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

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

The Friends of Scarborough Marsh would like to thank everyone for stopping by our booth at this years Summerfest celebration. We also would like to congratulate David Hemingway on winning our booth raffle! We hope to see you all there next year!

Thank you to all of the wonderful Volunteers, Quiz Participants, and Friends of the Marsh for making our Summerfest a successful one! Below is the article that was in the Leader, listing off our wonderful winners that took our quiz! Even with the rain delay, we still made it to Summerfest and drew names. Look for the quiz answers under our News & Updates tab on the site! Again, we just wanted to thank everyone involved! 

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You’ve driven or ridden across it countless times. It’s an ice-covered wonderland in winter and a lush, watery plain in summer. But what else do you know about our beloved Scarborough Marsh? Test your knowledge and submit your responses to 10 of the following questions to register for an opportunity to win some prizes. Search our site for helpful hints to the answers! Submit your completed quiz, along with name and contact information to our email at info@scarboroughmarsh.org or mail your responses in to: FOSM Marsh Quiz, P.O. Box 7049, Scarborough, ME 04070 A copy of the quiz can be also be found in the Scarborough Leader!

​***Responses must be received by August 17, 2017. Prize drawings will take place at Scarborough SUMMERFEST, Friday evening, August 18, and all answers will be revealed! Entrants are eligible for one prize only.

DOWNLOAD QUIZ HERE

Prizes include:

1. Birding expedition for two on the Scarborough Marsh led by Linda Woodard
2. Guided canoe tour through Scarborough Marsh with Linda Woodard
3. One pair of Nikon binoculars and copy of Audubon Bird Guide 
4. Stand-up paddle board tour of the Scarborough Marsh with Andy McCusker
5. One $100 gift certificate to the Black Point Inn
6. Book: Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die (4 drawings)
7. Book: Maine Off the Beaten Path (4 drawings)

A salt marsh lives in delicate balance with the daily rise and fall of ocean tides.  What happens to a salt marsh and its environs when the sea level rises and floods marshlands on a daily basis that once were flooded only by the occasional heavy storm tide?  This is a question that residents of Scarborough will have to answer in the not-too-distant future.  Fortunately, Scarborough Marsh is the beneficiary of a federal grant to research this question through the creation of a Marsh Migration Task Force.

Fun for the Whole Family September 27-28-29
Get closer to nature by joining us for family friendly events in Scarborough, and all around the great State of Maine, too. Learn more about Maine's ecosystems and wildlife during the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend.

The Great Maine Outdoor Weekend (GMOW) is a collaboration among several of Maine's leading environmental organizations to promote outdoor recreation and encourage more Mainers to take advantage of our State's extraordinary recreation opportunities and public lands.  The 4th GMOW was held September 28-30th.  Statewide, 70 organizations hosted almost 100 events attended by over 7,100 people. In support of the event, FOSM organized a nature walk and wildlife viewing tour on the newly acquired Gervais conservation property.  Maine Audubon's Scarborough Marsh Nature Center Director Linda Woodard led the program.  In 2012 FOSM worked with the Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and other organizations to refurbish a former cellular tower that sits on the property.  There is now an observation deck open to the public.

Plant and Insect Biodiversity Day
Join local experts on August 10 from 9 - Noon and survey the marsh for the many different types of plants and insects, including butterflies. We will have a training session before we head out. Participants can choose plants or insects to survey. After the surveys the two groups will reconvene and discuss their results.  The data collected will be compared to previous surveys and will serve as an indicator of the health of the marsh. 

Important Bird Area Survey
Want to do some birding at Maine's premier birding spot and help gather data on Maine's first Important Bird Area? Join us on August 24 from 9 - Noon for a marsh-wide survey of birds to document the numbers of individuals and species. Timed to catch the beginning of shorebird migration, each group of monitors will be assigned a portion of the marsh to survey. Depending on the assignment, surveys may be done on foot, by car or from a canoe (provided at the marsh or bring your own), and could last up to several hours. Beginning birders are welcome! The morning will start with a brief introduction to the marsh and the survey methods, and after that, monitors will disburse to their assigned sections. 

Both of these volunteer monitoring projects are made possible through a grant from the Prout's Neck Association to Maine Audubon. Please call Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center at 883-5100 or email smac@maineaudubon.org for more information or to register.

Friends of Scarborough Marsh and the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center have been working hard on behalf of the marsh for many years, and recently celebrated with a gala evening of great food and fun. Founders of FOSM were recognized, as was the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center which marked its 40th anniversary this year. Featured guest speakers were Patrick Keenan (Biodiversity Research Institute) and Chandler Woodcock (Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife). HONOREES: Our founding board members (2000): C.D. Armstrong (President), Richard B. Anderson, Kathleen Bayley, Phil Bozenhard, Stephanie Cox, Ann Delehanty, Mike Mallar, Roger Mallar, Laurene Sedgeley. Exceptional merit award: Eddie Woodin.  HOST COMMITTEE: Roger & Frances Jane Addor, Richard Anderson, Ro & John Bloom, Don Endrizzi & Peggy Pennoyer, Sam & Babs Fleming, Susan Koch, Lucy & Bill LaCasse, Charlie & Sally Lee, Rick Murphy, Rick & Celeste Shinay, Rick & Brenda Vogel, Sue & Doug Williams, and Saco Biddeford Savings. With special thanks to our sponsor, Eddie Woodin & Co.  as well as students from the Portland Conservatory of Music. View pictures on Facebook!

Two local environmental protection groups are hosting a special event next month to celebrate decades of dedication to the health and well-being of the Scarborough Marsh.  Members of the public are cordially invited to attend.

Fall is here, and many are thinking about getting their lawns and landscaping ready for the winter ahead. Do you know what's on your lawn and how it impacts the health of you and your family, as well as the environment and our own Scarborough Marsh?

Citizens for a Green Scarborough is hosting a free screening of "A Chemical Reaction: The Story of a True Green Revolution", the award-winning documentary documentary about pesticide use and less toxic alternatives. Film producer and green lawn care advocate Paul Tukey will introduce the film and host a Q&A session afterward. This film is being shown a week before the meeting of the Scarborough Town Council (September 21stat 7 p.m.) at which councilors will make a decision on a policy limiting use of pesticides on public properties in town, including parks and playing fields. Come see "A Chemical Reaction" & hear from Paul Tukey next Wednesday, September 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Scarborough Library.

The Friends of Scarborough Marsh has received a donation of $500 from Biddeford Savings Bank.  Biddeford Savings serves their local communities through volunteer efforts and donations to help make a difference where they live and work.

"Biddeford Savings is proud to support the Friends of Scarborough Marsh," said Lori Boucouvalas, vice president and branch manager of the bank's Scarborough location.  "This group serves a vital purpose and through this donation we hope the organization can continue to its efforts to conserve, protect and restore the Scarborough Marsh for future generations."

 Rick Vogel, Friends board member, gratefully accepted the gift on behalf of the organization. "We very much appreciate this donation," he said.  "These funds will go a long way toward helping us safeguard the marsh and restore its habitats.  Support from local businesses like Biddeford Savings is vital to our efforts on behalf of the marsh."