Our Resources section provides links and organization information related to the environment, sustainability and ecology, with an emphasis on local and regional work that you can become involved with, and on ecological and natural history information relevant to New England and Maine. Resource areas to be listed here include: Ways to get involved, invasive species, botany, ecological restoration, ecological design, gardening and landscaping, Maine environmental groups, environmental education, environmental topics, blogs and others. Some areas are still under development. List resources are frequently added so please check back.
Get Involved - Local and Regional Environmental Organizations and Opportunities
Organization Name: Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition
Website: www.belfastbaywatershed.org
Primary mission: The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is a group of organizations and individuals working to support conservation and stewardship of natural, scenic, historic, and public access resources of the Belfast Bay Watershed through research, community-building and education.
Volunteer opportunities or projects to work on: trail building, land stewardship, education and more!
Contact Name and email or phone or both: Cloe Chunn, 338-1147, cloechunn@gmail.com
Organization Name: Belfast Transition
Website: www.belfasttransition.org
Primary mission: The Belfast Area Transition Initiative is an informal not-for-profit organization that supports and organizes community efforts to build local resilience and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Volunteer opportunities or projects to work on:
Head of the Tide preserve permaculture projects (next one is May 3rd invasive plant removal)- Susie Dexter, sdexter@myfairpoint.net
Contact Name and email or phone or both:
General Belfast Transition questions: Susan Cutting susan.cutting@yahoo.com
Organization Name: Belfast Garden Club
Website: www.belfastgardenclub.org
Primary mission: Stimulating the knowledge and love of gardening, aiding in the protection of native plants, trees, birds and wildlife, enhancing public spaces
Volunteer opportunities or projects to work on: Planting and maintaining public gardens around the City of Belfast
Contact Name and email or phone or both: Corliss Davis cdavis5468@roadrunner.com
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Website: www.coastalmountains.org
Mission: Land conservation and stewardship in the Mid Coast area
Volunteer Opportunities: A very wide array of ways to volunteer, from land stewardship, trail building and maintenance to ecological survey, monitoring, docent work, office help, or community events, and more.
Contact: Volunteer or Outreach Coordinator at 236-7091 or volunteers@coastalmountains.org
Habitat Belfast- GreenWays Eco Center
Website: www.greenwaysecocenter.org
Mission: Support many projects and actions to create greater ecological health and awareness in the Mid Coast area.
Volunteer Opportunities: Restoring degraded places in town, caring for parks, ponds, streams, trail work, creating an arboretum, enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting wildlife, native planting, gardening, educating, revitalizing, restoring, rejuvenating!
Contact: Aleta at 855-884-2284 or greenwaycenter@gmail.com
Sierra Club Maine
Website: www.sierraclub.org/maine
Mission: Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Volunteer Opportunities: There are so many fun and meaningful ways to get involved in the Chapter's vital work to protect Maine's environment. Volunteer opportunities range from lending a hand in the office (database entry, mailings, etc...), tabling at events, participating or leading an outing, writing a letter to the editor, organizing a film night, contacting legislators about environmental issues, helping to elect pro-environmental politicians, organize rallies and other events, and joining one of our Teams.
Contact: Phone: 207-761-5616; Email: maine.chapter@sierraclub.org
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Website: http://www.nrcm.org/
Mission: Protecting nature in Maine by harnessing the power of science, the law, and the voices of people who value Maine's environment.
Volunteer Opportunities: This organization is a powerhouse of statewide political and legal activity to protect the environment. Their website is a fantastic resource for finding out what the issues are and what you can do, as well as a great Explore Maine map tool. They also offer email alerts on important actions in the state with easy ways to voice your opinion. You can volunteer to assist in the campaigns they are working on by contacting them.
Contact: Phone: (207) 622-3101 Toll Free: (800) 287-2345
Fax: (207) 622-4343; Email: nrcm@nrcm.org
Other opportunities to engage with nature, the environment and volunteer service in our area:
Friends of Sears Island
Maine Farmland Trust
Maine Organic Farmers & Gardener’s Association
Midcoast Conservancy
Georges River Land Trust
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Maine Island Trails Association
Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District
Restore: The North Woods
Waldo County Trails Coalition
Selected Links for Invasive Species
Invasive.org
http://www.invasive.org/index.cfm
A great starting place, with numerous images of each plant, and concise, thorough fact sheets on different species. Check out the Invasives 101 page for FAQs, and each link at the top for the important basics.
