As I turned out the light in my office, a small wink of another light flickered back at me. This firefly is a Maine native. Strangely, these “flies” are actually flying beetles. They use their lighting abilities in summer to attract mates by mixing certain chemicals in their bodies. Fireflies in some other states have…
These cute large rodents (thus a mammal) are entertaining to look at, but potentially dangerous and disruptive. A member of the squirrel family, it is also known as the “ground hog” or whistle pig. According to Scientific American, Groundhogs are also variously referred to as woodchucks, whistle-pigs, or land-beavers. The name whistle-pig comes from the…
According to the Maine Forest Service the browntail moth was accidentally introduced into Somerville, Massachusetts from Europe in 1897. By 1913, the insect had spread to all New England states, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Populations of this pest slowly decreased due to natural controls until the 1960s, when browntail moth was limited to Cape…
Most of this township is part of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The exception is a portion in its northwest corner around Katahdin Lake, now part of Baxter State Park. The balance of the township is crossed with many miles of unimproved (dirt) roads. The National Monument here is accessible east of Stacyville…