The Wrack

Time flies. Its nearly a year since the last Winged Wednesday. My 2007 quest for 99 Common Birds has ended 19 species shy of the goal, even though I compiled a list of 112 species at the Wells Reserve during the year. It is an interesting coincidence that I also tallied just 80 of the 99 so-called common species during 2006. Most of my misses in 06 were ticked in 07, but once again it is clear…

A song for Karen Stathoplos.

While marking fields for mowing on the newly acquired Lord Parcel this past August, Reserve Manager Paul Dest was thrilled to discover two stems of the showy yet threatened native plant, the Northern Blazing Star. Paul made sure the lonely stalks were well marked to avoid being mowed over.

As part of our 25th anniversary, we created a video to tell the story of the very early days of the effort to save Laudholm Farm. The video, produced by William Lord, debuted at our celebratory dinner.

Seventeen months ago people lost a key route of access to the Wells Reserve, when the Mother's Day flood of 2006 left a huge gash in the Skinner Mill bridge. Today the "road closed" signs are gone. The new bridge is carrying cars and bikes. And people coming to the Wells Reserve via Kennebunkport and Kennebunk Lower Village no longer need to get up to speed with Route 1 traffic.…

The Wells Reserve today hosted Senator Susan M. Collins for "Mercury in a Maine Estuary & National Mercury Monitoring Event," presented in conjunction with the BioDiversity Research Institute (BRI).

On a recent kayak trip down a narrow winding river, a beaver and I passed closely by, I was on a leisurely paddle and it was on a mission. I think leisure is a foreign concept to this creature. Thus the adage: Busy as a beaver.

We as humans seem to have developed a love/hate relationship with this industrious large rodent. It is very much like us in the fact that it is skillful at manipulating its environment to suit its own needs. The Native Americans thought the similarity was so great that they named the beaver "the little people." Food and security are what it works long hours to achieve.

Last Friday a science team marched to Wells Harbor and began a rapid assessment of marine invertebrates on and around the dock.

The Wells Reserve couldn't run without its army of volunteers. They help with every aspect of activity here. One task that I never have problem getting volunteers to help with is going out into the field with insect nets and catching dragonflies and butterflies. In 1999 the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife started a state-wide survey of dragonflies. That survey concluded in 2004. This year …

On a recent walk to the upper meadow off the Saw Whet Trial, I came across an old friend. A pretty, frilly little flower called Ragged Robin.