Tracking Changes We See Today

You may see small changes in your backyard like the types of birds visiting your feeders or plants flowering earlier than they used to. Jack Witham, a forest scientist at Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic, has tracked the changes in the forest for 30+ years. Birds that were once rare, like the red-bellied woodpecker and tufted titmouse, now regularly visit the forest. Southern flying squirrels have taken up residence, replacing Maine’s native northern flying squirrel. These observations help us to understand how our natural communities are changing over time. KELT runs citizen science programs that train you to track changes by collecting information about local bird populations, invasive crabs, migrating fish, and water quality. Volunteers are welcome!

Additional Resources

Learn more about plant and animal species in Maine:

Understand climate impacts on our water quality and fish:

Get involved with citizen science programs:

Protecting Land

The landscapes KELT conserves give people a place to recreate while also providing essential homes for plants and animals. When KELT considers a land protection project, we prioritize land that borders other undeveloped land, and we consider the different habitats the land contains. Larger preserves and more diverse habitat help species deal with changing conditions. During warm temperatures and droughts, animals can move to shaded slopes and wetlands that are cooler or wetter. If conditions change enough, connected land provides ‘wildlife corridors’ that enable animals to move to another part of the state with the food and resources they need to survive.

Additional Resources

Resiliency relies on local diversity of habitat and biology, resilient ecosystems help species deal with environmental changes on a local level.

Connectivity is the degree to which protected areas are continuous and allow for safe movement between areas and resources, particularly important for species during greater environmental changes.

Conservation efforts aim to protect diverse, resilient lands and in a way that increases connectivity of natural areas.

Visualize resilient lands and areas of ecological value:

Understand the elements of resiliency and Connectivity:

 Trapping Carbon and Controlling Floods

Coastal Maine experiences periodic flooding that is becoming more common as increasing water temperatures and glacial melt cause sea waters to rise. Protecting and restoring coastal wetlands are important ways to help control this floodwater. High tides, storm surges, and snow melt are temporarily stored by marshes and other undeveloped shoreland, protecting nearby homes, buildings, roads, and bridges. KELT is partnering with the town of Woolwich, state agencies, and federal partners to improve road safety from flooding while also restoring a saltwater marsh along Route 1 and George Wright Road. Along with storing water, KELT's conservation projects can help to store carbon. The salt marshes and forests we protect trap carbon in their plants and soil. This simple act, done by trees and peat for millennia, keeps carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, when left undisturbed. 

Additional Resources

Visualize how sea level rise and storm surge would affect different areas:

Learn more about marshes and climate change:

In the News

Housing and floods caused by rising sea levels threaten property values in Maine and New England, with $69.9 million lost in Maine and $403 million lost across the region, a study released Tuesday found. The report found dramatic dropoffs in home values from Kittery to Winter Harbor, with the most severely affected community being Bath, where researchers found two homes that should be worth nearly $150,000 apiece now valued at just more than $90,000 because of the higher water. -By Lori Valigra, Bangor Daily News Staff

 Keeping You Informed

Engaging people of all ages on how our earth’s climate is changing is a role KELT takes seriously. We partner with local 6th grade classes to teach students about what climate change is, why it is happening, and how it will change our lives and landscapes in Maine. KELT also teams up with our land trust neighbors to think and plan regionally about conservation practices that will help our region to deal with climate change. We strive to offer programs that keep people informed with the most up to date climate change information.

Additional Resources

community outreach programs and regional partnerships:

Maine climate council:

Maine Climate Future reports:

Maine climate future reports were brought together by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute and assess regional impacts, vulnerabilities, and steps forward. Links to the main page along with each individual report and more!

conversation lecture series, Spring 2018:

Other: