Library Use Only f Maine Legacy Storehouse The Nature Conservancy WORKING TOGETHER: Maine and Canadian Conservancies protect Brier Island sanctuary Haycock Carl Stern R.B. Brier Island’s ponds and wetlands are important resting and feeding areas far thousands of migrating birds. Set far out in the lower Bay ofFundy, owner. The land turned out to be one of organization. We are grateful to this Brier Island, Nova Scotia is a magnet for the most important waterfowl habitats person, who prefers to remain anony­ thousands of seabirds, waterfowl, hawks in Nova Scotia. mous, for making the property available and songbirds. Birds migrating to and Mason agreed to act as intermediary, to us on such advantageous terms. from eastern and arctic Canada are and spent the next eight months To date, funding for the Canadian drawn to this remote island, the last land negotiating the Conservancy’s purchase. Conservancy’s purchase has come from on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Maine. All that hard work paid off, for in Wildlife Heritage Canada, the govern­ Bird watchers, also drawn to the island in February of this year the Maine Chapter ment of Nova Scotia, Ducks Unlimited, large numbers, have spotted more than bought the 1,200-acre tract for $255,000, Bowater Mersey Paper Company, and 150 species here. a price well under half the original asking The Friends of Nature. Because the Last summer, one of those watchers price. The Chapter then resold the land Canadians still have to raise approxi­ was Chapter executive director Mason to the Nature Conservancy of Canada mately $50,000, interim financing was Morfit, who traveled to Brier Island at for the same sum. obtained in the form of a loan from the the request of the Nature Conservancy By selling to an American conservation Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce of Canada. The NCC staff asked him to group, the seller could qualify for the in Halifax. look at a piece of property that had just income tax benefits associated with a "Protection of key areas of Brier been put on the market by its American below-market sale made to a nonprofit to page four MAINE STATE LIBRARY APR 2 # W SPECIAL CONTEST! Name the the director's corner Maine Chapter’s by J. Mason Morfit, executive director new boats The Conservancy’s role in protecting A boat without a name is unthinkable. Brier Island, described on the front page We have two new boats; they need new of this issue, represents a resumption of names. We hope you’ll help us out; most active cooperation with the Nature of the names we’ve thought of have been Conservancy of Canada—a completely either atrocious puns or too mundane to independent organization, but with the grace the transoms of these noble craft. same basic objectives—after an effective Just settle in next to the stove, cast hiatus of a decade. your mind over the bounding main, and In the 1970s, the Conservancy (TNC) write your two suggestions (one for the assisted its Canadian counterpart organi­ dory, one for the 16-footer) on a zation (NCC) with several important postcard. Deadline for entries is May 20. land protection projects. (See summary Send your entry (one per person, please) on page four.) As was the case with Brier to Boat Names, Maine Chapter, The Island, all involved acquisitions of Nature Conservancy, 122 Maine Street, Canadian lands owned by Americans Brier Island P.O. Box 338, Topsham, Maine 04086. which were then transferred from TNC The inventor of the best name for each to appropriate Canadian conservation In addition, senior TNC staff are boat will win either a copy of the agencies. helping NCC develop greater organi­ Chapter’s preserve guide, Maine Forever, Recently, TNC has engaged in a more zational support and capacity through or a TNC t-shirt (your choice). comprehensive and systematic effort to consultations on strategic planning, assist NCC. For its first 25 years, NCC institutional development, staff training, was primarily a volunteer organization, membership recruitment, fund raising, with an active board of trustees, but no and myriad other components of TNC’s paid employees. Coincident with its successful experience in the United Maine Legacy 25th anniversary this year, NCC is States. Two of the big players in TNC’s Published six times yearly by the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, 122 Main Street, P.O. making a conscious effort to "bootstrap” "delegation” have close ties to the Maine Box 338, Topsham, Maine 04086; telephone itself into a larger, more effective Chapter: former TNC national president (207) 729-5181. Submissions of articles, illustra­ tions and photographs are welcome; please address organization. Through becoming a and current Maine Chapter trustee Bill queries to Ruth Ann Hill, editor. membership-supported, professionally Blair; and former Chapter executive Subscriptions to this newsletter are available to staffed enterprise, NNC hopes to be director and subsequent vice president members. Membership dues are as follows: Life, $ 1,000 (one-time); Acorn, $ 100; Supporting, better