Windpower Choices By Douglas Rooks

News, events, and activities from Maine Audubon

Wind energy has become a major new industry in Maine over the past

fi ve years, with turbines spinning in a growing number of regions and counties. Public awareness has also increased dramatically, and windpower was a signifi cant issue in recent political campaigns for the governor and the Legislature. Ever since the Board of Direc-tors adopted a wind power policy in 2005, Maine Audubon’s position has remained consistent. It is strongly supportive of appropriately-sited re-newable energy, including windpow-er, as a step toward combating global climate change and avoiding the del-eterious effects of fossil fuel mining and combustion. “We favor conservation above all other techniques,” says executive director Ted Koffman, “but we also recognize that we have to replace our dirty, fossil-fueled energy status quo with lower-impact alternatives.” But the organization also in-sists that wind power sites should be limited to locations that won’t harm Maine’s most vulnerable wild-life species and habitats. On several occasions, Maine Audubon’s staff biologists have spoken out to revise or protest proposals that might have harmed sensitive habitats. Fortunately for rare birds and

clean air, Maine’s working landscapes should have plenty of room for wind power and wildlife to coexist in a more sustainable energy future. On a recent tour of the Stetson Mountain wind farm built by First Wind, a relatively new company with offi ces in Massachusetts and Port-land, Vice President for Develop-ment Matt Kearns pointed out some of the operating features that have made wind perhaps the Northeast’s fastest growing source of renewable power. Several Audubon staff and board members attended. Stetson was built in two phases, in 2008 and 2009, and is located amid the low ridges that dominate this Penobscot and western Washington County landscape, none much more than 1,000 feet above sea level. Its predominant hardwood timber has been cut over repeatedly during the past two centuries, and the site con-tains no rare species or unusual habi-tat. The migratory bird studies First Wind continues to conduct have shown minimal impact, Kearns said. Maine Audubon Executive Direc-tor Ted Koffman summed it up: “It’s part of Maine’s legacy that we rely on our local natural resources. For generations, this has been a working landscape, where forestry and wildlife have been able to coexist. These wind turbines are just the next chapter.”

On Kibby Mountain near the Canadian border in western Maine, things look different. TransCanada, a major energy conglomerate based in Alberta, has built Maine’s largest wind farm on sites exceeding 3,000 feet in elevation. Maine Audubon and other conservation groups supported the fi rst phase of development, 44 towers on several adjacent ridges. But TransCanada is also propos-ing an expansion onto the higher ele-vations of Sisk Mountain nearby. Of the proposed 15 towers, Audubon opposed seven that would encroach on sensitive habitats on the southern-most part of the site. The area of concern is home to Bicknell’s thrush, a rare bird that breeds only in alpine areas and whose numbers have been declining sharply. “This is rare subalpine terrain that has never been logged or disturbed,” said Audubon’s staff biologist Susan Gallo. The organization pressed for a scaled-back project that would still increase renewable energy production, but avoid the mountain’s sensitive habitats. A scaled-back, 11-turbine proposal seems likely to gain approval in January, but even in this compromise, Maine Audubon believes that three of the proposed turbines unduly encroach on sensitive habitats.

News, events, and activities from Maine AudubonHABITAT

Continued page 8

January-March 2011 Volume 27, Number 3

Eagle ($10,000+)GridSolar, LLC*L.L. BeanMaine Turnpike Authority*Stonyfield Farm, Inc.Falcon ($5,000+)Constellation EnergyFirst WindIDEXX Laboratories, Inc.*Poland Spring WaterProject Management, Inc.*Reed & Reed, Inc.Osprey ($2,500+)Bangor Daily NewsCentral Maine Power CompanyHannaford Bros. Co.Little Diamond Island Enterprises*Maine Today Media

(Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram)

Sun Media Group(Sun Journal and The Forecaster)

Owl ($1,000+)Angela Adams DesignBerry, Dunn, McNeil & ParkerBrann & IsaacsonCasco Bay Frames and GalleryChiropractic Family Wellness CenterCianbro CorporationDiversified CommunicationsThe Home DepotLee Auto Malls*MPXOdyssey Whale Watch & Nature CruisesThe RAM Companies*Sargent CorporationSpinnaker TrustStonyfield CaféWalden Asset ManagementWoodin & Company Store Fixtures, Inc.

