Wolf Plant It is common to hear people complain that long stretches of Maine highways are stark, boring, or desolate; feel free to insert your favorite adjective.  Maybe it depends on where you grew up, say in some over-developed city, with buildings, lights, signs and people screaming for attention at every turn.  For me there… Read more

When staying at the cabin during the summer I love to spend time in the 40-acre mountain-top field surrounded by extensive mixed forest.  I may be working, walking or just sitting. Nearly 2,000 feet in elevation on the northern edge of the Appalachians in central New York State, it is a cold, windy place in… Read more

Dave Reed of Reed’s Seeds was advising me on the products I would need to complete a new pollinator plot in the field. A Conservation Stewardship Program grant from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) would provide up to $300 for a pollinator seed mix. The good folks at NRCS provided a list of… Read more

The King A friend once suggested that I write more stories about insects.   I reminded him that insects are not a topic of polite conversation in Maine unless we are griping about ravenous mosquitoes, invasive brown tail moths or swarming black flies (often suggested with tongue in cheek as the next state bird).  Don’t get… Read more

My recollections of early youth get a bit fuzzier over time but I remember my first outing with a fly rod. I was probably 12 years old, using an old Shakespeare rod and a top water “popper,” a floating frog imitation that made a lot of noise when retrieved quickly. Friends gave permission to fish… Read more

Some bird species are so distinctive in appearance that you can identify them at a glance. A Northern Flicker flying away reveals a bright white patch on its rump. A large flash of bright red around your home is likely the male Northern Cardinal. This month’s bird is equally distinctive during breeding season, with the… Read more

Moving to Maine in 2007 was a big step, having lived abroad for many years. We were excited by the natural beauty and recreational opportunities around us. I was keen to learn about fishing the myriad lakes, ponds and streams in this lightly populated state. I found a few friendly souls through volunteer work with… Read more

As I walked along the harvested cornfield a small flock of light-colored birds took rapid flight. These were one of the smallest winter visitors to our area, the Snow Bunting. Sometimes described as an Arctic specialist, this is the most northern breeding song bird on Earth. The birds are lovely all year, but the breeding… Read more