The link Species is where you can find info pages on each plant and pictures as well as additional links.
Invasipedia
http://wiki.bugwood.org/Invasipedia
Excellent literature summary articles on most invasive plants, more in-depth than fact sheets.
Invasive Plants in Maine - Maine Natural Areas Program
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invsheets.htm
Invasive and potentially invasive plants list for Maine, with fact sheets for each.
Imap Invasives - Maine Natural Areas Program
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/imap.htm
IMap Invasives is an invasives tracking program now available in Maine, with many tools and data resources to help communities and land owners and managers plan for invasives control.
Vermont Invasives Resources
http://www.vtinvasives.org/plants/prevention-and-management/tools-resources
Vermont has a well developed invasives program which includes several excellent manuals, available here.
Volunteer Online Course
http://www.fws.gov/invasives/volunteersTrainingModule/getting_started.html
A quick online course on working as an invasives control volunteer, from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Center for Invasive Species Management
http://www.weedcenter.org/index.html
An excellent resource for learning about all types of invasives and their management. Under the link Outreach and Education/Adults are online “textbooks” and courses, as well as webinars. There are also materials for K-12 eduction.
For aquatic invasive plants
http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/
These guys are dedicated. Many opportunities to volunteer, and they offer some excellent training workshops and materials.
Selected Links for Botany and Native Plants, Ecological Design
Go Botany
https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/
This is a fantastic site for online identification of plants, for beginners or advanced students of botany. Also has a sharing and listing tool called Plantshare, as well as resources for educators.
Wild Seed Project
http://wildseedproject.net/
A great local resource, Wild Seed Project shares information and brings people together around native plant conservation and horticulture through an interactive website and annual magazine, Wild Seed. Wild Seed Project collaborates with scientists, landscape designers, ecological restorationists, land trusts, gardeners, schools, and interested citizens on a variety of community projects such as planting pollinator corridors and native gardens in public and private spaces, identifying native plants, and training in seed collection and propagation.
Ecological Landscaping Association
http://www.ecolandscaping.org/
The ELA website archives contain a wealth of articles on every aspect of native plants in landscaping, gardening, farming, and ecological landscape design.
New England Wildflower Society
http://www.newenglandwild.org/
A broad resource for all types of learning and work with native New England plants.
Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District
http://www.knoxswcd.org/
An educational and technical resource for farming, soil conservation, and planting as well as forestry. An excellent calendar of local workshops and events related to these topics is available on the site.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
http://extension.umaine.edu/programs/
Information on many aspects of horticulture, farming, gardening, native plant sources, Maine natural resources and more.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
http://www.mainegardens.org/
Educational programs and gardens incorporating native plants and natural features.
Selected Links for Insects and Pollinators
Links for native bees and tunnel nesting bees:
http://www.xerces.org/fact-sheets/
http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation-publications/
http://umaine.edu/publications/7153e/ - introductory article on understanding native bees and their habitat in Maine
http://umaine.edu/blueberries/factsheets/bees/301-field-conservation-management-of-native-leafcutting-and-mason-osmia-bees/
http://umaine.edu/blueberries/factsheets/bees/630-wild-bee-conservation-for-wild-blueberry-fields/
http://www.ecolandscaping.org/03/beneficials/attract-mason-bees-no-protective-gear-needed/
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/tunnel-nest-management-xerces-society.pdf
http://crownbees.com/ - Order bee supplies including books and tubes at Crownbees.
Other Insect Links:
For bees (and flowers), tongue size matters | EcoTone: news and views on ecological science
Bees and Colony Collapse - NYTimes.com
Tunnel nest management_OrgValley_FINAL_9sep09_webres.pub - tunnel-nest-management-xerces-society.pdf
The Xerces Society » Fact Sheets
The Xerces Society » Pollinator Conservation
Attract Mason Bees – No Protective Gear Needed
pollinator nest block building
Crownbees | Your Complete Mason Bees Resource
America’s Bee Crisis: Part 1 – How Did We Get Here? | Crownbees
Important blueberry pollinators in Maine - Providence Sustainable Living | Examiner.com
About | Sanne Kure-Jensen
idtools.org | Home
Return of the Natives: How Wild Bees Will Save Our Agricultural System: Scientific American
Best Orion Covers Postcard Set | The Orion Store
Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing | Video on TED.com
Open Source Beehives | Indiegogo
Get Involved - Local and Regional Environmental Organizations and Opportunities
Organization Name: Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition
Website: www.belfastbaywatershed.org
Primary mission: The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is a group of organizations and individuals working to support conservation and stewardship of natural, scenic, historic, and public access resources of the Belfast Bay Watershed through research, community-building and education.
Volunteer opportunities or projects to work on: trail building, land stewardship, education and more!
Contact Name and email or phone or both: Cloe Chunn, 338-1147, cloechunn@gmail.com
Organization Name: Belfast Transition
Website: www.belfasttransition.org
Primary mission: The Belfast Area Transition Initiative is an informal not-for-profit organization that supports and organizes community efforts to build local resilience and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Volunteer opportunities or projects to work on:
Head of the Tide preserve permaculture projects (next one is May 3rd invasive plant removal)- Susie Dexter, sdexter@myfairpoint.net
Contact Name and email or phone or both:
General Belfast Transition questions: Susan Cutting susan.cutting@yahoo.com
Organization Name: Belfast Garden Club
Website: www.belfastgardenclub.org
Primary mission: Stimulating the knowledge and love of gardening, aiding in the protection of native plants, trees, birds and wildlife, enhancing public spaces
Volunteer opportunities or projects to work on: Planting and maintaining public gardens around the City of Belfast
Contact Name and email or phone or both: Corliss Davis cdavis5468@roadrunner.com
Coastal Mountains Land Trust
Website: www.coastalmountains.org
Mission: Land conservation and stewardship in the Mid Coast area
Volunteer Opportunities: A very wide array of ways to volunteer, from land stewardship, trail building and maintenance to ecological survey, monitoring, docent work, office help, or community events, and more.
Contact: Volunteer or Outreach Coordinator at 236-7091 or volunteers@coastalmountains.org
Habitat Belfast- GreenWays Eco Center
Website: www.greenwaysecocenter.org
Mission: Support many projects and actions to create greater ecological health and awareness in the Mid Coast area.
Volunteer Opportunities: Restoring degraded places in town, caring for parks, ponds, streams, trail work, creating an arboretum, enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting wildlife, native planting, gardening, educating, revitalizing, restoring, rejuvenating!
Contact: Aleta at 855-884-2284 or greenwaycenter@gmail.com
Sierra Club Maine
Website: www.sierraclub.org/maine
Mission: Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Volunteer Opportunities: There are so many fun and meaningful ways to get involved in the Chapter's vital work to protect Maine's environment. Volunteer opportunities range from lending a hand in the office (database entry, mailings, etc...), tabling at events, participating or leading an outing, writing a letter to the editor, organizing a film night, contacting legislators about environmental issues, helping to elect pro-environmental politicians, organize rallies and other events, and joining one of our Teams.
Contact: Phone: 207-761-5616; Email: maine.chapter@sierraclub.org
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Website: http://www.nrcm.org/
Mission: Protecting nature in Maine by harnessing the power of science, the law, and the voices of people who value Maine's environment.
Volunteer Opportunities: This organization is a powerhouse of statewide political and legal activity to protect the environment. Their website is a fantastic resource for finding out what the issues are and what you can do, as well as a great Explore Maine map tool. They also offer email alerts on important actions in the state with easy ways to voice your opinion. You can volunteer to assist in the campaigns they are working on by contacting them.
Contact: Phone: (207) 622-3101 Toll Free: (800) 287-2345
Fax: (207) 622-4343; Email: nrcm@nrcm.org
Other opportunities to engage with nature, the environment and volunteer service in our area:
Friends of Sears Island
Maine Farmland Trust
Maine Organic Farmers & Gardener’s Association
Midcoast Conservancy
Georges River Land Trust
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Maine Island Trails Association
Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District
Restore: The North Woods
Waldo County Trails Coalition
Selected Links for Invasive Species
Invasive.org
http://www.invasive.org/index.cfm
A great starting place, with numerous images of each plant, and concise, thorough fact sheets on different species. Check out the Invasives 101 page for FAQs, and each link at the top for the important basics.
The link Species is where you can find info pages on each plant and pictures as well as additional links.
