It’s been an exhausting year. I don’t need to recap it all for you, but by the end of October I found myself glued to ever-present screens almost every waking hour and being bombarded by anger, sadness, and all-around bad news. This isn’t healthy. I needed to get away. A restorative few days far from Read More
land conservation
What’s New at Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument?
Like many people, you may have explored Maine’s stunning outdoors this year to decompress and clear your mind. Now in its fourth year, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (KWW) is the perfect example of a safe, remote place to recreate during a roller coaster year. As you begin to think about how you’ll spend Read More
We All Want to Help the Birds We Love
People have a tendency, it seems, to want to help birds. We put up feeders filled with seed and suet, telling ourselves that it will do them good while also acknowledging that this will allow us to enjoy hours of watching their behaviors and interactions at close range, without disturbance to them. Some people go Read More
November 17, 2020: 2020 Election Results and Maine’s Environment
Although NRCM cannot by law get involved in candidate elections, we have a strong interest in the results. Participants heard from NRCM Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim as he shared his best thinking about what the election results could mean for clean water & air, forests, and wildlife in Maine.
Must-visit State Parks in Maine
How did we come up with this master list? We are the Rubys. We have been to every Maine State Park as a family and have camped at all of the Maine State Park family campgrounds. Lucky for us, we’ve camped at some of them on multiple occasions. What started as a silly idea back Read More
Celebrating 30 Years of the Caribou-Speckled Wilderness
September 28, 2020, is the 30th anniversary of the Maine Wilderness Act, which was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush and designated 12,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest as the Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is proud of the role we played decades ago in Read More
U.S. House Passes Great American Outdoors Act to Reinvest in Maine’s Outdoor Economy
House Bill Sponsored by Congressman Golden and championed by Congresswoman Pingree NRCM news release July 22, 2020 (Augusta, ME) – The United States House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed the Great American Outdoors Act to expand access to the outdoors and support Maine’s recreation economy. The bill, which was sponsored by Congressman Jared Golden and Read More
Protecting Maine’s North Woods: The Legacy of Cathy Johnson
by Douglas Rooks For 30 years, there’s been no fiercer, more consistent, or passionate advocate of protecting the Maine woods and enhancing its wildness. Cathy Johnson came to the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) in 1990, and two years later began working full-time on the North Woods project – a role she fulfilled for Read More
Flying the Flag of Wilderness
Flags are symbols that can mean different things to different people, but there is generally a shared understanding of the values they represent. Wilderness is similar in that it embodies an ideal ecological state. A mental picture of wilderness is easy to call up: You might imagine free-flowing rivers, bountiful wildlife, or dark, starfilled skies. Read More