Loon ($500+)Baker Newman Noyes, LLCBath Savings InstitutionBusiness Equipment UnlimitedCashman CommunicationsCPRC GroupDeighan Associates, Inc.Federle MahoneyFlatbread CompanyGiroux Energy Solutions, Inc.Gorham Savings BankGreen Clean MaineH.M. Payson & Co.Norway Savings BankOakhurst DairyPeople’s United BankPiper ShoresReVision EnergyCardinal ($250+)Albin, Randall & Bennett, CPAsBurgess Advertising and MarketingCoastal Naturopathic Center and

Community AcupunctureCVC Catering GroupFM Beck, Inc./Maine Environmental

LaboratoryGroup Dynamic, Inc.Haley’s Tire and Service CenterHavana SouthIndependence BioFuelKey BankLiberty GraphicsMaine Chapter of National Kitchen

and Bath AssociationOsteopathic Healthcare of MainePort City GraphicsSaco & Biddeford Savings InstitutionSweetser’s Apple Barrel & Orchards, LLCWelch Signage & Digital Graphics

Maine Audubon thanks the following businesses who are making conservation a top priority in Maine. These leaders support Maine Audubon’s dynamic environmental education programs and science-based approach to conserving Maine’s natural resources.

2 JANUARY-MARCH 2011 WWW.MAINEAUDUBON.ORG

Maine Audubon works to protect Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation, and action.

Habitat, in print and onlineChristian MilNeil, EditorLaura Duffy, Layout EditorE-mail: habitat@maineaudubon.org

Staff DirectorsTed Koffman, Executive Director Sue Cilley, Business Administration DirectorRobert Savage, Property Management Director Sally Stockwell, Conservation Director Kara Wooldrik, Education Director

Officers, Maine Audubon Board of TrusteesAlexander K. (Sandy) Buck, Jr., PresidentCharles (Kip) Moore, Vice PresidentJeff Skaggs, TreasurerFrancesca Galluccio-Steele, Secretary

Full list of trustees and staff at www.maineaudubon.org.

Maine Audubon Headquarters20 Gilsland Farm Rd., Falmouth, ME 04105Phone: (207) 781-2330

Visitor Centers and Wildlife SanctuariesUnless a separate number is listed, call (207) 781-2330 for information, or visit www.maineaudubon.org for descriptions and d irections.

Year-round Programs:Falmouth: Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, (207) 781-2330Holden: Fields Pond Audubon Center, (207) 989-2591

Summer-Fall Programs (in-season phone numbers):Elliotsville: Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary, (207) 631-4050 Freeport: Mast Landing Audubon SanctuaryRockland: Project Puffin Visitor Center, (207) 596-5566Scarborough: Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, (207) 883-5100

Local Maine Audubon Chapterswww.maineaudubon.org/chaptersDowneast: (207) 664-4400; deaudubon@verizon .netFundy: (207) 255-8970; thomas.finlay@gmail.comMerrymeeting: (207) 729-8661; merrymeeting@maineaudubon.orgMidcoast: (207) 641-1077; sschubel12@tidewater.netPenobscot Valley: (207) 989-259; duchesne@midmaine.comWestern Maine: (207) 778-6285; bknapp@beeline-online.netYork County: (207) 799-1408; mijord@maine.rr.com

Maine Audubon is an independently funded and operated affiliate of National Audubon Society, Inc.

Habitat, the journal of Maine Audubon, ISSN 0739-2052, is published quarterly.

To receive Habitat, join Maine Audubon! Support conservation, and receive membership discounts and timely insider information about Maine’s wildlife and nature-based activities at maineaudubon.org/give or call (207) 781-2330, ext. 230.

www.facebook.com/maineaudubon

Thank you!

