Maine Audubon’s Hog Island in Bremen will not be hosting summer programs next year. Employees were released from their work with the island on Nov. 15.
“We’re suspending operations next summer, because we had low enrollments,” said Sue Cillie of Maine Audubon in Falmouth. “This is a one-year suspension. We are not closing forever and it does not mean we won’t open again.”
Many bird enthusiasts, photographers and naturalists have visited the center over the course of its 52-year history. Notable birders such as Pulitzer prize winning author Scott Wiesenthal, Rachel Carson, known for her book “Silent Spring” and bird field guide author Roger T. Peterson have visited the island.
Visitors have come to the Muscongus Bay island to participate in the Field Ornithology program, as well as other birding programs in what Maine Audubon has called a landmark of environmental education since 1936, with the exception of one year during WWII.
“It’s the mother church of Maine Audubon,” said seabird instructor Sue Schubel. “It’s an important spot for a lot of people.”
Schubel and her husband, Anthony Liss, will continue tending to Hog Island as they have in the past. She said that island programs have not been meeting the bottom line. Schubel, affectionately called, “Seabird Sue” is still a teacher for grade-schoolers around central Maine.
Project Puffin and the Puffin Store in Rockland will still be in operation, according to Cillie. Project Puffin is a seabird restoration program established to help protect seabirds on Eastern Egg Rock and other islands in the vicinity.
“It’s a fabulous place,” Cillie said. “We want to find a sustainable business model. It’s heartbreaking to have to lay off staff.”
Cillie added that Maine Audubon is involved in substantial planning for the future of the island and accompanying programs. The mainland trails continue to be open to the public, she said.
