The Wrack

The Wells Reserve will soon have a new information kiosk near the parking lot. The one that has served well for more than 15 years is being dismantled and removed. The new kiosk is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

The "interim" label has been removed; Diana Joyner is the new president of Laudholm Trust.

Tim Dietz, chairman of Laudholm's board of directors said:

Diana's energy, enthusiasm, and proven organizational skills will play a significant role in taking the Laudholm Trust and the Wells Reserve to the next level of growth. We are delighted Diana has accepted this position.

It's the 20th anniversary of bird banding at the Wells Reserve this year. The master bander who has been at the heart of the program all this time, June Ficker, recently looked back at her 1988 records and provided this summary: Operated 6 12-meter mist nets from May 27 to August 31 for a total of 14 Wednesdays from 6 to 10:30 am. Species banded: 19Birds banded: 69Gray Ca…

Michele Dionne, Director of Research at the Reserve, has an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Celia Chen at Dartmouth College to study how mercury moves through the salt marsh system. When some of her lab crew headed out to catch Atlantic silversides to be tested for mercury content, we got some of these small fish instead, which we originally thought must be herring.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has nominated the St. Louis River in the northwest part of his state to become the 28th National Estuarine Research Reserve. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will determine whether to add the site to the Reserve system. The Governor's press release is here…

Simple measures can help prevent disease. Do the tick tuck.

A naturalist turns up early coralroot under a skunk cabbage leaf.

Eight interpretive signs got installed along the Salt Marsh Loop and in the native plant demonstration garden.

Laudholm Native Plant Sale pre-orders are now being accepted. Plan ahead and get your order in by May 2 (it's pre-order only again this year). We've added an online form to make it easy. Volunteers Pat Smith and Lynn Jourdan, who coordinate the sale, have put together a great list of 40 species native to Maine. Whether you have already started incorporating native plants into your landscape, here are Pat's&…

The pattern strengthens over time. Twice a year, in November and February, the Wells Reserve parking lot and adjacent grassy areas attract a small number of Snow Buntings. Without surveilling the area more regularly than I do, it's hard to say whether they're around every day. Whenever they do appear, it's a brightening experience. The four that were pecking through sandy puddles and winter-worn weeds this …