To learn how your business can join Maine Audubon Corporate Partners, please visit maineaudubon.org/corporatepartners or call (207) 781-2330, ext. 230.

Current members as of 12/15/2010*Gifts matched by Conservation Challenge

Maine AudubonMaine AudubonMaine Audubon2010 CORPORATE PARTNERS2010 CORPORATE PARTNERS2010 CORPORATE PARTNERS

Ted KoffmanMaine AudubonExecutive Director

Adam LeePresident, Lee Auto MallsFounding Chair, Corporate Partners

Adam LeePresident, Lee Auto MallsFounding Chair, Corporate Partners

Ted KoffmanMaine AudubonExecutive Director

Cover: Wind Turbines on Mars HillPhoto by Michael Surran

JANUARY-MARCH 2011 WWW.MAINEAUDUBON.ORG 3

On October 20, Maine Audubon welcomed its Corporate Partners

to Gilsland Farm in an evening recognition event that featured a presentation from Gary Hirshberg, President and “CE-Yo” of Stonyfi eld Farm. Hirshberg, who has close ties to Maine, opened his speech by telling the audience the story of how he had interviewed to lead Maine Audubon in the early 1980s, when the organization had been searching for a new executive director. When that opportunity went to someone else, Hirshberg went to New Hampshire to help a small dairy farm get started - and the rest is history. Stonyfi eld Farm has enjoyed double-digit compounded annual growth for nearly two decades to become the world’s leading organic yogurt producer. Hirshberg stressed that his company’s success would not have been possible without a strong commitment to sustainable business practices. He argued that Stonyfi eld Farm’s aggressive efforts to reduce energy use and climate impacts have been integral to its success, by instilling a working culture of effi ciency and stewardship. “You do the right thing ecologically, and you make more money,” he said. Hirshberg offered the example of the high-tech water treatment plant Stonyfi eld installed at its factory. Although the up-front costs were higher than the conventional alternative, its super-effi cient operation generates 90% less waste that needs to be hauled away, and uses 40% less energy. Other cost-cutting green initiatives include shipping yogurt to Midwestern markets by train

instead of by truck, and establishing cost-cutting sustainable agricultural practices at supplier farms. Hirshberg’s stories clearly resonated with the other Corporate Partners who attended. “Gary’s a true champion for taking sustainability to the next level,” said Ann Armstrong of Gorham Savings Bank. “What an incredible opportunity it was to share an evening with one of the pioneers of sustainable business,” agreed Joe Walsh of Green Clean Maine. “The Corporate Partners program is truly a partnership—our business supports an organization whose work we value deeply, and in return we receive generous recognition and are welcomed into a community of environmental stewards unlike any other in Maine.” Maine Audubon also took the opportunity to recognize and thank the 67 businesses that joined the Corporate Partners in 2010. Special thanks and recognition went to Adam Lee of Lee Auto Malls, for his prominent role in founding the Corporate Partners program.

Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfi eld Farm President and “CE-Yo” speaking at Maine Audubon

GARY HIRSHBERGGARY HIRSHBERGGARY HIRSHBERGStonyfield Farm “CE-Yo”Stonyfield Farm “CE-Yo”Stonyfield Farm “CE-Yo”

There’s still time to make a gift toMaine Audubon’s Annual Fund. Annual Fund gifts provide essential support for our education and con-servation work. Give online at maineaudubon.org, or call (207) 781-2330, ext. 230.

Your increased gift may qualify for matching funds from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation—call for details!

