On September 20, a Celebration of Life for Don and Carleen Cote was held at the VFW in Augusta. As I was driving by the former Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on my way to this special event, a beautiful male Bald Eagle flew just above my car. A fitting symbol of freedom, strength, and Read More
Protecting Wildlife
Maine is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and, for some species, Maine makes up a vast majority of their range or provides essential habitat that can’t be found elsewhere. NRCM works to protect Maine’s wildlife by advocating for policies that ensure they have healthy habitat and abundant resources to thrive.
My Experience Monitoring Piping Plovers in Maine
Every summer, Maine Audubon works with Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and municipal officials to protect Piping Plovers that nest on Maine’s shoreline. Over the past three months, I have been a volunteer for Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Project, which is among many initiatives developed to monitor and project coastal birds all across Read More
CMP’s Proposed Conservation Plan Fails to Comply with Permit Requirements
Maine Council of Trout Unlimited | Appalachian Mountain Club | Maine Audubon | Natural Resources Council of Maine June 12, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – Central Maine Power’s (CMP) proposal for conserving land in western Maine as mitigation for its transmission corridor fails to meet the requirements in its permit for protecting and connecting mature forests and Read More
Remembering the Lost Birds on a Special Day
We treasure Memorial Day as a day of remembrance of the past, holding dear those who have died while serving to protect our nation. We also think of and honor others who served in the military but were spared. It’s also a time of memorializing loved ones in general. After a number of days of Read More
Critter Chatter — A Dove from Above?
As most of our readers now know, Don Cote passed away in December following a short illness. I noted at the end of his obituary that I would write a final “Critter Chatter” column to honor Don and Carleen Cote’s six decades of caring for the literally thousands of animals that came to their home Read More
Critter Chatter — More Reminiscing, Part VII
In looking through old articles and photo albums from Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center, I discovered a story about a baby moose that arrived at the Cotes’ in 1993. What follows is part of Carleen’s column from August 1997, recounting that experience: “On May 15, 1993, we received a call from the State Police at Read More
Mainers Speak Out Against Chaotic Federal Funding and Firing Decisions
News release March 19, 2025 (Brewer, ME) ━ One by one, a diverse group of Mainers including a fired federal worker, business and fishing groups, a veteran, and a SNAP participant spoke about the real-world harm that has been inflicted by the chaotic decision-making of the Trump Administration. Ocean Crawford, a mother of three from Read More
Critter Chatter – “Many hands make light work” – Reminiscing, Part VI
During our recent series of “Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane,” I’ve shared a few stories that Carleen Cote wrote about local school children initiating various fundraising projects for Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center. However, not only young members of our community have supported this facility over the years. In September 2003, Paul Basham wrote Read More
Critter Chatter – Reminiscing, Part V
I continue to share more of Carleen Cote’s past articles because Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center isn’t accepting any wildlife or phone inquiries right now. I found several about the generous efforts of local students to help support the rehab center. From August 2005: “For two years, China Primary School students have selected the Wildlife Read More
