Ducks Unlimited is helping advance a widespread conservation effort in Maine, at the top of the United States’ portion of the Atlantic Flyway.

Maine’s ecosystem is considered one of the world’s most biologically productive environments, renowned for its pristine habitat and 2,000 species of plants and animals. The state has the largest undeveloped block of forest and wetland habitat east of the Mississippi River. More than 25 percent of Maine’s total area are wetlands, totaling two million acres. Its coast is crucial for many high priority species, including the common eider, American black duck and eastern harlequin duck.

The Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) is leading several programs that will enhance or protect more than 91,000 acres in the state, and Ducks Unlimited is helping on two coastal projects.

“Ducks Unlimited has been an important partner for MCHT over the years and we are grateful that they are working with us on this important effort to bring federal wetlands dollars into the state,” said Betsy Ham, director of land protection for Maine Coast Heritage Trust, in an email.

Pond Cove Island

Through a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant, the trust, DU and other partners are buying Pond Cove Island and transferring it to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The island will be included in the nearby Roque Bluffs State Park. Pond Cove Island features 37 acres of intertidal wetlands and is located just offshore from the state park. The property is in national priority areas for waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds and landbirds and it will be open for kayakers and boaters to birdwatch, picnic, hike, hunt and fish. Camping will be allowed at designated campsites.

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Ducks Unlimited is partnering with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the refuge to restore 320 acres of coastal marshes. This refuge was founded in 1966 to protect salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. Ducks Unlimited and partners will restore the tidal marsh habitat by reducing marsh sinkage caused by waterlogging and elevational gain through the restoration a proper balance of flood and ebb flows on the marsh.

The refuge is important for black ducks and also breeding Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows. Rachel Carson NWR has been monitoring Saltmarsh Sparrows at this site since 2000 and has detected a significant decline in breeding birds, likely as a result of decreased nesting success due to nest flooding.

“Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is eager to once again partner with Ducks Unlimited to improve wildlife habitat and community resilience while providing a space for outdoor recreation,” said Bri Benvenuti, Rachel Carson NWR wildlife technician, in a written statement.

Support for both projects also comes from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the Davis Conservation Foundation. The projects sit in the Atlantic Flyway, one of the four major migratory routes for North American birds. Healthy wetland spots such as these are vital resting and feeding areas for birds during long journeys. Ducks Unlimited has restored, protected or enhanced more than 16,000 acres in Maine alone over the last 30 years.

Holiday offerings at Brick Store Museum

The Brick Store Museum’s Holiday Showcase – featuring over 30 local artists – and annual Holiday Candlelight Stroll, which tells the stories of local immigrants in the 19th century through reenactors, are still available for the community through the holidays.

With its Holiday Showcase, the museum pays special homage to the region’s independent artists and creators who have been devastated this year. The museum’s Holiday Showcase will be a month-long event inside the museum’s galleries that will feature the works of artists and crafters, in addition to the museum’s Perspectives: 2020 Bicentennial Exhibition. The Holiday Showcase runs through Sunday, Dec. 20. Admission to the museum is free, courtesy of H. M. Payson and Biddeford Savings.

The virtual Holiday Candlelight Stroll premieres over two evenings: Dec. 19 and Dec. 30, and brings visitors through the museum’s historic buildings to vignettes of each historic family. Attendees have two choices for tickets: virtual tour-only, for $5; or a Stroll Package offering an historic dinner on Dec. 30 and cultural tastes for $35 (which will be take-out style). Dinners must be ordered in advance for Dec. 30 (the Dec. 19 dinner is sold out) while tour-only tickets can be ordered at any time. The Holiday Candlelight Stroll is sponsored by H.M. Payson. Learn more about menus and featured families, plus reserve your tickets on the museum’s website at www.brickstoremuseum.org.

While the museum will close for a holiday break from Dec. 21 through Jan. 5, it will offer private family visits, with advanced registration required, between Dec. 22 and Jan. 2. This means that while the museum is technically closed, families can make a reservation to visit the museum for an hour to enjoy the community space in place of the normal celebrations with family and friends that cannot take place this year. Households can make free reservations by visiting www.brickstoremuseum.org.

St. David’s schedules Christmas services

St. David’s Episcopal Church, 138 York St. (Route 1 south) in Kennebunk, invites all to join a “drive-in” service on Thursday, Dec. 24 at 4 p.m. The service will take place in the church parking lot. Tune radios to 89.5 FM.

For the convenience of attendees and especially for those not feeling well, the church extends an invitation to its Christmas Eve service recorded in the sanctuary. The service is available on Facebook and YouTube on Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.stdavidskennebunk.org.

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