In this Issue:
Beginning with Habitat equips Maine communities, landowners, and conservation partners with information and tools to protect, restore, and connect important habitats and ecosystems in a changing climate. Housed within the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Beginning with Habitat staff work with species experts, ecologists, and conservation partners to translate biodiversity information into conservation action at both a local and statewide scale.
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I was returning home on back roads this February, the recent snows having settled but still fresh. The sun had descended to twilight, and I noticed a shadow move beyond the beam of my headlights. As I slowed, I observed a fisher return to the darkness as it crossed the road.Â
Encountering a wild creature seeking patches of habitat, across a roadway, reminded me of the importance of connection of people, habitat. I felt distant from the fisher’s world in my speedy metal box. It is the quiet spaces in our forest, wetlands where we can find common ground to connect and restore important habitats for both the species and people that depend on them. Â
In this newsletter, we highlight recent work of the Beginning with Habitat Program to benefit both Maine’s wildlife and communities.
We hope to engage you in our work!
Sincerely,
 Justin Schlawin
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
(207) 557-1885
The Beginning with Habitat Program is collaborating with Maine Woodland Owners to publish a new series “12 Months of Wildlife Managementâ€. This guide provides landowners with seasonably timely actions to improve wildlife habitat on their property. These guides are not all encompassing, but do provide a few tasks to consider during every month.
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Maine communities across the state are taking proactive steps to improve fish passage at road-stream crossings, and we’re excited to highlight this important work in our new story map, Restoring Aquatic Connections in Maine. Originally conceived and drafted by Lilit (Lilo) Mathieu during her summer internship, this story is now ready for prime time, thanks to finishing touches added by our newest team member, Municipal Planning Biologist Greg LeClair. Â
This story map is part of an ongoing project to document and share the efforts of those involved in aquatic habitat restoration. It serves as a platform to showcase who is participating, as well as the locations and methods through which these restoration initiatives are taking place.Â
We deeply appreciate Lilo’s initiative and all the support she provided our program last summer. Our program is currently recruiting a Maine Geospatial Institute intern to join our team this summer.Â
Photo: Intern Lilit Mathieu, conducting fieldwork with Department biologists.Â
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 Story Map Exploration of Marsh Stream System Crossing Improvements.
Beginning with Habitat teamed up with Frenchman Bay Conservancy for a beautiful, sunny day canoeing on the Bog River in Eastbrook. The event brought together private landowners, land trusts, nonprofits, species specialists and regional biologists to celebrate the region’s unique ecosystems and explore conservation and stewardship opportunities within and around the Bog River Focus Area. Â
Beginning with Habitat Focus Areas of Statewide Ecological Significance are designed to prioritize collaborative, non-regulatory conservation efforts that benefit biodiversity in Maine. We are actively exploring ways to highlight more of these special places in collaboration with our partners, local landowners, and stewards.Â
To learn more about Focus Areas, visit our website, and connect with us to discover conservation actions and financial incentives that support continued stewardship in a Focus Area near you.Â
Photo: Bog River Focus Area tour participants at the canoe launch site.Â
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Beginning with Habitat is partnering with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to streamline private lands updates to the Maine Conserved Lands layer. Please submit new private land acquisitions and updates/revisions to your land trust holdings through the new online interface.Â
Shapefile upload - a web form ideal for uploading multiple features at a time (add your data as a zip file)Â
The Beginning with Habitat team is available for free in-person and remote presentations. Potential topics include information about high value wildlife habitat, habitat management guidance, climate resilience and conservation strategies to support community priorities. We would look forward to connecting with you and your committee or organization.
We would like to hear from you! For future newsletters, we want to share stories from our partners and users. How have you been using BwH in your conservation planning efforts? We are looking for case studies showing examples of BwH in action. Please reach out directly to [email protected] with your stories.
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