Websites

By Sherry Lyons

I thought I would share a few sites that have great information about various conservation issues, such as types of plant diseases affecting our trees to invasive plants and insect infestations. One of these is the Maine Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Their latest newsletter also includes a climate summary for the month of July, information about aerial surveys of Maine’s forests, and environmental issues, among other topics. It is easy to sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox. 

Another great website that you are probably already familiar with is Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners. The MOFGA Bulletin that you can sign up for is full of useful information. The latest one reminds us that we can eat edible legume shoots and leaves like peas and fava beans, and tells about upcoming events, including the fair in Unity, how to grow herbs, and free pesticide disposal that is coming up in October.

The Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission also has a newsletter, and this month’s subject is especially timely. The topic is “Strategy E: Protect the Environment & Natural & Working Lands of Maine.” It addresses specific strategies for climate mitigation and adaptation. These are strategies adopted from The Maine Won’t Wait - A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action. The strategies include increasing the total acreage of conserved natural and working lands in the state to 30 percent by 2030; developing new incentives to increase forest carbon storage; increasing the amount of food consumed in Maine from state food producers to 30 percent by 2030, and several other proposals. These strategies deserve our support as gardeners who have pledged to “protect and conserve the natural resources of the planet Earth so that we may become caretakers of our air, water, forests, land, and wildlife.” Garden Club of Wiscasset yearbook

Please feel free to share with all of us other useful websites that you know of. I have barely scratched the surface.