Invasipedia
http://wiki.bugwood.org/Invasipedia
Excellent literature summary articles on most invasive plants, more in-depth than fact sheets.
Invasive Plants in Maine - Maine Natural Areas Program
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invsheets.htm
Invasive and potentially invasive plants list for Maine, with fact sheets for each.
Imap Invasives - Maine Natural Areas Program
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/imap.htm
IMap Invasives is an invasives tracking program now available in Maine, with many tools and data resources to help communities and land owners and managers plan for invasives control.
Vermont Invasives Resources
http://www.vtinvasives.org/plants/prevention-and-management/tools-resources
Vermont has a well developed invasives program which includes several excellent manuals, available here.
Volunteer Online Course
http://www.fws.gov/invasives/volunteersTrainingModule/getting_started.html
A quick online course on working as an invasives control volunteer, from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Center for Invasive Species Management
http://www.weedcenter.org/index.html
An excellent resource for learning about all types of invasives and their management. Under the link Outreach and Education/Adults are online “textbooks” and courses, as well as webinars. There are also materials for K-12 eduction.
For aquatic invasive plants
http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/
These guys are dedicated. Many opportunities to volunteer, and they offer some excellent training workshops and materials.
Selected Links for Botany and Native Plants, Ecological Design
Go Botany
https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/
This is a fantastic site for online identification of plants, for beginners or advanced students of botany. Also has a sharing and listing tool called Plantshare, as well as resources for educators.
Wild Seed Project
http://wildseedproject.net/
A great local resource, Wild Seed Project shares information and brings people together around native plant conservation and horticulture through an interactive website and annual magazine, Wild Seed. Wild Seed Project collaborates with scientists, landscape designers, ecological restorationists, land trusts, gardeners, schools, and interested citizens on a variety of community projects such as planting pollinator corridors and native gardens in public and private spaces, identifying native plants, and training in seed collection and propagation.
Ecological Landscaping Association
http://www.ecolandscaping.org/
The ELA website archives contain a wealth of articles on every aspect of native plants in landscaping, gardening, farming, and ecological landscape design.
New England Wildflower Society
http://www.newenglandwild.org/
A broad resource for all types of learning and work with native New England plants.
Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District
http://www.knoxswcd.org/
An educational and technical resource for farming, soil conservation, and planting as well as forestry. An excellent calendar of local workshops and events related to these topics is available on the site.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
http://extension.umaine.edu/programs/
Information on many aspects of horticulture, farming, gardening, native plant sources, Maine natural resources and more.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
http://www.mainegardens.org/
Educational programs and gardens incorporating native plants and natural features.
Selected Links for Insects and Pollinators
Links for native bees and tunnel nesting bees:
http://www.xerces.org/fact-sheets/
http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation-publications/
http://umaine.edu/publications/7153e/ - introductory article on understanding native bees and their habitat in Maine
http://umaine.edu/blueberries/factsheets/bees/301-field-conservation-management-of-native-leafcutting-and-mason-osmia-bees/
http://umaine.edu/blueberries/factsheets/bees/630-wild-bee-conservation-for-wild-blueberry-fields/
http://www.ecolandscaping.org/03/beneficials/attract-mason-bees-no-protective-gear-needed/
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/tunnel-nest-management-xerces-society.pdf
http://crownbees.com/ - Order bee supplies including books and tubes at Crownbees.
Other Insect Links:
For bees (and flowers), tongue size matters | EcoTone: news and views on ecological science
Bees and Colony Collapse - NYTimes.com
Tunnel nest management_OrgValley_FINAL_9sep09_webres.pub - tunnel-nest-management-xerces-society.pdf
The Xerces Society » Fact Sheets
The Xerces Society » Pollinator Conservation
Attract Mason Bees – No Protective Gear Needed
pollinator nest block building
Crownbees | Your Complete Mason Bees Resource
America’s Bee Crisis: Part 1 – How Did We Get Here? | Crownbees
Important blueberry pollinators in Maine - Providence Sustainable Living | Examiner.com
About | Sanne Kure-Jensen
idtools.org | Home
Return of the Natives: How Wild Bees Will Save Our Agricultural System: Scientific American
Best Orion Covers Postcard Set | The Orion Store
Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing | Video on TED.com
Open Source Beehives | Indiegogo
