How can you help local birds and birding?
(1) Support the most popular local birding area by becoming a member of Viles Arboretum. The Arboretum also hosts our presentations and meetings free of charge.
(2) Support the protection of local bird habitat by becoming a member of the Kennebec Land Trust. KLT has permanently conserved over 6,000 acres at 70 properties in our local towns and maintains 43 miles of trails that are good for birding.
(3) Buy bird-friendly coffee. This helps maintain habitat for many of our familiar birds who winter in Central America. For some more details see this Cornell Lab of Ornithology article: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/making-sense-of-coffee-labels-shade-grown-organic-fair-trade-bird-friendl/
For information on buying bird-friendly coffee online, see: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/where-buy-bird-friendly-coffee
There doesn’t seem to be stores in the Augusta area that sell bird-friendly coffee, but if you’re headed to the Portland area, it’s available at Maine Audubon (20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth) and Freeport Wild Bird Supply (541 US-1, Freeport).
(4) Please keep your cats inside; outside cats kill a lot of birds (and can also become prey). For more details, see: http://www.audubon.org/news/cats-pose-even-bigger-threat-birds-previously-thought