Stories from - MAINE
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We are the Penobscot River
"This river is the backbone of who we are as a Nation," said Jerry Pardilla, former Penobscot Indian National Tribal Governor. "Our name is derived from the description of ...Read More
Stories from - MAINE
View All StoriesCraig Brook National Fish Hatchery Continues Long Mission
The mission of Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in Maine is the same as it was when it was founded over a century ago—to restore Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to the rivers ...Read More
Featured Species in Maine
Canada lynx
The Canada lynx is a medium-sized cat, similar to the bobcat. It has longer legs and very large well-furred paws, impressive adaptations for maneuvering through deep winter snow. While their name suggests otherwise, the historical and present North American range of the Canada lynx includes Alaska, Canada, and many of the other northern 48 states. More »
Canada lynx
Photo credit: Michael Zahra
Atlantic Coast piping plover
The piping plover is a dainty, sand-colored shorebird, distinguished from other small North American plovers by its pale plumage and bright orange legs. Human activities can disturb piping plovers on both their breeding and wintering grounds. More »
Atlantic Coast piping plover
Photo credit: USFWS
New England cottontail
The New England cottontail population has plummeted over the last several decades, disappearing from 86 percent of its historical range.
New England cottontail
Photo credit: : Pam Wells
Partnership Stories in Maine
Small-whorled Pogonia: Endangered Orchid on the Edge
Although widely distributed, the small-whorled pogonia is rare. It is found in 17 eastern states and Ontario, Canada. Populations are typically small with less than 20 plants. It has been extirpated from Missouri, New York, Vermont, and Maryland, earning it the title "rarest orchid east of the Mississippi." More »
Found in Maine
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Furbish lousewort (Pedicularis furbishiae), a federally endangered herb of the snapdragon family, is found only on the shores of the upper St. John River in Maine and New Brunswick. Although not very tolerant to prolonged flooding this rare plant relies on periodic flooding to scour away other plants that compete for the same habitat.
Photo credit: Mark McCullough, USFWS -
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are anadromous fish, splitting their life between freshwater streams as a juvenile and the ocean as an adult, returning to the stream where it was born to spawn and die. While at one time hundreds of thousands of salmon made this epic migration from the oceans of Greenland to their natal rivers in Maine, now only remnant populations remain. The construction of dams, overfishing, habitat loss, and water pollution have collectively caused their decline.
Photo credit: E. Peter Steenstra, USFWS