IT’S NOT TOO LATE!2010-11 ANNUAL FUND

4 JANUARY-MARCH 2011 WWW.MAINEAUDUBON.ORG

ConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationConservationUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdates

Loon Count Broadens Its Focus in 2010 The 27th annual Maine Audubon Loon Count was on July 17, when over 900 volunteers took to Maine’s lakes and ponds to count adult loons and their chicks. While the Loon Count gives a half-hour snapshot of Maine’s loon population, Maine Audubon and about a hundred of its longtime volunteer counters undertook a more detailed study of loons this past summer, in an effort to determine whether nesting loons can successfully sustain their population from year to year. Other studies in remote regions of Maine have uncovered surprisingly low levels of reproductive success, raising questions about the sustainability of local loon populations. Early in 2010, Maine Audubon wildlife biologist Susan Gallo recruited longtime Loon Count volunteers to undertake a summer-long study of loons in the state’s more developed regions, in southern and central Maine. Following training workshops in three different communities this spring, these volunteers identifi ed loon nesting territories at more than 50 lakes, then monitored whether or not loons nested, whether eggs hatched, and whether their chicks survived to the crucial age of six weeks, when loons can become self-suffi cient. This close monitoring required committed volunteers who could visit nesting sites at least every other week over the course of the entire summer. An initial look at the data suggests that loons in the more populated part of the state may fare as poorly as their northern Maine counterparts. Despite steady growth in the loon population over the last 25 years, as estimated by Maine Audubon’s annual loon count, a preliminary analysis of this summer’s research shows that each territorial pair in this study produced an average of 0.46 chicks - a surprisingly low number. Gallo hopes to repeat the study next year, in order to gain more certainty in her results and address some unanswered questions. Notwithstanding those troubling fi ndings, the preliminary data from the 2010 Maine Audubon Loon Count looks promising for Maine’s overall loon population —unlike past years, when wet weather fl ooded nests, this summer was relatively warm and dry, and more conducive to successful breeding. Look for the offi cial 2010 results later this winter, both in the next edition of Habitat and online at www.maineaudubon.org.

First place (above): “Spreading His Wings”by Gail Smith of Etna, Maine. Photo taken on Otter Pond in Pierce Pond Township on June 18, 2010.

Second place: “Stretching” by Larry Warfi eld of Burlington, Massachusetts. Photo taken on Buganut Lake in Alfred.

Third place: “Smooth as Silk” by Peter Agnes of Wayland, Massachusetts. Photo taken on Long Pond in Belgrade Lakes.

Loon Photo Contest 2010For the second year in a row, Maine Audubon collected entries for a Loon Count Photo Contest. Our judges had an enjoyable challenge choosing the winners, which are shared on this page.

Maine Audubon’s loon research relies on volunteers like you. If you would like to help, email: sgallo@maineaudubon.org

Invasives at Gilsland Farm If you haven’t been to Gilsland Farm for a while, you might notice some substantial changes in the landscape on your next visit. Under the leadership of Bob Bittenbender, assistant property manager, Maine Audubon is undertaking a fi ve-year project to eradicate invasive plants from the sanctuary’s meadows and forests. In some areas, the changes have been dramatic. Some visitors have been disappointed to see large Norway maples being removed, but Bittenbender points out that these fast-growing trees aren’t as benign as they look: through a process called alleopathy, their roots actually leach naturally-occurring toxins that prevent other seeds from germinating nearby. That’s the kind of competitive evolutionary strategy that makes invasive plants a bit too successful—especially when they are transplanted across oceans to places, like Maine, where native species haven’t evolved their own ways to cope with them. “Lots of Maine insects, birds, and other wildlife have adapted to a pretty specifi c range of plants. Exotic species don’t provide much nutritional or habitat value for our wildlife, and they also crowd out the plants that our wildlife do need,” explains Bittenbender.

Bittenbender, an expert horticulturist, has also been spending his own volunteer time working on this issue. As a board member of the Oceanside Conservation Trust, he has delivered several workshops—including a Naturalist Forum presentation at Gilsland Farm—to educate people on the identifi cation and removal of invasive species. This is the second growing season that Maine Audubon and its volunteers have been removing invasive plants, and Bittenbender says that he’s already seeing progress. “It’s going to take several years, but native plants that don’t have to compete against these invasives are starting to stand up on their own.” If enough donations can be secured, Bittenbender would also like to begin proactively planting native trees and shrubs in the areas where nonnatives have been removed.

