Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath since 1743 when Jonathan Philbrick launched a schooner with the help of his two sons. Smaller fishing and sailing craft had been built for years, but a new industry was now emerging. In 1762 the Earl of Bute, the first full-rigged ship…
At night, he saw the stars in the sky in their fixed positions and the crescent of the moon floating like a boat in the blue. He saw trees, stars, animals, clouds, rainbows, rocks, herbs, flowers, stream and river, the glistening dew in the bushes in the morning, distant high mountains which were blue and…
is a town in Washington County, located primarily on Beals and Great Wass Islands, along with more than a dozen others. The Great Wass Archipelago nature preserve, in Beals and Jonesport, is managed by The Nature Conservancy.
are the largest of rodents. They have flat, scaly tails, and large front teeth. Beavers use their teeth to cut down and dismember small trees to use in construction projects: their homes (lodges) and dams to surround their lodges with water. Access to the lodges is underwater, so most bothersome animals cannot get in. They…
With a long expanse on the southwest shore of Moosehead Lake, the Township stretches from the East Outlet of the Lake, the source of the Kennebec River, to the outskirts of Greenville on the combined Route 6 and 15. The Kennebec in the north moves through the long stretch of Indian Pond,…
The township (T6 R19 WELS) in Somerset County is on the border with Quebec in western Maine. It has no improved roads, but a substantial amount of unimproved roads serving forestry operations. The small Little Southwest Brook rises here and flows northward, finally entering the St. John River in T9 R18 WELS in northern Somerset…
This is not Cedar Lake (an error) This small Bigelow (Township) in Somerset County township in Somerset County encompasses the northern section of the Bigelow Preserve of Maine Public Reserved Land. With no improved roads, access is from Stratton Village along the Old Dead River Road. One is soon at campsites and a trailerable…
Endangered, threatened, and other common birds in Maine. The same species may have variations of its sounds depending on the region in which it lives. All sounds in the Encyclopedia have been recorded in Maine.
Almost 400 different bird species have been recorded in Maine, of which approximately half are known to have bred here. With a little effort a birder should be able to see 200 species in the state during the course of a year. See Ecology>Nature Preserves for locations.
text by Craig McLaughlin Wildlife Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Bear Facts Physical Characteristics The black bear, featured above at the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, is the smallest of the three species of bears inhabiting North America (black, brown/grizzly, and polar), has the widest distribution on the continent, and is the…
In the northern portion, the Appalachian Trail crosses the township following Bald Mountain Stream and the Piscataquis River, passing just north of the village, which is near the river and is accessible on the Blanchard Road from Monson village. See maps and photos.
Settled in 1762, its name derives from Blue Hill just north of the town’s main settlement. Blue Hill Falls and East Blue Hill are other settlements. Jonathan Fisher House, on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the town’s major assets. Blue Hill was the original site in 1986 of Northeast Historic Film.
According to the Audubon Society’s Field Guide to North American Birds, “The Bobolink was probably confined to the central grasslands originally, but with the settling of the Northeast it quickly spread into New England. Now with farms abandoned and the land returning to forest, the species is declining.” In Harpswell, a large portion of Mitchell…
includes Damariscove Island, an early fishing outpost, providing critical food (fish) to the starving Pilgrims. Harvesting the sea is still a significant occupation. Now the Boothbay region is a center of summer tourist activity, with the Boothbay Playhouse and the Railroad Museum. See photos and video.
Bowerbank village has substantial frontage on Sebec Lake. The Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic Railway tracks span the northern portion of the township, eventually arriving at Brownville Junction. The large Maine landowner Plum Creek has substantial ownership in Bowerbank. Harvesting the forests with modern machinery is a spectacular sight. See video and map.
Pierce Pond in Autumn (2007) Bowtown Township is bound by the Kennebec River on the east for six miles, across the river from The Forks, and by the Dead River on the north. Dead River Mountain and Otter Pond Mountain reside within the township. Known as T1 R4 BKP WKR township, it was organized…
Pemaquid Neck hosts the village of New Harbor, along with Pemaquid Beach and Pemaquid Light. The area, visited by Europeans by 1569, is said to be the home of the Indian Samoset, who greeted the Pilgrims in 1621 in English. New Harbor is a departure point for Monhegan Island. See video and photos.
in Hancock County, incorporated in 1817. Its Cape Rosier recalls James Rosier who accompanied George Weymouth in explorations of 1605. Brooksville boasts one of the best harbors for small boats: Bucks Harbor. Helen and Scott Nearing lived here. See photos.
This Cowbird, 6 to eight inches beak to tail, is a spring and summer visitor to Maine. Once a follower of bison on the great plains, these birds now inhabit the edges of woods, roadsides, and towns across the United States. Females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, then abandon them to…
Butterflies in Maine Monarchs The colorful and common Monarchs range throughout the United States, including all of Maine, especially in rural areas with fields thick with milkweed. Wingspan ranges from 3½ to 4 inches. As forests reclaim abandoned farms and the remaining cropland displaces milkweed and similar plants, this butterfly has become less abundant in…