The Friends of Scarborough Marsh (FOSM) and the Scarborough Department of Public Works recently collaborated to install ten “Be Watershed Friendly” signs along local roadways in Scarborough. The sign locations were selected to highlight the boundaries of the Scarborough Marsh Watershed, which is the drainage basin that supplies freshwater to the Scarborough Marsh. Being ‘Watershed Friendly’ means discouraging littering and use of lawn and other chemicals that may flow overland to the Watershed’s rivers and creeks or seep into underlying groundwater. Your ‘friendliness’ will help safeguard the salt marsh ecosystem and its associated fisheries and wildlife and ensure that this important regional ecologic treasure is around for future generations.

The map above outlines the watershed area and the new sign locations in Scarborough. Note that a significant portion of the watershed is in the towns of Saco and Old Orchard Beach. Keep in mind that we all can make a positive difference by being watershed friendly.
          

Scarborough Rotarians partnered with the Friends of Scarborough Marsh, the Town of Scarborough, and the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center and hit the pavement May 25 Tuesday to help clean up trash and debris along Pine Point Road. Rotary President Reyleigh McKay was very excited as the club gathered for the first time in person since 2020. Many smiles were had as well since the outdoor mask mandate was recently lifted. "While we don't have an official Adopt-A-Road program in Scarborough, the Rotary club wants to ensure we keep our town clean to encourage more guests and visitors to enjoy the trails along the marsh and the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center for months and years to come.  We hope to make this a monthly event to help keep the Pine Point Road area free from trash and debris", said new Scarborough Rotary member Kathryn Williams.

Friends of Scarborough Marsh did not have an organized clean-up this year due to Covid 19.   But volunteers like the Rotary club pitched in to do their own clean-up.  Gloves and bags are available for you to pick up if you need them at the nature center.  You can of course use your own.  The Department of Public Works picked up bags of trash at the Nature Center on May 3, but arrangements may still be made to clean a section of the marsh.  A reminder to be safe when you are picking up trash near all roads and not to pick up any questionable items. 
 
PLEASE DO NOT PICK UP TRASH ON ROUTE ONE.  The Scarborough Public Works will be working with people who have been trained to do it. The Public Works usually blocks off the road and we do it in a very controlled and safe manner.  

If you have any questions about the clean-up, please contact Linda Woodard at lwoodard@maineaudubon.org (preferred) or call 207-883-5100 and leave a message.
 
Our clean-ups are organized by the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, Friends of Scarborough Marsh, Eastern Trail Alliance and the the Town of Scarborough with a special thank you to the Public Works Department.
 
Linda Woodard
Linda Woodard I(she/her)
Director of Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center
_______________________________
164 Main St., Kennebunkport, Maine 04046 (Home address: please use now during Covid)
20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, ME  04105 (Headquarters)
email preferred but phone/text below.
tel mobile 207-415-8331 (please use now during Covid))
(207) 781-2330 (not at my desk but you can leave a message)
web maineaudubon.org

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 2021.

Come hear about UNE Associate Professor Dr. Noah Perlut's study of the wildlife affected by what will be the new gap section of the Eastern trail. Join Professor Perlut as he shares fascinating remote video of nightlife and wildlife activity taken along a 1.6 mile portion of Scarborough‘s Eastern Trail. This is part of UNE’s multi-year “Gap Tracks Study” focusing on a part of the trail scheduled to be connected. Learn how environmental factors influence animal behavior. 
This UNE study has been supported by FOSM. Follow the Gap Tracks project on Facebook and Instagram.

Sustainability Series: The Birds of Scarborough Marsh with Linda Woodard
  
Wednesday, October 28 - 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Zoom
Audience: Adults
Join Linda Woodard, Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center Director and Board Member of the Friends of Scarborough Marsh, for this in-depth look at the birds of Maine’s largest saltmarsh.

The discussion will be held on Wednesday, October 28th at 5:30 pm in a Zoom meeting room. All are welcome to join Zoom at https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/85963180695pwd=MTc1U01oQTJpSUViYjc3VkRHR0laZz09
See below for more details about Zoom*.

Participants will not only learn about these birds but will also receive some tips on identification and where to find them. Hundreds of bird species use this unique ecosystem as a migratory stopover, summer nesting ground, and feeding area, and a few live there year round. We will take a look at the herons and egrets that eat fish swimming in these nutrient-rich rivers and the many species of sandpipers that nest or migrate through the marsh. A variety of raptors make the marsh their home along with small songbirds. Special attention will be given to several threatened and endangered species that depend on the marsh for survival and the factors that threaten their survival. This event is co-hosted by the Friends of Scarborough Marsh.