JANUARY-MARCH 2011 WWW.MAINEAUDUBON.ORG 5

Legislative Preview By Jenn Burns GrayAs Maine Audubon prepares for the 125th Legislative session, we are looking at a vastly changed landscape. As Maine’s Republicans take control of the Legislature and the Blaine House, there are many new people to meet. We look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. We can draw a number of conclusions from this fall’s election, but one fact is especially clear—Mainers support protections for wood, water and wildlife. Voters strongly approved of the Land for Maine’s Future bond, which received 327,947 votes (59%) statewide—far more than any gubernatorial candidate. Conservation is not a partisan issue, and Maine Audubon is truly a bipartisan organization. When you get down to it, Mainers of both parties want to have clean water to drink and recreate in. We want to conserve our favorite places to hunt and hike. We want to see wildlife when we’re fi shing or kayaking, or to hear the loons call when we’re nestled in our camp in the early morning. Mainers of all political inclinations can agree that these values are worth protecting. Part of our job this winter, as always, will be to ensure that new ideas from the State House do not undermine our basic protections for Maine’s woods, waterways, and wildlife. That said, Maine Audubon is always open to new ideas and considering different points of view and alternative approaches. There will be opportunities to work collaboratively on a positive agenda. Maine Audubon will be supporting legislation to continue to fund the Land for Maine’s Future program, an award-winning program that has enhanced the state’s long-term economic health by conserving key assets like commercial farms, forests, waterfronts, and recreation sites —more than 500,000 acres’ worth—across Maine. We’ll also be advocating, together with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and The Nature Conservancy, in support of funding for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW). The Department’s existing funding structure has left it chronically underfunded and short-changes efforts to protect the state’s fi sh and wildlife. DIFW’s great work for the people and wildlife of Maine translates into signifi cant economic benefi ts. A 2004 report said that “DIFW is a virtual mother lode for the state economically speaking” and highlighted a 2001 survey that shows Maine’s wildlife economic contribution is fi fth in the nation in terms of the state’s gross state product. Both of these initiatives are excellent examples of how good conservation stewardship translates into healthy economic benefi t. We can have both.

The State House, Augusta, Maine

Bob Bittenbender, the assistant property manager for Maine Audubon works to eliminate these nonnative species at Gilsland Farm:

Norway maple

Bush honeysuckle(s)

Japanese barberry

Glossy buckthorn

Garlic mustard

Oriental bittersweet

Purple loosestrife

Japanese knotweed

Autumn olive

Multifl ora rose

6 JANUARY-MARCH 2011 WWW.MAINEAUDUBON.ORG

MaineMaineMaineAudubitsAudubitsAudubits

Odette joined Maine Audubon as our new Director of Advancement this fall, fulfi lling a long-standing desire to dedicate her career to conserving Maine’s natural beauty. Odette moved to Portland from New York in early 2009 to join the National Wildlife Federation, after learning the art of fundraising at Vassar College. Odette’s fi rst career was in fi nance, and she has experience as an analyst, portfolio manager, and as a writer for fi nancial magazines. She now lives with her three dogs near Falmouth Town Landing, and gets away to her cabin on Mount Desert Island whenever she can.

Matt is the new Director of Fields Pond Audubon Center. A former classroom teacher with wide-ranging experience teaching students from pre-school through graduate school, Matt was instrumental in the development of the nation’s fi rst Sustainability Academy, a public magnet school with a sustainability theme in Burlington, Vermont. Matt also writes about sustainability and place-based education and leads professional development workshops across the country. Matt and his wife, Jennifer, live in Bangor, and recently welcomed their fi rst child, Hunter.

Kelly and Carolyn are new additions to Maine Audubon’s education team at Gilsland Farm. Before coming to work for Audubon, Kelly spent four years teaching 8th grade science in New Hampshire and Maine, where she used the environment as an integrating context for science education. She is also a board member of Ferry Beach Ecology School in Saco. Carolyn, a native of Fryeburg, also brings years’ worth of experience in outdoor education, and particularly enjoys working with local students through Maine Audubon’s school collaboration programs. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education from Prescott College.

