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…
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.
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…
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…
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.
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 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…
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…
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, 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…
Inhabited since 1762, the island has many historic structures, such as the 1855 Meetinghouse and 1900 Chapel, that have survived the test of time. Part of the town of Harpswell, it is home to the Coastal Studies Center of Bowdoin College, on the shore of Harpswell Sound near Casco Bay. Several wooded walking trails offer ocean views.
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…
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…
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…
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…
Peary (1856-1920), who summered on Eagle Island, received a degree in civil engineering from Bowdoin College in 1877. He then returned to his boyhood home in Fryeburg and worked as a land surveyor. He later became a noted Arctic explorer, famous as the discoverer of the North Pole, though many experts believe that the claim has not…
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…
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…
This small, irregular sized township is on Route 156 between Wilton and Weld in Franklin County. Not to be confused with Perkins Township on Swan Island in Sagadahoc County. Hills Pond, north of Bald Mountain, has no inlets, but an outlet flows south forming the headwaters of Wilson Stream. Water quality is marginal for cold…
Nature Preserves Appalachian Trail, Eliotsville Twp. Six miles of trail along the Barren Mountain ridge are protected by The Maine Bureau of Parks and Recreation. The Trail south trends westward over Barren Mountain to Wilson Stream, then south to Little Wilson Falls, one of the highest in Maine with a drop of about 40 feet.…