Mushrooms and other Fungi

Oyster Mushroom in Harpswell (2018)

Mushrooms and Fungi Mushrooms are fungi (plural of fungus), but not all fungi are mushrooms. There are about 99,000 fungi species, including yeasts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. Some mushrooms a poisonous! Do not eat wild mushrooms unless you are certain they are safe. None of the mushrooms noted or referenced here have been vetted for…

Nashville

Location Map for Nashville

Located northwest of Ashland and south of Portage Lake on Route 11. Little Machias Lake, through which the Little Machias River runs, is in the northwest corner of the plantation. Nashville hosts two lots of Maine’s Public Reserved Land, of which about 10% of the acreage is reserved for wildlife, with the remainder allocated to timber management and harvesting.

Nature Preserves

Nature Preserves by County

Maine has hundreds of special places set aside for perserving natural areas and wildlife. Nature preserves, for the purposes of this article, include the following: public reserved lands, conservation areas, wildlife refuges, bird sanctuaries, etc. Click on a county for an annotated list of preserves and links to detailed articles when available. According to a…

New Meadows River

Valve Regulating Water to the Peterson Canal (2010)

This “river” is one of those inlets from the sea that is not a true river.  It had been tidal as far inland a Bath until a dam was  constructed that created ponds above it. At its northern most reach the Peterson Canal once linked Merrymeeting Bay with Casco Bay. Built around 1790 to connect…

Newry

Built in 1872, the Sunday River Bridge, called “he most painted and photographed covered bridge in the state,” crosses the river of the same name. See photos. The Sunday River Ski Resort is located here. On Maine Route 26, Newry is the gateway to the hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, of Grafton Township. Step Falls Preserve, the first preserve of the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, has 24 acres of cascades and pools.

North Haven

Located in Penobscot Bay, it is accessible via the State Ferry Service from Rockland, with connections to Vinalhaven. See video and photos. Fishing was the major industry on the island for many years, with a brief venture into canning. Boat building emerged as a major economic activity producing both fishing vessels and yachts for summer people. Long a resort community, it has few permanent residents. The “Turner Farm Site,” on the National Register, is a treasure of artifacts from Maine pre-history. Calderwood Island nature preserve is here.

North Maine Woods

The 20 mile North Maine Woods checkpoint in the Pittston Academy Grant (T2 R4 NBKP) (2008)

North Maine Woods In addition to be a general term for the forests of northern Maine, North Maine Woods is an organization that manages access to a specific area of mostly privately own land. Land Ownership                           The complicated historic land ownership in…

Northern Shrike

Northern Shrike in Brewer (May, 2013)

A relatively shy and infrequently noticed bird in Maine, the northern shrike often perches atop a tree awaiting a food opportunity.  Unlike most songbirds, this one preys on small birds and rodents. This one, uncharacteristically, was in downtown Brewer near City Hall.  Their primary habitats in summer are open spaces in woods or swampy areas…

Nuthatches

White-breasted Nuthatch (2010)

are small, needle-nosed birds about the size of a chickadee, but more streamlined. Nuthatches come in two varieties in Maine: White-breasted (larger) and Red-breasted (smaller with a black eyeliner). They are frequent visitors to bird feeders, with, as expected, a preference for nut-like food. In fact, their name comes from their habit of wedging nuts…

Orneville Township

Route 155 in Orneville between Bradford and Lagrange. (2014)

Orneville, east of Lagrange, is heavily forested. It has one small village, Boyd Lake, on Route 6/16 near Boyd Lake itself. Maine combined Routes 6/16 in the east and Route 11 in the west and a short stretch of Route 155 between Bradford and Lagrange in the southeast are the major improved roads on the…

Ospreys

Osprey Overlooking Harpswell Sound (2012)

The Osprey, or “fish hawk,” is a powerful large bird with a wingspan sometimes reaching six feet. Its threatening physical size and sharp talons contrast with its almost ridiculously timid “cheep, cheep” chirping voice. It can be found across the state from the northern lakes and rivers to coastal islands. As are other hawks, the…

Oxford County Nature Preserves

Mooselookmeguntic Lake from Height of Land in Township D (2007)

Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1992 spans the Maine-New Hampshire border. 5,000 of the total of 17,500 acres lie in Maine in Upton. A Magalloway River trail leads off Maine Route 16. In addition, about 20 miles of logging trails are open to hikers. Richardson Public Reserved Land, Adamstown and Richardsontown Townships. Located…

Patch, Edith Marion

Edith M. Patch House (2001)

Dr. Edith Marion Patch taught entomology at the University of Maine and served as director of entomology at the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station from 1903- 1937. Patch was the first woman to head a state agricultural experiment station department and was honored for her scholarship and educational leadership in 1930 by being elected president of…

Peaks Island

An Informal Stone Art Site along Seashore Avenue on Peaks Island

The Island is a City of Portland neighborhood in Casco Bay, accessible by ferry from the terminal on Portland’s waterfront.  The brief trip carries freight, vehicles, bicycles and tourists. Little Diamond Island and Great Diamond Island are just to the west. While the population is about 900, the number of people on this 720-acre island…

Penobscot County Nature Preserves

Sunkhaze Meadows Refuge Notice (2005)

Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, is in Alton and Old Town. The site of an archaeological project along the Pushaw Stream, where evidence suggests occupation by prehistoric Indian cultures dating back approximately 7,000 years. Although no excavation is presently going on, and much of the excavation site has been back-filled, there is written information about the project…

Penobscot River

Grand Lake Matagamon from the Baxter Park Access Road before the Matagamon Gate

Windows on the River: East Branch Windows on the River: West Branch The Penobscot River Basin drains 8,680 +/- square miles in northeastern Maine. The main stem of the river flows for 105 miles from the confluence of its East and West Branches in Medway, south to its mouth in Penobscot Bay. Approximately 95% of…