FOSM was proud to sponsor a Winter Marsh Photo Contest on Instagram for Scarborough High School students. We received some truly beautiful submissions and are pleased to share the first, second, and third place photos. In addition to being published in the newsletter and viewed on the FOSM website, each winner was awarded a cash prize. Thanks to Board Members Courtney Lorack and Ben Davis for coordinating the photo contest with the Scarborough High School administration and congratulations to all participants!
 
First Prize Winner - Calvin Venegoni-Ranger

Is it possible that Maine was once home to the woolly mammoth? And were remains of such an enormous animal actually found near the Nonesuch River in Scarborough?  To find out the answers to these and other mammoth questions, join the Friends of Scarborough Marsh, in collaboration with the Scarborough Public Library, to learn all about this fascinating topic. Gary Hoyle, former Curator of Natural History at the Maine State Museum will present an online overview of his new book, “Mystery Tusk” on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. The discovery of an unusual tusk in Scarborough led Gary to years of research and an excavation on the property where the tusk was uncovered. Join this entertaining lecture and increase your own “paleontological expertise” by registering online at the library link: 
​Gary Hoyle, Author of Mystery Tusk | Scarborough Public Library (scarboroughlibrary.org)

​Big Trees of Northern New England on December 5th @ 6 - 7:30 pm 
Scarborough Municipal Building
Council Chambers A&B
259 Route 1, Scarborough, ME

Scarborough Land Trust in partnership with Friends of Scarborough Marsh, will be hosting a presentation on big trees!
 
This program will highlight important trees in Maine and specifically the Portland area. It will also explore history and connections to wildlife.
​Kevin Martin is an author and boatbuilder. He has over 40 years of experience working with wood. He served on the Epping Conservation Commission, was chair of the Lamprey River Advisory Committee and State Coordinator for the NH Big Tree Program. Kevin is trained for the National Big Tree Measurers Cadre.
 
Kevin will be selling his new book about hikes to Big Trees. It includes trees in Waldoboro, Alfred, Portland and many other Maine hikes, along with the nearby states. Check out Kevin Martin’s website: http://kevinmartin.wcha.org/bigtrees.php

No registration required.

FOSM is in the midst of our annual appeal, and we need your help in protecting, conserving and restoring the Scarborough Marsh. We hope you'll join us and make your gift, mail your check to P.O. Box 7049 or click here to be directed to our donation page on the site. Read here to find more reasons to give and our upcoming plans for 2023.

 virtual talk by Brad Zitske, Wildlife Biologist, Bird Group at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, that is co-sponsored by Friends of Scarborough Marsh. Shorebirds are a diverse group of birds that include sandpipers, plovers, turnstones, knots, curlews, dowitchers, and phalaropes. North America has the greatest diversity of shorebird species and largest numbers of shorebirds in the world.

Over thirty shorebird species spend some portion of their annual life cycle in Maine, with eight species breeding here.
Shorebirds are an important group for management consideration, because large numbers of these birds concentrate in discrete areas of coastal habitat where they are highly susceptible to disturbance, development, and environmental contaminants. Scarborough Marsh supports many thousands of individuals by providing abundant feeding and roosting habitat. On the sandy beaches of Maine, the endangered Piping Plover can be seen during the summer months.

Brad Zitske will discuss some of the species found in Maine in this virtual talk. He will also present some interesting research happening in the state and along the Atlantic coast, why it is important given widespread population declines for many species, and how you can help conserve them. Brad has served on the Friends of Scarborough Marsh Board.

If you missed this great talk you can still view on the Scarborough Public Library site:
Maine's Shorebirds - YouTube
A virtual talk by Brad Zitske, Wildlife Biologist, Bird Group at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, that was co-sponsored by Friends of Scarborough Marsh
www.youtube.com

The GapTracks Project: Wildlife on the Eastern Trail
Wednesday, April 27  7:15 – 8:15 PM via Zoom
Friends of Scarborough Marsh and the Scarborough Public Library invite you to join us for a virtual lecture with Noah Perlut, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, University of New England, Biddeford, ME. He and his students will present an overview of the GapTracks Project, a program that assesses the wildlife community in the Gap of the Eastern Trail and Nonesuch River before, during and after trail construction. [Bobcat, pictured left.]

This project was initiated in February, 2017, using remote cameras to evaluate the rich wildlife population along the Gap section of the Eastern Trail. Professor Perlut and his Terrestrial Wildlife class spent the spring semester reviewing thousands of pictures and analyzing the data from the last four years. Join us to learn about our local bobcats, turkeys, fisher, deer and others who use the Gap section of the trail. Preview some of their work on facebook.com/GapTracks.

This lecture is now recorded and available for viewing free at our lectures webpage 

Friends of the Scarborough Marsh gratefully acknowledges nomination and receipt of a Woodard & Curran Foundation​ Giving While Living Grant

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We thank Woodard and Curran for their generosity!