FOSM Free Lecture – “Bringing Nature Home” - September 30, 2020 (via Zoom)

Friends of Scarborough Marsh is pleased to host a free lecture, “Bringing Nature Home”, on Wednesday, September 30th, at 6:00 PM. Like many places, the landscape of coastal Maine has changed dramatically.  Today, gardens, yards, neighborhoods and towns are playing increasingly critical roles in supporting native food webs for birds, pollinators and other wildlife.  Our individual efforts to support wildlife can be both intimately rewarding and broadly beneficial.  With an overall focus on Maine birds and their habitats, Eric Topper, Director of Education for Maine Audubon will introduce what individuals and groups can do, including what plants to choose and how to manage and maintain our gardens for their full ecological function and benefit. Eric will also discuss the large selection of beautiful native flowers, shrubs and trees we can incorporate into our yards to attract and support a multitude of birds, butterflies and other interesting native wildlife. Our hope is to raise awareness in and around Scarborough Marsh.

Please register here, and you will receive a secure Zoom link via email on the day of the lecture. 
​https://maineaudubon.coursestorm.com/course/bringing-nature-home-in-scarborough-marsh
​

Blue Point Preserve – Grand Opening Spring 2020
There has been a lot of activity at the Blue Point Preserve since the Land Trust acquired the property with an assist from the Friends of Scarborough Marsh and a lot of conservation-minded citizens.

• The road (path) down to the site has been graded and reinforced with gravel thanks to Mike Shaw and the Scarborough Public Works crew.
• The house on the property has been demolished thanks to the generosity of Risbara Brothers.
• The parking lot is in, but will not be available for parking until later since it is not being plowed.
• The kiosk is done.

The Land Trust is working on the signage and will have some benches built.   The Prouts Neck Association has given a grant to the Friends for the Blue Point Preserve and we will match it and use it to fund some benches  to provide comfortable viewing and resting along the trail.

Plan to attend the Grand Opening when it is announced and be sure to hike the trail into the preserve to enjoy the marsh views and bird and other animal life of the area.

In March of 2019, the Friends of Scarborough Marsh was a proud recipient of an ecomaine eco-Excellence Award in the Non-Profit Category for leading the charge in sustainability and eco-friendliness in Scarborough. 
A panel of ecomaine Board Members selected our nomination from dozens of nominations., and for that, we want to echo a loud THANK YOU! The committee took note of our commitment to
education about, and protection of, the state’s largest marshland, including the removal of
hundreds of pounds of trash from the marsh. (We couldn't have done it without your help!) 
We hope to continue our efforts in these areas in years to come, and look forward to sharing our continued progress.

 FRIENDS OF SCARBOROUGH MARSH (FOSM)
FREE LECTURE SERIES
 
“Marsh-Friendly Lawn Care”
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
6:30 – 7:30 PM
Study Center, Scarborough High School
​
Friends of Scarborough Marsh (FOSM) is pleased to host a Fall Lecture about marsh-friendly lawn care practices with Jami Fitch, Scarborough’s Sustainability Coordinator, on Wednesday, October 23rd from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Jami will draw on her extensive experience with healthy lawn care for this free lecture. 
The Town of Scarborough is partnering with FOSM on this lecture as part of the Phillips Brook Restoration Project. The Town recently received a grant to begin restoration work in Phillips Brook, which flows from the Dunstan area into the Scarborough Marsh. Keeping the marsh healthy is of great importance and this lecture will provide details on how the community can affect the quality of marsh water. Join us in the Study Center at Scarborough High School for this free event. Use the front entrance off Durant Drive and follows signs to the lecture. 

Funding for the Phillips Brook Restoration Project was provided, in part, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA.

The Friends of Scarborough Marsh help complete the closing for the Blue Point Preserve

Betsy Barrett, Board Treasurer and Stephanie Smith, Board President
attended the closing for the Whitten Property, which was the marsh
frontage in the new Blue Point Preserve. The Friends and the
Scarborough Land Trust shared equally in purchasing this portion of the
reserve from the Town of Scarborough.

The preserve is now owned by the Scarborough Land Trust, and they
will be creating trails and improving the access to the property.
By spring we should all be able to enjoy walking, bird watching,
picnicking or just enjoying the marsh from the preserve.
This is a beautiful piece of land abutting the marsh which is now
preserved for posterity.

The Cell Tower controversy has been resolved.
The Friends of Scarborough Marsh joined with the Prouts Neck Association, the Scarborough Land Trust, Maine Audubon and many others to oppose the original plan by Verizon to place a cell tower at the edge of the Marsh.
Happily, after a lot of work and effort by a number of committed residents and the planning board, Verizon has agreed to install a concealment tower with no external antennas, place the tower in a more wooded location farther from the edge of the marsh, limit the height to 110 feet, and paint it a neutral gray tone which makes it less conspicuous.
The Friends of Scarborough Marsh thanks everyone who has been involved in reaching this compromise.