Nature Notes: A Maine Naturalist Afield 4/26/26: A hike down the Hemlock Trail, Part 2

Host/Producer: Glen Mittelhauser

In this episode, Glen continues a discussion with Rich MacDonald of the Natural History Center during a winter walk in Acadia National Park, reflecting on the value of long-term observation in understanding ecological change. Drawing on decades of field experience, from bird banding studies to a 2002 kayak expedition around the Gulf of Maine, Rich discusses how shifting baselines, climate change, and evolving research questions shape our understanding of coastal ecosystems, from changing bird populations to the increasing presence of species like sea turtles.

More information about Maine Natural History can be found at mainenaturalhistory.org.

About the hosts:
Glen Mittelhauser founded Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) in 2003 to fill the need for an organization that specializes in collecting, interpreting, and maintaining datasets for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and wildlife populations.  Glen received his Bachelor’s in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 1989 with a focus in the biological sciences and received his Master of Science degree in Zoology (with a focus on ornithology and statistics) from the University of Maine in 2000. Glen was the Managing Editor for Northeastern Naturalist and Southeastern Naturalist for 18 years and has served as external graduate faculty for 3 graduate student committees at the University of Maine.  Glen currently serves on the Baxter State Park Research Committee.

Logan Parker is an Ecologist residing in Waldo County, Maine. Logan started the Maine Nightjar Monitoring Project in 2017 and brought the project (and his passion for bird conservation) to MNHO when he joined the team in 2018. Logan is heavily involved in the ongoing Maine Bird Atlas where he both coordinates and participates in the project’s special species surveys. When “off the clock”, Logan enjoys birding, writing, gardening, and working alongside his wife, Hallee, on their off-grid home in the Maine woods. Logan is also a wildlife photographer and shares photos and field notes through his project, Here In The Wild.

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What’s the Word on Maine Street? 4/25/26

What’s the Word on Maine Street?, hosted by Sarah Pebworth, is a weekly short feature Saturdays at 9:30am looking at local literary and visual arts events and offerings!

About the host:
Sarah Pebworth leads the steering committee for Word—a Blue Hill Literary Arts Festival, founded in 2017 and held each October. She serves on the boards of the Cultural Alliance of Maine and Lawrence Family Fitness Center YMCA. Since February 2023 Sarah has written “Shared Seas and Common Grounds,” a column published in the Penobscot Bay Press’s Weekly Packet. She and her wife Julie Jo Fehrle live in Blue Hill.

Theme music: Ross Gallagher is a bassist who grew up in East Blue Hill, ME, and currently lives between Bath, ME and Brooklyn, NY, where he works with a wide variety of musical artists. Infinite Blues is a cut from his recently released neon night, an excursion into an ambient/electronic musical world built around rhythmic bass ostinatos, clouds of processed looping electronic atmospheres, and melody. By turns both subtle and unapologetically noisy, the songs are a collection of luminous constellations, roved between by a band of texturally minded instrumental improvisers.

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Earthwise 4/25/26: In Honor of Arbor Day

Producer/Host: Anu Dudley

About the host: Rev. Dr. Anu Dudley is an ordained Pagan minister and a retired history professor. She continues to teach classes, including the three-year ordination curriculum at the Temple of the Feminine Divine, and others such as History of the Goddess, Paganism 101, Ethical Magic, and Introduction to the Runes. Currently she is writing a book about how to cast the runes using their original Goddess meanings. She lives in the woods off-grid in a small homesteading community in Central Maine.

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Coastal Conversations 4/24/26: Place-based Science: The Mountain Summit

Host: Julia Rush
Editorial Help: Natalie Springuel
Theme Music: Paul Anderson – A Following Sea

Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program.

Ecology, restoration, scientific research.

Guest/s:
Amina Wilson.
Dr. Chris Nadeau.
Lauren Knierim.

FMI:
Sea to Trees – Season 4, episode 2 – schoodicinstitute.org/sea-to-trees-season-4-episode-2/

About the hosts:

Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation’s since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland’s Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio.

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Around Town 4/24/26: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Maine chapter‘s report on the recently-ended state legislative session. They’ll give a zoom presentation on the topic on May 20th, 6-7pm

The Problem with Plastics: Can We Be Part of the Solution?
Sponsored by Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition, Friends of Harriet L Hartley Conservation Area, and Waldo Climate Action Coalition.
Sunday, April 26 Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast 37 Miller Street, 2:00-4:00 pm in the Sanctuary and on Zoom

“Made in Belfast” will be the topic for the Belfast Historical Society meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday April 27, in the Abbott Room in the Belfast Free Library, with Megan Pinette, historical society president.

The Belfast Historical Society presents talks of local historical interest on the 4th Monday of the month from April through October. All presentations are at 7:00pm in the Abbott Room at the Belfast Free Library and are open to the public. Seating is limited to 75. The programs are recorded and can be viewed on Belfast Community Television (where you can also find more information) and on the Belfast Historical Society and Museum’s website

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

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Climate & Community 4/23/26: Portland Climate Action Team with Bill Weber and Karina Napier (Part 2)

Host: Wilson Haims

This week: Climate and Community continues the conversation with members of the Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT), Bill and Karina. In this conversation, Karina and Bill share more about their successes and current projects. Bill concludes the segment with insight on why all leaders should integrate climate action as a priority.

About the Host:
Wilson Haims is from Portland, Maine and earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College in 2023. Upon graduating, Wilson contributed to climate and conservation-related field work, policy and community engagement work in New England and the Pacific Northwest. Now, Wilson is the Manager of Community Engagement and Resilience at A Climate to Thrive and spends her time hiking, running, making art and cooking on Mount Desert Island.
 
Johannah, Beth, Wilson, Gus, Alison and Angie are the team at A Climate to Thrive, a nonprofit working to build a model of community-driven, solutions-focused climate action. Since its origins around a potluck table as concerned neighbors gathered to take action on climate change, A Climate to Thrive, or ACTT, has been supporting solutions on Mount Desert Island and beyond since 2016. Learn more at www.aclimatetothrive.org.

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