As Mainers face rising electricity and gas prices and our towns struggle to deal with the damage from increasingly worse flooding and destructive storms, oil and gas companies continue to rake in record profits year after year. It’s Time for Oil & Gas Companies to Pay for the Pollution They Create Town and county budgets Read More
Nature of Maine Blog
The Natural Resources Council of Maine’s “Nature of Maine” blog gives you the inside scoop on some of the latest issues facing Maine’s environment. From environmental news to threats to opportunities, NRCM is on the frontlines of the latest goings-on—and we’re often leading the charge on efforts to protect Maine’s precious lands, air, waters, and wildlife. Read what NRCM staff members have to say and get the perspective of some of our members and supporters who have been guest contributors.
Perhaps you have an issue you’d like to write about. Maybe you’re an expert on a particular topic and are inspired to share your expertise. Maybe you’ve recently made a visit to a spectacular Maine nature preserve or other natural area and would like to write about it (captioned photos welcome!). For submission guidelines, email nrcm@nrcm.org.
“Color-coded” Bird Names
We admit it, we have a particular fascination with bird names. Most birders do. For example, we explored the whys and hows of birds that say their names and birds named after what they eat (imagine if this the case in humans!) and how they eat. So when, at a cookout, a family friend pointed Read More
Creature Feature: Muskrat
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus Cool fact: Muskrats often build feeding platforms next to their lodges where they eat their meals. Muskrats are medium-sized semi-aquatic rodents that are native to North America, with a range throughout the United States, Canada, and a small part of northern Mexico. They primarily inhabit wetland areas with dense vegetation — including Read More
Mt. Agamenticus: Foundation of a Living Coastal Landscape
I’ve visited Mt. Agamenticus for years – to hike, walk a trail, to look for hawks. However, the sight that is forever etched into my memory is the superior mirage of Mt. Washington from Mt. A’s summit. It was a frigid, clear winter day. We had parked at the summit and could not believe our Read More
Creature Feature: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus Cool fact: Swallowtails in the egg stage resemble bird droppings, a means to keep predators away. The first known drawing of a North American butterfly was of an eastern tiger swallowtail, sketched in 1587 by John White, who was traveling with Sir Walter Raleigh during his third exploration of Virginia. Read More
Do Birds Dream of Singing?
We’ve all heard it, right? The unexpected bit of song or surprise call…from a bird? OK, maybe you need to be bird-oriented to key into sounds like that. We certainly are! Evidence: Over the weekend, while our dog was making his final sniffs around the yard and otherwise taking care of doggy business, we heard, Read More
The Truth About the Environmental Impacts of Clean Energy
Building more Maine-made clean energy can make electricity costs more affordable, create new good-paying jobs, and reduce our dependence on expensive out-of-state fossil fuels. But opponents of clean energy, backed by national funders and fossil fuel interests, frequently spread misinformation to confuse people and set us back, so they can continue to rake in huge Read More
The Transformative Power of Nature: A Q&A with Executive Director Justin Strasburger
In April 2026, the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Board of Directors selected Justin Strasburger as our next executive director. Justin has deep roots in Maine’s outdoors, a profound love, like many of us, for all of us, for the state’s pristine natural resources and a fierce determination to protect the places we all love. Read More
Spring Trill-ogy
These last few weeks, as we’ve taken our dog on his morning neighborhood walk, one thing is clear: the spring trill-ogy is in full song. Rarely have we been out of earshot of the trilling music of Dark-eyed Juncos and Chipping Sparrows—two examples among the vast numbers of birds that produce a song made up Read More
