Mainers love the outdoors for many reasons. There are hunters, fishermen, hikers, snowmobilers, ATVers, naturalists, birders, conservationists and so many others for whom the outdoors is an essential part of their lives.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife manages the outdoors and the creatures that live there, but their biologists cannot do it alone. That’s why the department instituted the community science project.
The beauty of community science is that anyone can participate, sometimes with a little training, and the state’s biologists add that data to what they have learned, using it all to help them manage Maine’s wildlife.
“It’s a core part of the department’s work. We never have staff and resources enough to do everything,” said Nathan Webb, director of the department’s wildlife division.
Members of the public gather and share volumes of information that helps the department make conservation decisions. The distribution and presence of some species in Maine are known because of the community science projects, he said.
It also alerts biologists to species that were here but may not be anymore.
Some of the projects have a beginning and an ending, but others are more open-ended, such as the deer and invasive zebra mussel surveys.
The projects get financial and other support from the department, grants, conservation groups, special funds and license plate check-offs on state tax returns.
Projects that have been finished include the Maine Bird Atlas 2018-2022, which took more than 5,000 volunteers five years to complete. The Maine Butterfly Survey and the River Bird Survey are also done. The bird and butterfly projects have or will culminate in published books.
The most recent bird atlas was a follow-up project to one done in the 1980s. It let biologists see changes in the bird populations they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to document, Webb said.
Biologists who specialize in the animal, bird, reptile or invertebrate the survey focuses on lead each project, often in collaboration with other groups such as the University of Maine and Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, among many other conservation-minded organizations. They also use data gathered from hunters, trappers and anglers.
“The projects give people a stake, increase public awareness and raise the credibility of the department. A lot of recommendations come from Mainers’ efforts,” Webb said.
Here are some of the projects. Each one has links to online forms that can be filled out on the website or printed out to take in the field:
Maine Amphibian & Reptile Atlas
This project, done in cooperation with Maine Audubon and the University of Maine, was launched in 1984 and is one of the longest running citizen science projects in New England, according to the DIF&W website.
Amphibians and reptiles are a particular concern in Maine. About 24 percent of their species are listed as state endangered or threatened, special concern or extirpated species, the website said.
Access more information on how to observe amphibians and reptiles here.
Maine Bumble Bee Atlas
Technically, this project is completed but because of the tenuous status of Maine’s bees, the department continues to collect data on the bumble bee population.
Find out more about it here.
Deer Projects
There are three of these under one umbrella of Deer Projects. Each is tied to a specific range of months.
Deer Spy is simply to allow biologists a snapshot of the state’s deer population and makeup of the herd. It runs from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30.
Rut Watch looks at rut timing and breeding behaviors of whitetail deer, such as chasing, sparring and scrapes among others, from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.
Northern Maine Wintering Deer Survey monitors deer wintertime behavior in Aroostook County, including where the animals winter.
Maine Golden Eagle Study
Scientists are trying to learn more about golden eagles in Maine and what threatens their existence. The last known breeding pair was recorded in 1997. It is listed as endangered and a species of greatest conservation need in the state’s wildlife plan.
See what role you can play in this study here.
Maine Heron Observation Network
This is a fun one because you get to identify and “adopt” a colony of herons and make observations about the birds. The project has been in place since 2009 and was instituted when biologists realized that 82 percent of the population had disappeared since 1983.
You can learn more about this project here.
Maine Owl Pellet Project
Part of the point of this project is to determine where in Maine the northern bog lemming, an endangered brown rodent, might be, but also to learn more about what owls eat. It’s part of a national project.
You can find out more about this project here.
Rabbit Sightings
Maine’s only native rabbit species, the New England Cottontail, which only occurs in six towns in the state, amounting to about 300 animals. The rabbits can be found in Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Wells, York, Kittery and Eliot, the DIF&W said.
Community scientists are being asked to report sightings of this endangered rabbit. Learn how to do that here.
Wild Turkey August Production Survey
Biologists want to know how many turkeys there are in Maine, especially how many young turkeys, and where they live. The survey period is Aug. 1-31.
To find out where to report this information, go here.
Zebra Mussel Settling Plate Project
This is an Aroostook and Piscataquis county project. Invasive zebra mussels are in Canada and close to the Maine border. The DIF&W has a pilot project to monitor lakes whose water chemistry would be favorable to the mussels. It began in May 2024.
The project uses settling plates, which the mussels attach to once past their larval stage. Volunteers will be asked to monitor certain lakes by putting these plates in the water in May and inspecting them every 2-3 weeks. They will be removed in October.
You can find a list of lakes and more detailed information here.
