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EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The NWTF Southern Maine Strutters, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, and volunteers from all corners of New England celebrated the NWTF’s 2023 Conservation Week and National Public Lands Day by rolling up their sleeves at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.
About 60 volunteers from all over New England descended on the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge for the “Rabbitat Planting Party,” an event designed to create the necessary thicket, or early successional habitat, that the New England Cottontail needs to thrive. The bachelor group of wild turkeys that welcomed folks on their way to the parking area was a reminder that the day’s work would benefit many species, especially wild turkeys.
Located on the coast of southern Maine, the 9,125-acre Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 50 miles of coastline in multiple Maine counties. The refuge was established in 1966 in cooperation with the state of Maine to conserve the area’s unique habitats and the wildlife that inhabit them. The refuge offers hunting permits for deer, turkey (fall), ducks, geese, woodcock and ruffed grouse.