Maine Audubon welcomes new staff

Kelly Towle and Carolyn FindeisenOdette Galli Matt Dubel

Kelly TowleOdette Galli Carolyn FindeisenMatt Dubel

JANUARY-MARCH 2011 WWW.MAINEAUDUBON.ORG 7

WinterWinterWinterActivities Activities Activities Activities Activities Activities

Winter Field Trips*Eagles, Gulls, and Goldeneye

from Augusta. Saturday, January 8, $25/$40 ($10 van trip from Falmouth)

*Wings of Winter: Greater PortlandSaturday, January 22, $25/$40

*Nature in Your Neighborhood: Mill Cove and Bug LightTuesday, January 25, $10/$15

*Southern Coast BirdingSaturday, February 19, $55/$70

*Nature in Your Neighborhood: River Point in Falmouth Tuesday, February 22, $10/$15

*Winter Ecology at ClaybrookLodge March 11-13, $295/$335

*Owl Prowl: Greater PortlandSaturday, March 26, $35/$50

*Nature in Your Neighborhood: Casco Bay CruiseTuesday, March 29, $25/$35

*Plum Island Van TripSaturday, April 9, $55/$70

At Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, FalmouthWeekly BirdwalksThursdays January-February, 8 a.m.March-April, 7 a.m. $5/$8

*Winter YogaMondays, January 3-March 285:30-7 p.m. $110/$132, or $15/class

Naturalists’ ForumWednesdays, January 26, February 23, and March 30, 7 p.m. Free

*Gull Identifi cation WorkshopThursday, January 27, 7 p.m. $15/$25

*The Winter SkyThursday, February 3, 6 p.m. $5/$10

Valentine’s Day Jewelry and Chocolate ShowSaturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free

*Full Moon Sculpture TourThursday February 17, 5:30 p.m. Free

*Woodcock WatchThursday, March 31, 6:30-8 p.m. $10/$15

At Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden

Thursday YogaThursdays, 2-3 p.m.January 6-March 31, $5/class

*Yoga and Nature Adventure for FamiliesSaturday, January 15, 1-2 p.m. $10/family

*Winter Bird Photography Workshop with Andy AndersonSaturday, February 12, 1-3:30 p.m. 10/$15

*Nature Journaling WorkshopSaturday, March 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $15/$20

*Wild Poetry: a writing workshop for adults and kids ages 8 and upSaturday, March 12, 1-3 p.m. $5

Nature Poetry Reading with Christina DieboldTuesday, March 15, 7 p.m. Free

Doing Wind Right: A ForumThursday, March 31, 7-8:30 p.m. Free

Vacation Camp at Maine Audubon!

February Vacation Camp at Fields Pond Audubon CenterAll days include stories, games, and hands-on explorations of the natural world. Join us for one day or all four!February 22-25, $45/$55 per day

February Vacation Camp at Gilsland Farm Audubon CenterKids uncover the secrets of how Maine’s wildlife spends the winter, hunting for tracks and traces in the snow, and meeting live animals. February 22-25, $55/$70 per day

April Vacation Camp in Falmouth and HoldenDetailed program information and prices will be published on maineaudubon.org in January. April 18-22

Look What I Found at Gilsland FarmFull-day drop-off adventures for kids aged 3-5, during school vacation weeks. February 24 and April 20, $25/$38

*

*

*

*

Live Raptors from Wind Over WingsSee impressive predatory birds, including a golden eagle, peregrine falcon, and others live and in person.Friday, February 25, 10 a.m. $10/$15 ($5 discount for children)

Live Raptors at Gilsland Farm!

Peregrine falcon, photo by Jeff Schmoyer

*

Our summer day camp pro-grams return in 2011 with several one- and two-week sessions in Falmouth and Holden. Call for details or visit maineaudubon.org.

Nature learning that’s wicked fun!

Find additional activity listings, and detailed descriptions, online at habitat.maineaudubon.org. Prices listed for Maine Audubon members/nonmembers.

