Maine Audubon Society

Programs: Visitor centers and wildlife sanctuaries: maine audubon maintains 7 nature centers and sanctuaries that reach from the north woods to the south coast, and offer a variety of natural areas for environmental education. Encompassing over 3,000 acres, these 7 properties represent the largest number of privately owned nature areas in maine that are fully open to the public and that offer programs specifically designed to connect more people to nature. Programs and trips:maine audubon's focus is on hands-on environmental education, not just outdoor recreation. When we take children outside, our purpose is to engage them in actively learning about the natural world around them, critical to developing the next generation of environmental stewards. Our portland programs reach many low-income and new immigrant children. Our bangor programs reach children and families in the more rural areas of the state. Current education programs include:-preschool programs in falmouth, scarborough, and bangor. We are one of the few environmental education organizations that serve this age group. -comprehensive school collaborations in portland, falmouth, scarborough and west bath that combine classroom curriculum with hands-on learning in our sanctuaries. -dynamic afterschool programs in portland that connect children to nature in their school neighborhood, local nature areas, and gilsland farm audubon center. -high quality school vacation and summer camps in falmouth and bangor. -a wide variety of evening, weekend and chapter programs for families and adults. People of all ages:we can track the number of people who visit our centers and sanctuaries, and take part in our programs and trips. In fiscal year 2012-13, the number of people served was:25,000 at gilsland farm audubon center, our headquarters in falmouth;12,000 at fields pond audubon center in bangor;10,000 at scarborough march audubon center in scarborough;4,000 at borestone mountain audubon center south of greenville;1,000 through maine audubon field trips and outreach programs; and 250 in day camps.

maine audubon's science-based conservation focuses on major threats to wildlife and habitat, educating communities, policymakers and the public about policies and practices that will better protect these natural resources. Current conservation and advocacy programs include:-co-leading maine's beginning with habitat program. We are an active member of the bwh steering committee and serve on subcommittees addressing climate change, habitat connectivity, and gis mapping. We develop the community conservation guides that are the primary educational materialsfor towns; provide expertise, research, and mapping on wildlife habitat; and advise on strategies for community education. -leadership in the historic keeping maine's forests initiative that is working across sectors to develop a shared vision for landscape scale conservation in maine's north woods. We are serving on the steering committee. -well-established citizen science programs that provide experiential learning opportunities for more than 1,450 volunteers across the state to monitor species and habitats at risk, including common loons, bats, birds, calling amphibians, and wildlife crossing roads. -educating the public and policymakers on state and federal legislation that addresses the need for renewable energy and planning for climate change. -working with over 100 south coast landowners to protect the beach habitat of endangered least terns and piping plovers. -supporting wind power, by advising developers about meeting maine's new siting guidelines and providing maps where wind and wildlife habitat overlap. -providing educational resources to municipal and state public work crews, road construction engineers, land trusts, and others on how to build slocum smart road crossings. -creating resource materials and training foresters, forest managers, and land owners on how to develop bird friendly forest management plans.

maine audubon makes information widely available about threats to maine wildlife and conservation solutions. Members, supporters, and policymakers regularly receive our print and online newsletters, updates, and advocacy alerts. In support of the organization's various conservation initiatives, maine audubon develops "how-to" guides and other material on specific conservation topics, with the goal of helping stakeholders take positive action. This type of educational material is developed for target audiences such as landowners and community planners. Through their newsletters, maine audubon's seven local chapters also distribute information about local and regional conservation issues and nature-based activities.