MDIFW's first female biologist measuring moose antlers

Celebrating Women's History Month

MDIFW is remembering and honoring two remarkable biologists who helped pave the way for women working in Maine’s wildlife and fisheries professions.

A close up of a fly angler's vest

There are more early season fishing opportunities than you think…

There is no longer a need to pass emergency rules to open the fishing season with an early onset of spring in Maine. Here's why...

zebra mussels

First Year of New Program Shows No Sign of Invasive Zebra Mussels

The use of eDNA sampling allows for detection of organisms without the need to trap, locate, or otherwise physically observe or handle them which can make it possible to detect new populations of invasive species, like zebra mussels, early on.

Two turkeys size each other up at the forest's edge in autumn.

The Great Tick Debate

Have Turkeys Been Wrongly Accused for the Uptick? The best way to address this dispute is to look to science for the answers.

saltmarsh sparrow

Maine Adds Eight New Species To State's Endangered and Threatened Species List

Eight new species were added to Maine's Endangered and Threatened Species list, including five birds, one bat, one bee, and a beetle. Two of these species, the saltmarsh sparrow and Ashtons cuckoo bumble bee, are listed as Endangered, and the other six as Threatened.

Purple blooming flowers as far as the eye can see across a grassland.

One Million Purple Plants

Late summer pours a tide of purple flowers across the sandplain grassland of Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area.

spotted salamander

Maine Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project Final Year

Accurate mapping of reptiles and amphibians is a challenge, but community scientists can make important contributions through the Maine Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project (MARAP).

moose

So, You Want to Be a Wildlife Biologist?

While the reward for this career is high for those who love it, not all can hack the demands of the job.

marten tracks

Tips for Tracks

Winter is the best time to learn to identify and interpret wildlife sign. Here are some tips to get started.

landlocked Atlantic salmon

Landlocked Salmon and Brown Trout – Tips for Identifying Your Catch

When you picture a landlocked salmon and then a brown trout, I’m sure the two species are clearly distinguishable. In certain Maine water bodies both species are present and on occasion the two species can be tough to quickly identify. Which, to be fair, is not that much of a surprise. Landlocked salmon and brown trout are closely related (both falling under the genus; Salmo) which lends the two species to look similar in some circumstances.