* Indicates that advanced registration is necessary. Call (207) 781-2330 to register for fi eld trips and Gilsland Farm activities, or (207) 989-2591 for Fields Pond activities.

FSC logo

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage P A I D

Portland, MEPermit No. 92

20 Gilsland Farm RoadFalmouth, ME 04105

Luckily, there are many more sites like Stetson where clean energy projects can fi t in well with Maine’s traditional working landscapes. First Wind alone is studying a dozen pos-sible locations for new wind farms. Other developers are also seeking permits, making a state goal of 2,000 megawatts of windpower by 2015 potentially achievable. That’s the equivalent of nearly three Maine Yan-kee nuclear power plants. “We’d like to be able to avoid site-by-site reviews of each wind power project,” said Maine Audubon staff biologist Susan Gallo. “We’d like to be able to look more at the big pic-ture.” Part of that big picture is the impact of our existing energy sup-ply, and particularly of coal-burning power plants, one of the biggest con-tributors to air pollution and global warming. Maine’s power lines are plugged into two coal-burning plants just across the border in New Hampshire,

in addition to several more in south-ern New England. Their smokestacks send a toxic brew of emissions—in-cluding acid-rain-causing sulphates, greenhouse gases, and mercury—downwind into Maine. These pollutants also have mea-surable impacts on Maine’s alpine habitats. As it happens, the Bicknell’s thrush is one of the species recently tested for mercury, a well-known neu-rotoxin by Maine’s Biodiversity Re-search Institute—and the tests were positive. “We’re not sure yet how that hap-pens,” said Gallo. “The species we’ve studied the longest, such as loons, bioaccumulate mercury from the fi sh they eat. That’s not the case with al-pine birds.” Fortunately, other states and nations have already dem-onstrated that wind power, combined with other cleaner sources of energy, can replace coal power. The Canadian province of Ontario, for instance, re-cently announced that the last of its coal plants would shut down by 2014,

thanks in large part to hundreds of new wind turbines that have been come online in the past fi ve years. While fl oating offshore wind towers may someday have a part in the nation’s energy mix, land-based turbines are the primary focus now. “Maine Audubon aims to play a con-structive role in supporting projects that are well-sited,” Koffman said. But looking beyond individual projects, “it’s critical that Maine seize its opportunities to lead the transition in how we produce electricity,” says Koffman. “We understand the con-cerns about visual and noise impacts on humans, and we believe those can be managed appropriately. But it’s the overall effect on the environment, both locally and globally, that’s our primary concern.”

Douglas Rooks is a freelance writer and a longtime contributor to Habitat.

Continued from page 1

Compared to last year, this summer proved to be a much better nesting season for birds in our area. It was warm, sunny and dry with no extended cold,

spells and there were plenty of insect to feed babies. Over the last two years, Downeast Audubon has placed 45 nesting boxes on seven different properties throughout the area—the beginnings of a Bluebird Trail stretching from Deer Isle to Franklin. This nesting season, these

boxes attracted a grand total of 20 tree swallows, 7 eastern bluebirds, and 3 other species. We intend to put more boxes up next spring and welcome suggestions as to where to place them. We would like to keep thelocations on public land or lands held by trusts, and defi nitely need

Eastern bluebird, photo by Leslie Clapp

Tree swallow, photo by Leslie Clapp

In 2011, Maine Audubon’s Habitat newsletter will begin featuring news and updates from its regional chapter organizations. If your local chapter has news to share with Maine Audubon’s members across the rest of the state, please send it to habitat@maineaudubon.org.

boxes attracted a grand total of 20 tree swallows, 7 eastern bluebirds, and 3 other species. We intend to put more boxes up next spring and welcome suggestions as to where to place them. We would like to keep thelocations on public land or lands held by trusts, and defi nitely need

Tree swallow, photo by Leslie Clapp

ChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterChapterUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdatesUpdates

A Successful Nesting SeasonBy Leslie Clapp, Downeast Chapter President

people to help monitor them during the nesting season. If you are interested, please call (207) 664-4400.