Early spring in Maine kicks off with the nocturnal “Big Night” migrations of frogs and salamanders. On the first warm, rainy nights when the ground has thawed (often in late March or April), these amphibians travel en masse to breed in vernal pools.

It’s a perilous journey – many road crossings along the way – so April is the time to drive carefully on wet nights and even volunteer with local amphibian road-crossing brigades.

Maine’s rich maple forests provide a time-honored tradition that many landowners, hobbyists, and small businesses enjoy—tapping trees for sap to produce delicious maple syrup. While tapping trees can be a sustainable and rewarding practice, it’s essential to follow best practices to ensure the long-term health of your trees and maintain a productive sugarbush for years to come.

Salt, typically in the form of sodium chloride, is widely used to melt ice and improve traction on slippery surfaces. However, when used excessively, it doesn’t just stay on the driveway or sidewalk—it ends up washing away into nearby waterways, soils, and ecosystems. Here’s how overuse of salt can cause harm: