Ecology & Wildlife
Parasites are selfish, and so am I
For a nature bum like Kirk Gentalen, deciding what to write about can sometimes be challenging. Kirk sees cool things every day and there’s so much to choose from! In the latest Nature Bummin’ article, Kirks explores something that’s been hidden in plain sight!
Spring Is For Vernal Pools
Take a closer look at wood frog and spotted salamander eggs and egg masses found on MCHT preserves this time of year
Blood in the Tracks
The mother Fisher delivers a litter with one to six (average two – three) youngsters called “Kits”, born blind, helpless, and are partially covered with fine hair.
Land Conservation and Climate Change
MCHT has been engaging in “natural climate solutions” for over fifty years, which is a critical component of the multi-faceted approach we must take to slow the rate of climate change and mitigate its impacts.
Winter Mid-Season Grade: So Far, So Good
This winter hasn’t been the coldest, or the snowiest, and it definitely hasn’t been the iciest, but even so, Kirk knows there’ve been no shortage of lessons to be learned!
Late Season Peeping
We know why Peepers peep in spring, it’s to mate. At that time, their common name makes perfect sense. But why do Spring Peepers peep in the fall? In this Nature Bummin’ column, MCHT steward Kirk Gentalen sets out to solve the mystery of the Fall Peeper.
Saving Maine Marshes
Over the past six years, Maine Coast Heritage Trust has worked with partners to complete 36 marsh protection projects from York to Washington counties, conserving a total of about 1,800 acres of marsh and upland buffers.
In My Words, Maggie Cozens, Southern Maine Outreach Coordinator
Our new Southern Maine Outreach Coordinator is excited to bring her skillset and outdoor educational experience to this new position at MCHT.
Cherished Land Becomes an Open Classroom
MCHT collaborates with The Community School to protect important habitat and create permanent outdoor education space on Mount Desert Island.
Remaking Old Pond Marsh
MCHT is working with marsh scientists and restoration specialists to improve water flow at a marsh formerly manipulated for salt hay farming. Learnings from this experience will be shared across the land trust community.
Mornings Are For Otters
When is the best time to see an otter? Nature Bum, Kirk Gentalen gets this question a lot and has thought long and hard about when and where you’re most likely to find an otter. Read on to learn more!
Choose Your Own Adventure
By 2022 MCHT Richard G. Rockefeller Conservation Intern Jessica Crandell
The Curious Case of the Red Crossbill
Did you know it was the summer of the Red Crossbills? Well neither did most people, but MCHT Nature Bum Kirk Gentalen was well aware and eager to spread the word.
5 Blissful Days & a Big “Take Back!”
If you read Kirk’s Nature Bummin’ column “Favorite Tree – The Trail, The Blood, and The Fisher” you know his favorite tree is a Big-tooth Aspen. Well… at least it was. Since then, Kirk has learned quite a lot and it’s changed things for him… as far as favorite trees go.
Why We Support Replacing the Machias Dike
We have the opportunity to enhance recreational and commercial opportunities in the Machias area and the ecological health of the Middle River by improving fish passage and restoring 300 acres of salt marsh.
Bring Your Binoculars to MCHT Preserves
The September 2019 issue of Down East magazine has a special feature about how land conservation keeps Maine a birding mecca.