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Natural Resources Council of Maine

@nrcmenvironment

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You love Maine. We love Maine. Let's work together for a healthier future! 🌲 🫎🛶

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Creature Feature alert! 🚨

Meet the Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris) is a small North American frog, typically gray or brown, with two rows of dark brown squares on its back. These squares sit between two ridges running from its eyes down its back. Its underside features an orange-yellow pattern on the hind legs, and it grows up to 2–3.5 inches long.

Pickerel frogs are often confused with leopard frogs, but leopard frogs are larger (up to 4.5 inches), are green or brown, and have circular spots with lighter borders. Pickerel frogs thrive in cold, clear waters like ponds and marshes in the northern U.S. and Canada, while southern populations prefer warmer waters like swamps and flooded ditches. Their diet includes insects, worms, and crayfish, and they hibernate in muddy silt or rocky ravines during winter.

Pickerel frogs are sexually dimorphic, with females larger and darker than males. They breed in temporary bodies of water, where females lay 2,000–3,000 eggs. Tadpoles hatch in 11–21 days and transform into froglets over three months. Pickerel frogs defend themselves with irritating skin secretions, which are irritating to people and toxic to some predators, though green frogs, bullfrogs, and water and garter snakes are unaffected. Populations are listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN and “secure” in Maine. There is always more to learn about their distribution and ecology, so please consider sharing your sightings and photos as part of the Maine Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project (MARAP).

For this and other Creature Features visit our website at nrcm.org

The Creature Feature blogs are written by NRCM member Jayne Winters. by @nrcmenvironment

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6 hours ago

One of the truly special things about Maine is the relatively easy access to stunning outdoor spaces. Our experiences in these natural places help shape who we are, but barriers exist for everyone to access the outdoors equally. Maine Gear Share Executive Director Josh Basson joins NRCM's podcast "Voices for Maine's Environment" to speak about how outdoor gear lending libraries are making it easier for Mainers to get outside. 🥾🛶🏕️🎒

To listen to the full episode visit NRCM.org or search for Voices for Maine’s Environment—How Gear Share Helps Expand Access to the Outdoors—on your platform of choice! by @nrcmenvironment

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Stand up for healthy forests in Maine! Last month, members of the Board of Environmental Protection made it clear that CMP's NECEC Conservation Plan isn't good enough.

That's why we're working together as conservation organizations who care about the future of Maine's environment to push for a strong fix that protects mature forests and the connected habitats they provide to wildlife. by @nrcmenvironment

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3 days ago

In Maine, electricity bills have increased 72% in the last six years, now averaging $157 per month. Rising natural gas prices and upgrades, such as storm repair, are driving up costs, with inflation adding an additional $27 per month (just since 2020).

Follow along to see what's really behind your electric bills! by @nrcmenvironment

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Our mission, to protect, restore, and conserve Maine’s environment for generations to come, is strongest when it’s shaped by people of many backgrounds and experiences. We stand with the Mi’kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Penobscot Nation, collectively the Wabanaki Nations.

If you're looking for a place to donate visit:
@Wabanaki.Alliance
dawnlandreturn.org by @nrcmenvironment

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4 days ago

When you realize that other countries have this offshore wind thing figured out... WOW 🤯

📍 Floating Offshore Wind project - Scotland by @nrcmenvironment

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7 days ago

NRCM member Larry Mingledorff captured these beautiful images of Vaughan Woods in Hallowell. If you haven’t visited Vaughan Woods, you should! It has beautiful bridges, streams, and paths to explore. 🍂 taken in Vaughan's Woods (Hobbit Land) by @nrcmenvironment

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I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess this person didn't do much research (or read the abundant warning signs at the trailhead) before attempting this hike 😆

Welcome back to Explore Maine: Subpar Parks Edition! I've been teaming up with @nrcmenvironment to highlight some gems scattered across our beautiful state. We've got a few more places to explore that prove that in Maine, you're never far from a great place to get outside, (even if some folks disagree). Info on all of these spots can be found on NRCM's Explore Maine Map, a great resource whether you're a Mainer or visiting from away.

This week, we're exploring Tumbledown Public Lands, which has been on my list of places to check out since moving to Maine! This area preserves around 10,000 acres of mountainous terrain adjoining Mt. Blue State Park. It's anchored by Tumbledown's trio of summits—West, East, and North Peak—along with Little Jackson Mountain. Tumbledown Pond (also called Crater Lake), a 9-acre alpine tarn, glistens in the saddle between the peaks. We happened to be there during peak foliage, which turned an already unbelievable hike into a completely surreal one.

We went up via the Loop Trail, the steeper and more strenuous of the two main routes, scrambling over massive fallen rocks and climbing up "Fat Man's Misery," a boulder cave you've got to wriggle through to reach the top. This route is more climb than hike at some points, and we had a blast! Like Big Spencer, if you love a scramble-y hike, this one is for you. I was worried it would trigger my fear of heights based on some things I'd read, but I was completely fine the whole way. We came back down via the Brook Trail, a still-steep-but-much-gentler way to end the day (if you want to bring a dog or small children, out and back on the Brook Trail is the way to go).

Pro tip: If you want to do the loop, park at the Brook trailhead and walk along the road to the Loop trailhead to start your hike, so you get the unavoidable road walk out of the way up front!

#exploremaine #tumbledown #maineartist taken in Tumbledown Mountain by @nrcmenvironment

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9 days ago

This weekend, NRCM staff member Jack Shapiro hiked up Caribou mountain in western Maine with his family to take in this year's stunning fall foliage. The forests surrounding this area are protected by the Roadless Rule, one of the most important laws keeping places wild from unchecked development and roads.

Today is the last day to let the federal government know that wild places like this need to stay wild, for everyone who enjoys hiking, fishing, or hunting, and for all the wildlife that depend on uninterrupted ecosystems.

Add your voice today, it matters! 💚
Link in bio! by @nrcmenvironment

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10 days ago

🚨Tomorrow is the FINAL day to submit your public comment defending the Roadless
Area Conservation Rule!

If you haven’t done it yet, it takes 1 minute. If you’ve already taken action, send this to
somebody else!

Take action via link in bio 🔗 by @nrcmenvironment

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11 days ago

Check out Crafts Landing and Park on Moosehead Lake!

This little park guarantees public access to Moosehead Lake right in downtown Greenville. It has public boat slips and snowmobile access, making it a year-round way to enjoy the lake for the whole community.

The project was funded by a grant from Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) along with local organizations and businesses. Thank you to those who made this little park possible and added a great asset to the community for both residents and visitors! taken in Greenville, Maine by @nrcmenvironment

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