able to deal with the enormous for development John Jensen. $50; Contributing, $25; Family, $15; Subscribing, conservation challenges across Canada’s While Canada doesn’t have the biotic $10. More than 12,000 members currently support the Conservancy’s work in Maine. vast expanse. diversity of the tropics, where the vast Board of Trustees majority of TNC’s International Pro­ Last fall, Executive Director Gerry Officers: Chairman: Sherry Huber, Falmouth; Glazier from NCC’s offices in Toronto gram’s resources are focused, Canada Vice-chairs: Peter Corcoran, Seal Harbor and visited TNC’s national headquarters in has a greater chance to protect major, Carol Wishcamper, Freeport; Treasurer: William B. (Tony) Owens, M.D., Cape Elizabeth; Secre­ metropolitan Washington, D.C. to intact ecosystems than is generally tary: Donald Mairs, Oakland. discuss matters of mutual interest. One possible in the United States. For Trustees: Linda Alverson, Oxbow; Michael Aube, Bangor; William D. Blair, Jr., Vinalhaven; result was an agreement between the two example, Canada’s enormous and little- George W. Cochrane, III, West Southport; organizations whereby TNC will provide developed far north is breeding habitat Malcolm Coulter, East Holden; Minnette Cum­ mings, Portland; Elizabeth Donnan, Northeast training and technical assistance to NCC for some 20 percent of the entire bird Harbor; Louis Hilton, Greenville; Alan Hutchin­ over a broad range of activities, from population in North America. son, Bangor; Howard C. Johnson, Freeport; Our northern neighbors, like our Bodine Lamont, Falmouth; Cherie Mason, Sunset; science to fund raising. Ralph Robins, York; Marilyn Moss Rockefeller, As an important first step, following neighbors to the south, play a crucial Camden; Douglas Smith, Dover-Foxcroft; David joint NCC/TNC meetings with Canada’s role in maintaining the health of "our” G. Stanley, Cumberland Foreside; Ellen Wells, bird populations—many of which we Falmouth. Minister of the Environment, TNC has Staff begun helping NCC initiate computerized enjoy only during migrations or for just Executive Director, J. Mason Morfit; Associate data management systems for rare and part of the year. Director, Kent Wommack; Director of Science & Stewardship, Barbara St. John Vickery; Heritage endangered species and natural com­ It’s not clear at this time what the Program Director, John Albright; Assistant to the munities like the Conservancy-developed Maine Chapter’s role will be in future Director, Deborah Clark; Assistant Stewardship Director, Julie Henderson; Communications Coordi­ Heritage Programs now functioning in NCC/TNC relations, but we hope to be nator, Ruth Ann Hill; Heritage Program Data 48 states. Each province will eventually of assistance, particularly in Quebec and Manager/Botanist, Amy Forrester; Heritage Pro- have its own Heritage-type program; the Maritimes. Buckle up your mukluks, gram Community Ecologist, Lissa Widoff; Adminis­ trative Assistant, Jeanne Desjardins; Membership Quebec will begin the first this spring. mes amis: we may be heading North! Secretary, Barbara Clark; Secretary, Karen Douglass. 2—Maine Legacy, April 1988 in the news published next year. To make the guide as accurate and up-to-date as possible, we need your help. Areas that especially need additional survey work are the extreme northwestern part of the state, and places that represent significant range extensions for each species. MARAP’s success has been largely due to the perseverance of its many volunteer herpers—both young and old. If you would like to join them, or have questions about where to search, please contact John Albright at the Chapter Memorial gifts Things that go peep office (729-5181) or Jane Arbuckle at Gifts in memory of the following Maine Audubon (781-2330). individuals have been received by the in the night Maine Chapter: Get out your boots, raincoat and Botanical excursions Barbara Adams-Pedersen flashlight, and limber up your back—it’s Mary Hale Chase time to go out in search of Maine’s Each summer, the New England Wildflower Society offers an extensive John Dudley reptiles and amphibians, otherwise Mary E. Chase Guild known as herps. Whether you take the list of botany field trips and courses. This year’s program includes wildflower Gail Hausis kids out for a night of looking for Frederick C. Hillman peepers and wood frogs in the backyard, photography with Thomas Arter, a gifted artist who has done extensive Albert W. Moulton, Jr. or wander throughout York County in Kendall R. Powers search of rarer specimens, herping is one photography for the Maine Chapter. (Course to be held at the University of Eleanor H. Smith of the best ways to enjoy the spring. Dorothy Wheelwright While you are out happily wading in Southern Maine.) Sally Rooney, one of ponds and crawling through alder TNC’s consulting biologists and former Corporate memberships thickets, you can help the Maine Chapter chair, will be leading a trip to Any gift of $100 or more qualifies a Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project Orono Bog.