NHEST News
Vol. 3 Issue 1 Spring 2007
General Report
The general report is that there isn’t much to report. We’ve been moving slowly. We will be helping with Steve Coleman’s annual birdwalk as usual. This year we have added a non-visually oriented program on skunks to the day. All this starts with the skunk program at 1 p.m. May 12 and continues with Steve’s annual walk at 2:30.
We are translating some of our materials into French and Spanish for the website. We are doing this because we have had requests for information from speakers of those languages, and because having the parallel English and foreign texts can serve as a language learning aid for English speakers. So far we have a multi-lingual birdlist for Field’s Pond posted to the site.
This issue also combines the science items that some have asked to see revived.
This year at Fields Pond
The Fields Pond Center of Maine Audubon is a 192 acre preserve in Holden, Maine dedicated to preserving and demonstrating nature. Programs for all ages and interests are held throughout the year.
Well over 100 species of birds have been seen at Fields Pond since the opening of the nature center in 1998, and the list is growing. We have added new birds at Steve Coleman's annual birdwalk. As seen by the 2006 list, we find a wide variety of species in the varied habitats at Fields Pond.
Fields Pond has hosts Steve Coleman’s birdwalk every year on International Bird Migration Day – this year, May 12. What that means is that our observations are reported to ornithologists who use them to chart bird movements and to discover what changes in these movements mean concerning possible environmental changes.
We start this year at 1 p.m. with a program on skunks, hosted by Lily the skunk and her able assistant, David Smith.
You won't smell Lily at all, no matter how close you get. Unless they intentionally fire off their arsenal, skunks are 'scent neutral.' They don't smell at all, unlike such familiar animals as dogs and cats.
Dave Smith is an enthusiast and expert on skunks who has traveled the world discussing these interesting animals -- which, by the way, are found wild only in North America. Dave recently returned from Ukraine where Lilly's photos can now be found in libraries, schools, and museums.
Aside from his interest in skunks, Dave is a well-known metal sculptor whose scenes from nature grace homes and other places in Maine and beyond.
For more information on skunks, see:
Steve Coleman is a teacher in the Bangor school system, a Karate expert, and an expert birder who has led bird walks for over 6 years. Steve is blind, and his love of nature enables many others to connect with nature. He loves hearing the music of the birds, and teaches it with great enthusiasm.
This year Steve will be assisted by Gabe Millay, a student in Surry, who has attended all of Steve’s bird walks. Gabe now knows bird songs well enough to lead birdwalks. Gabe and Steve start at 2:30 this year.
Took a look at last year’s list and the general list for Fields Pond to get an idea of what you might expect.
Wilderlust
Still plenty of copies of our book left. And if we run out, we’ll print more. Read about Steve Coleman and other blind outdoors enthusiasts including hikers, skiers, woodsmen – even a hunter. Blind World says it’s intriguing; we agree.
www.nhest.org/wilderlust.html.
www.mainemarketplace.com/books.html
We Need Help
NHEST has ambitious plans for this year, but we need help if we are to carry them out. Send your tax-deductible donation to: NHEST, Inc; 144 Atkinson Rd.; Bradford, ME 04410, or call 207-327-1453.
Subscribe/Remove Information
If a friend forwarded NHEST News to you and you would like to subscribe, send an e-mail to , and place Subscribe in the subject line. We won’t share your e-mail address with others. If you want to be removed from the list, place Remove in the subject line. And please feel free to forward this newsletter to those whom you think would enjoy it. Thank you so much! If you have problems reading this newsletter, please contact us.
From the World of Science
1. Skunks
2. Earthlike planets
3. Global Warming
1. Skunks are in the news today – at least in our news. These animals are unique to the new world and recently taxonomists have separated them from other animals once thought closely related, such as weasels.
Skunks are best known for their weaponry – the powerful jet of scent they are able to project for a considerable distance. What they are not known for is the odd fact that they are totally undetectable by smell – scent neutral – unless they fire off. The links below give further information about skunks. Dave Smith will present details at Fields Pond Nature Center of Maine Audubon on May 12, 2007.
Dragoo Skunk InstituteResearch on skunks
2. Earthlike planets are also in the news recently. Scientists believe they have found the most earthlike planet yet in a solar system only 20,000 light years away. Only? OK, let’s rush right over. This planet apparently has a temperature in the range that would make life possible. Beyond that, little can as yet be said, but the find is attracting a great deal of interest in the scientific world.
National Geographic Article
3. Global warming is still a matter of controversy, although the controversy is growing less as more and more evidence comes in.
While not all evidence is in or is completely compelling, we can say that we are probably experiencing the warmest period, at least for thousands of years. The extent to which human activities have contributed to this warming is not certain, but again it seems more and more likely that there is some human generated effect.
Perhaps the most important questions concern what we can do about it if it is true – and should we. In summary, the things we are asked to do to mitigate effects, if any, seem often to be those same things we should be doing anyway – conservation, seeking alternate energy sources, etc. So to say that there is a human effect and try to reverse it requires us only to do what we should be doing anyway. To be wrong the other way might cost us a great deal more.
It is not certain to what extent we can truly reverse the greenhouse effect. Whatever we do it may be felt for centuries to come. But many experts around the world feel that some mitigation is possible.
The full test of the UN reports will be released soon, and we will try to dig into the underlying research in detail. In the meantime,
summaries are available. Let us know how you do with these pages.
-Melting of ice in the north polar regions are starving the polar bears. Events surrounding the melting of the ice caps is finding its way into the popular press – with some unpredictable slants.
The University of Maine lists a set of links that may be useful.
If there is interest, we will try to put out a special issue on this subject, answering questions and comments where possible.
Top of page