From watching for the arrival of alewives in Great Salt Bay, ice-out on Damariscotta Lake, spotted fawns scampering through the woods, or even the dreaded onset of pollen and black flies, there are countless ways to mark the arrival of spring in Lincoln County.
With trees preparing to open their buds around our Newcastle office and our reporters covering alewife-counting preparations and Easter celebrations, we were reminded this Earth Day of the ways life in Lincoln County relies upon to the environment around us.
This week, one of our reporters heard from alewife experts at the local and state levels about how they gather critical data to track health and behavior of our migratory fisheries. The springtime tradition of harvesting alewives from our rivers as they migrate upstream is an iconic one for Lincoln County. It’s also a ritual that depends on the continued health of our rivers and streams and cooperation among fishermen, scientists, and nature.
The same can be said for the many fisheries up and down our winding, rocky coast. From clamming to lobstering to elvering and oystering, the flourishing of the marine resources that sustain our coastal communities’ traditional livelihoods are tied inextricably to the wellness of our environment.
Further inland, local farmers are tilling their fields and preparing for the busy growing season. Wildlife is stirring after a long, cold winter, and frost is clearing from our many hiking trails.
This winter brought plenty of snow and – fortunately – not as much widespread devastation as last year’s monumental winter storms. But with such increasingly volatile weather threatening our coastal communities and roads, we’re grateful to have first responders and planners throughout the county taking action to strengthen our roads, bridges, and disaster preparedness.
With winter behind us, we’re also gearing up for the arrival of tourist season and the crowds of eager visitors who will come to Maine to experience its natural beauty and myriad of outdoor recreation opportunities. In this way, our trees and wilderness also give back to our local economies.
This Earth Day, we’re glad to live in a place with such astounding natural beauty at every turn, a diverse, healthy environment, and so many residents across industries and throughout the county committed to helping keep it that way.
