Stories
Since late December, a rare, wayward eagle native to Russia and Japan has taken up residence along Maine’s Midcoast near Boothbay Harbor. The Steller’s sea eagle is one of the largest raptors in the world, weighing up to 20 pounds with an eight-foot wingspan. There are only about 4,000 of them left, and the chance…
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Surface water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine this fall hit new seasonal highs, and it looks like 2021 overall will be one of the hottest ever in the gulf. Researchers at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute said that this fall, temperatures in the gulf ran more than four degrees Fahrenheit above the historical norm. “It…
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One of the most destructive forest pests in the Southeast has made its way to Maine. The southern pine beetle, which has destroyed millions of acres of pine forests in its native South, was discovered in Waterboro last fall. Scientists say the ecosystem of Maine’s pitch pine barrens is at risk. Its Latin genus name…
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The fate of Central Maine Power’s controversial energy corridor through western Maine is now in the hands of the state’s highest court. Late last week a lower court judge halted his own consideration of a challenge to the law that state voters enacted last year to kill the project, and sent it on to the…
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Vehicles are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions in Maine. One goal in the state’s climate change response plan is to get more electric vehicles on the road. There are currently only about 6,000, which is a 90% increase from just a couple years ago. But it’s still a drop in the bucket…
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To store greenhouse gases, Maine looks to protect more than 2 Rhode Islands’ worth of forest by 2030
Around the world, the push is on for large-scale conservation. Scientists say at least 30% of lands, fresh water and oceans need protection by 2030 to slow global warming and prevent species extinctions. The ambitious 30 x 30 goal is part of President Biden’s climate agenda. It’s also a target in Maine, the most heavily…
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Since the 1800’s in Maine, the Christmas tree has been an essential point of light for many in the darkest month of the year. But scientists say that some of the state’s best-loved conifers are under threat, with extreme weather making it difficult for them to grow. When Ephraim Weston moved from Massachusetts to the…
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It’s Saturday, and Sarah Mahoney is one of several Planned Parenthood volunteers knocking on doors in Windham, Maine, a politically moderate town not far from Portland. No one answers at the first couple of houses. But as Mahoney heads up the street, she sees a woman out for a walk. “Hey! We’re out canvassing,” she…
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Deqa Dhalac was sworn in Monday as the new mayor of South Portland, Maine, making her one of the first Somali-American mayors in the country. Dhalac was first elected to the South Portland City Council three years ago, but has long worked in community-building roles: as an activist, social worker, and currently, as the family…
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Before smartphones, most people kept in touch using landline telephones. And before direct dialing was common, some calls were handled by switchboard operators. During the 1950’s, more than 220,000 operators were employed by the Bell System alone. Most were women who were expected to be courteous, quick-thinking and patient under pressure. And at a recent…
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