By the middle of the 20th century, the populations of many species of seabirds in the Gulf of Maine had been decimated. Puffins had last nested on Eastern Egg Rock in 1885 and terns in 1936. In 1973, National Audubon started a program to reintroduce and establish the Maine breeding grounds for these species, led by seabird visionary Steve Kress.
York County Audubon will welcome Dr. Donald Lyons, who now leads Audubon’s seabird programs in Maine, for an online program on Sept. 15. He’ll share the latest information on the health of seabird populations. Courtesy photo
In 2019, 45 years later, Kress retired and turned over the program to new leadership.
The program has proved exceptionally successful. The population of Atlantic Puffins has grown to more than 1,000 nesting pairs on five coastal Maine islands, and nesting colonies have been restored for over 40,000 other seabirds. Furthermore, the restoration techniques developed in Maine have now been used to bring back more than 50 species of seabirds around the world, many critically endangered. But the work is far from done, as these populations continue to face dramatic new challenges.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon will welcome Dr. Donald Lyons, who now leads Audubon’s seabird programs in Maine. He’ll share the latest information on the health of seabird populations, and the outlook going forward. York County Audubon will host the program online.
“We can now study puffins, terns, and other species to better understand the Gulf of Maine, the looming effects of climate change, and how to manage fisheries for ecosystem health and sustainable economies,” said Bill Grabin, president of York County Audubon, in a written statement. “Dr. Lyons is a director of conservation science for the National Audubon Society, and has spent his career in work directly aligned with Audubon’s Seabird Restoration Program, including the last 20 years at Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Oregon.”
The program is available free of charge, but advance registration is required.
To register, visit yorkcountyaudubon.org and click on the link. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program.
Courtesy photo
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