Voices for Maine's Environment
Voices for Maine's environment brings you the voices of people and organizations who are working together to protect the nature of Maine. New podcasts monthly. The Natural Resources Council of Maine is a non-partisan, statewide organization dedicated to protecting, conserving, and restoring Maine's environment now and for future generations. Let’s build the future we all want for Maine — a future that values clean air and water, healthy forests, abundant wildlife, livable communities, and accessible outdoors for all. Consider becoming a member today!
Episodes
111 episodes
Maine’s Increasingly Rare Old Growth Forests
Maine’s 10.4 million acres of Unorganized Territories (UT) are home to the last stronghold of remote, undeveloped ponds and scattered older growth forest stands in the eastern United States. We’re joined by Dr. John Hagan, a scientist and found...
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35:03
Maine's Environmental Priorities in the 2025 Legislative Session
BONUS EPISODE: A recording of our January webinar previewing the legislative priorities for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) in 2025, including ways you can get involved. Join NRCM's policy experts as they explain the bills that we...
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54:43
Talking Trails with Gabe Perkins of Inland Woods & Trails
Heading into 2025, many of us were inspired by the passage of the Maine Trails Bond in the November 2024 election, which united people and groups that haven’t always seen eye-to-eye but were united by their shared love of Maine’s outdoors. Gabe Pe...
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40:48
Maine's Environment in the 2024 Legislative Session
The last few years, our work at the State House in Augusta has delivered enormous progress for Maine’s environment. So, how is NRCM gearing up to continue this momentum and what are the priorities we’ve set for this year’s short legislative sessio...
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37:38
Reducing Waste During the Holidays
It’s the holiday season, which means a lot of gifts, a lot of food, and….a lot of waste. Mainers by nature are frugal and don’t like waste. It’s part of who we are. But when we go to the store or buy online we’re faced with a deluge of plastic and...
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30:32
Climate Impacts Heighten Urgency to Act
The U.S. government recently released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the nation’s preeminent policy-neutral report highlighting the latest science about climate change impacts, risks, and responses. We speak with David Reidmiller, the dire...
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35:16
What Makes the Land for Maine's Future Program So Successful
The Land for Maine’s Future program is Maine’s most successful and popular land conservation program, helping to support hundreds of conservation projects that have exceptional natural or recreational value or support Maine’s heritage industries o...
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22:06
Stronger Clean Car and Truck Standards Give Mainers More Choices
Zero-emission cars and trucks are becoming increasingly popular but many prospective buyers are finding that supply can’t keep up with demand. Stronger standards for clean cars and trucks would give consumers in Maine more opportunities to buy ele...
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33:29
Maine's 2023 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
This year's legislative session was another strong demonstration of how Maine's strong conservation ethic continues to define our way of life, drive economic growth, and influence new laws passed at the State House in Augusta. Thousands of Mainers...
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29:56
The Experience of Maine's Local Redemption Centers
The on-the-ground experience of local redemption center owners like Shandra Rubchinuk helped get the bill to modernize Maine's Bottle Bill across the finish line during this year's legislative session. Shandra, who is co-owner of Jansel Bottle Red...
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27:12
Exploring Maine's State Parks and Campgrounds
In 2016, Ray and Danielle Ruby set a goal to visit every State Park and campground with their family…and they did it! Along the way they chronicled their travels with unvarnished reviews on their popular blog “Rubys on the Road.” Ray joins the pod...
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30:00
Every Body Belongs on the Water: A Conversation with Bri Dostie
The conservation movement and outdoor recreation have long been centered on a white, able-bodied dominant view, but here in Maine and throughout the country there's a movement to interrupt this pattern and instigate change. In this episode we spea...
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33:00
What You Need to Know about Maine's Solar Success
Solar energy in Maine has grown seven-fold in the last few years. These projects are bringing enormous benefits to Mainers, including helping cash-strapped businesses and towns save money on electricity bills. We know more solar is needed to meet ...
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29:30
Modernizing Maine’s Bottle Bill
The Bottle Bill is a big part of Maine’s culture and environmental ethic. It’s also our most effective recycling and litter prevention program. And hundreds of Mainers have built their lives and small businesses around bottle redemption. But in th...
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31:44
Poetry in Nature
In celebration of National Poetry Month we rebroadcast a powerful poetry reading and discussion that former host Carly Peruccio had with Maine-based poet Richard Blanco for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In March of this year, Blanco was award...
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14:14
Building a Bigger, Better Network of Trails Across Maine
Trails are part of what define the Maine experience. Although Maine currently has wonderful trails for hiking, biking, skiing, snowmobiling, commuting, and other uses, many of our trails are in serious need of repair and maintenance. The Maine Tra...
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32:00
Amphibians on the Move in Maine
The snow is melting, roads are getting muddier, and amphibians are on the move! We speak with University of Maine graduate student and 2022 Brookie Award winner Greg LeClair about amphibians in Maine, and in particular the annual spring migration ...
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14:56
Wabanaki Nations' State of the Tribes Address
For the first time in two decades, the chiefs of the tribes in Maine appeared before a special joint session of the Legislature on March 16, 2023, for the Wabanaki Nations’ State of the Tribes address. In this episode, we give listeners an opportu...
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1:18:18
Maine’s Heat Pump Success an Example for the Nation
More than 100,000 heat pumps have been installed by Mainers and every day more are installed. Without a doubt, heat pumps are a runaway success story for Maine, making our state an incredible example for the rest of the nation. We speak with Andy ...
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28:00
“Fly Rod” Crosby, Maine’s Legendary Outdoorswoman
Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby might be Maine’s most famous Mainer you’ve never heard of, but a new statue unveiled in Augusta this week aims to educate more people about her legacy. Fly Rod was a skilled fly fisher and big promoter of Maine in the 180...
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27:45
Meet Rebeccah Sanders, NRCM’s New CEO
Our new CEO Rebeccah Sanders has been on the job a little over a week and has hit the ground running, drawing on her two decades of executive nonprofit management experience in community-driven conservation work and her long-time love of Maine’s g...
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26:45
Bonus: Offshore Wind Bill Announcement
Bonus episode! On January 24, 2023, the Natural Resources Council of Maine joined with Senator Mark Lawrence, labor leaders, and conservation partners to announce a bill to boost floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.
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42:18
Previewing the Top Environmental Issues at the Maine State House
The State House in Augusta is once again bustling with activity, and NRCM’s experts have been hard at work identifying our top priorities for the 2023 legislative session that will protect Maine’s climate, water, wildlife, and outdoors. Advocacy D...
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24:33
Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their Great Fish Migrations
Scientist, educator, and author John Waldman discusses how we can restore Maine’s rivers and the great fish migrations to which they were once home. Waldman’s talk was originally delivered at an online webinar NRCM hosted in December as part of ou...
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44:19
Top 10 Good Environmental News Stories of 2022
It has been an exciting year marked by big accomplishments for Maine’s environment at the State House and beyond. Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim joins the podcast to highlight 10 areas of progress from 2022 that inspired and energized us. We hop...
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25:55
