Pond Island NWR Pond Island NWR is a 10 acre treeless island located about 16 miles northeast of Portland, ME in the town of Popham Beach, Sagadahoc County. The island is vegetated with mixed grasses and shrubs which host a variety of nesting seabirds including eider ducks, and herring and black-backed gulls. It also provides habitat for migrating waterfowl, and shorebirds. In the early 1970's the area was identified for its value to nesting common terns and Leach's storm-petrels. Neither of these species had been observed since the early 1980's when nesting gulls took over the island. In 1996 a tern restoration program was intiated on Pond Island. Through a cooperative agreement the National Audubon Society has manned the site from mid-May to August monitoring the seabird response to gull control and active social atrraction through the use of decoys and sound systems. In 1997 five common terns nested on Pond Island after a sixty year absence.
Rachel Carson NWR Refuge habitat is varied and unique as it lies within the transition zone of the northern boreal forest and eastern deciduous forest. Many plant and animal species are at their northern or southern range limit. At least 250 species of birds have been recorded for Rachel Carson Refuge. Numerous other wildlife species including moose, deer, fisher, river otter, black bear and gray fox use refuge habitat.
Roosevelt Campobello International Park The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is not a unit of the United States National Park Service or Parks Canada. It is administered by a joint U.S./Canadian Commission, funded equally by the two countries.
The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is a unique example of international cooperation. This 2800 acre park is a joint memorial by Canada and the United States and a symbol of the close relationship between the two countries. Here are the cottage and the grounds where President Roosevelt vacationed, the waters where he sailed, and the woods, bogs, and beaches where he tramped and relaxed. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park was established under an agreement signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson on January 22, 1964. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park was officially opened on August 20, 1964.
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site The National Park Service preserves Saint Croix Island International Historic site as a monument to the beginning of the United States and Canada. In 1604, Pierre Dugua Sieur de Mons, accompanied by Samuel Champlain and 77 other men, established a settlement on St. Croix Island. Preceding Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth(1620), Sieur de Mons' outpost was one of the earliest European settlements on the North Atlantic coast of North America. More specifically, it was the first attempt by the French at year-round colonization in the territory they called La Cadie or l'Acadie (Acadia). The settlement was short-lived, however, and in the summer of 1605, the French moved to a more favorable location where they established the Port Royal Habitation on the shores of the present-day Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia.
The experience of the French on St. Croix Island taught them much about the "New World" environment and about interacting with the native peoples. From St. Croix Island, Samuel Champlain explored and charted the coast of Norembegue (Norumbega), including the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic coast as far south as Cape Cod. The valuable insights gained from both the St. Croix settlement and further exploration formed the foundation for a more successful settlement at Port Royal, and an enduring French presence in North American continuing to the present day.
Sunkhaze Meadows NWR Sunkhaze Meadows NWR encompasses the second largest peat bog in Maine. Peat deposits, up to 18 feet thick in places, were at one time threatened by development. The area hosts nearly 200 different bird species, more than 30 mammal species, and untold numbers of amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. The sedge wren, an endangered species in Maine, have been observed here. Small impoundments have been created to restore wetlands lost during private ownership. Unity College utilizes the area as an outdoor classroom. Ten acres of hayfield are maintained for upland nesting birds which depend on grassland habitat.
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve Wells Reserve protects fields, forests, salt marsh and sandy beach on the densely populated southern coast of Maine. The reserve's diverse habitats support a broad variety of plants and animals, including rare species such as least terns, piping plovers, arethusa orchids and slender blue flag iris. Reserve facilities are situated at historic Laudholm Farm and its activities are supported in part by Laudholm Trust, a nonprofit organization formed in 1982 to protect Laudholm Farm.
