Readers will soar with Fournier on his first solo flight in a Piper Cub, see how a master canoe builder makes his dream canoe a reality, meet brave flying wardens on rescue calls, net some spectacularly large salmon, and take part in the historic mission to transplant caribou from Newfoundland to Maine. Tales from Misery Ridge, available from Maine-based Islandport Press, is a collection of those and other stories from a special time—and place.  

Fournier is a native Mainer with a long career in the Maine woods, starting as a registered Maine Guide and bush pilot. For twenty years he was the public information officer for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He also produced a weekly TV program, Maine Fish and Wildlife, for the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. He has written and photographed for a number of magazines, including Audubon, Natural History, National Geographic, Field & Stream, and Outdoor Life.

Islandport Press is an award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. For more information, please call 207-846-3344, visit www.islandportpress.com, or e-mail books@islandportpress.com.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Maine Birding Trail and Cornell University have launched a state-specific version of eBird - a popular birding site where birdwatchers share information about sightings, trips and trends.

Birders are encouraged to visit the new Maine eBird site. There birders can submit their observations, look at data that have already been collected, view news stories relevant to Maine birders, read articles regarding Department research and conservation planning efforts, and consider volunteer opportunities.

MDIF&W Wildlife Biologist Steve Walker believes Maine's eBird server will appeal to everybody.

"Birders are very passionate about birding, and we at the Department hope to harness that passion and energy in a way that best informs our work, but also demonstrate our responsiveness to non-game bird resources and to a growing constituency of birders," Walker said.

Marshall Iliff of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology said the Maine version of eBird will share information with the larger eBird.org site, giving birders data that are part of the bigger picture of birds and how they behave.

"By combining your observations with those of tens of thousands of other eBirders, eBird is providing the most up-to-date information on the status, occurrence, and movements of birds on this continent and around the world," Iliff said.

The Maine eBird project is funded through MDIF&W, by birders who purchased Maine Birder Bands, and through a grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. Maine Birder Bands are metal circular bands similar to those placed on migratory birds to track their movements and population status. The band, about the circumference of a small ring, can be worn on binocular/optical straps or similar gear. It carries the IF&W insignia, a registration number that is assigned to the wearer, and a number to call if someone finds lost binoculars/optics that belong to the registrant.

In 2009, Maine was the first state to create this voluntary program for birders to show their support for the Department's bird conservation efforts. This year marks the third year of the program, and birders are purchasing bands from each year as a sign of support.

Maine Birder Bands and Maine eBird are a winning combination, Walker said.

"The birding community sometimes feels as if it doesn't have a stake in Department operations," he said. "The Maine Birder Band provides birders with a way to contribute in a similar fashion as hunters and anglers who purchase licenses, and eBird now offers birders a way to provide data so their recreational hobby can provide data our scientists can use in conservation planning."

For more information about Maine Birder Bands, visit www.mefishwildlife.com

Dexter Lakes Association Photos * Stories * Info and more...

Bears have recently emerged from their dens throughout Maine and are in search of food that is not readily available to them at this time of year. They are drawn to bird feeders, garbage cans, dumpsters and grills - where food or the odor of food is prevalent - or to areas where people believe it's OK to leave food for them.

For birds, however, spring and summer offers an abundance of natural food and therefore they don't need to be fed by people.

"Each spring, we encourage people to bring in their bird feeders and rake up any seed left on the ground," according to MDIF&W Wildlife Biologist Jennifer Vashon. "If people want to continue to feed birds, we ask them to wait until berries have ripened later in the summer when bears are less likely to wander through backyards searching for food. The best way to keep bears in the wild is to not make it easy for them to make themselves at home in your backyard.

"It is also important to remember that other food odors attract bears to your back yard," Vashon said. "Garbage that is brought to the curb the night before pickup or is stored outside is a great temptation to a bear. We encourage everyone to keep their garbage inside until the morning of trash pickup."

An incident two years ago in Livermore Falls, where a mother bear and her two 80-pound yearlings needed to be trapped and moved from a neighborhood, illustrates how bears become dependent on people for food - and become a nuisance to fearful neighbors. The sow and her two cubs that once had been trapped in New Hampshire neighborhoods and moved to northern New Hampshire woods found their way to Maine. The year before, she had wandered through Livermore Falls area with her young cubs, and people hand-fed them or placed bird seed outside for them. The following year, some people continued the same feeding behaviors while others became worried about the bears' close proximity to homes.

Bears who become reliant on people for food return to the same locations to eat.

"The worst case scenario is that a bear will hurt someone," according to Vashon. "It's happened elsewhere and it could happen here. In this unfortunate circumstance, we'd have to destroy the bear."

Spring is when the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Warden Service receives hundreds of nuisance animal complaints, and bears near homes and in neighborhoods are among the calls.

The Department strongly encourages people not to feed birds in the spring and summer. Birds are able for find food elsewhere. Although we discourage leaving feeders out during the day and bringing in the feeders at night, if you feel that you have to watch birds during the day, please rake up all of the food underneath the bird feeder site so that bears are not drawn to it.

To deter bears, we suggest the following:

1. Each spring, bring in your bird feeders and rake up the seed.
2. Store garbage and garbage cans in the garage or basement until trash day, and put out the cans the mornings of pickup.
3. Nothing with a strong food odor should be composted in the back yard.
4. For grills, burn off as much of the meat and grease as possible and then brush or scrape grills clean. Grills should be stored in a closed garage or shed.
5. Use dumpsters with heavy metal lids that latch shut. Keep the lids and self-closing doors shut. If garbage is overflowing, contact the trash hauler to pick it up.
6. If you have pets and feed them outdoors, bring their food dishes inside at night.
7. Store all livestock feeds in a secure location.
8. Encourage your neighbors to take the same steps that you are to deter bears.
9. When camping, put food and other items with an odor, including candy, toothpaste, suntan lotion and soap, in sealed containers. If camping near your vehicle, keep the sealed containers in it. Never store food or candy in your tent or sleeping quarters. If food or other odorous items cannot be stored, place them in a "bear bag" that is at least 12 feet above the ground and 10 feet from the nearest tree trunk. After meals, store all leftovers and immediately wash dishes. Dump the dishwater away from the camp or use a sump hole to filter the water, and then burn the food scraps. Carefully burn all leftover food, wrappers and grease. Don't bury them or throw them in a latrine.
10. If a bear shows up in your backyard, stay calm. Shout at it like you would to chase an unwanted dog. Most bears are timid enough to be scared away by yelling, waving or banging pots. Check first before going outside. Black bears blend into night skies, thus providing the chance of an encounter. Use outside lights to full advantage and look outside from a safe position, such as a porch or window.
11. Never approach a bear.

On it, Travis posts his observations regarding treks with IF&W biologists, personal experiences in Maine’s outdoors, and department responses to questions, comments and opinions being expressed by outdoor enthusiasts.

The blog can be found at http://inlandtracks.wordpress.com

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