rocky offshore ecosystem also serves as a productive lobster nursery, a vital economic industry in Maine.

In the Rachel Carson Refuge, there are many places to launch a canoe to explore the coastline for photography, fishing and hunting. There are trails for hikers, bird watchers and photographers. There’s something for everyone who wants to breathe in the good Maine air. With a new visitor center and headquarters (to be completed in 2025), the refuge staff is training to guide kayak tours up the tidal rivers. Right now there are numerous environmental education programs offered by the staff and the Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.

In Maine, we are lucky to have six national wildlife refuges: Aroostook, Sunkhaze Meadows, Moosehorn, Maine Coastal Islands, Umbagog and Rachel Carson. For recreational information, please inquire at each refuge.

There have been many studies published detailing 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.

New Junior Ranger Program!

Have you heard? Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge has rolled out a new Junior Ranger Program! The beautiful artwork for the booklet was created and donated by local artist/author Rebekah Lowell, and the program was designed by Ranger Tom Wall with assistance from summer interns Nina Silva and Kristen Hung. You can download your Junior Ranger guide booklet here!