FARMINGTON – Western Maine Audubon will start its spring series of talks of the subject of the Maine Bird Atlas, by naturalist Doug Hitchcox. The event will be March 14 at 7 p.m. in the North Dining Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington.
The goal of the Maine Bird Atlas is to document the current distribution of breeding birds in the state, with an interest in including wintering birds beginning 2018-19. The bulk of effort for this state-wide five-year project will need to come from birder citizen-scientists reporting breeding activity observed in Maine birds whether you can help survey local blocks for five years or just report a chickadee visiting a birdhouse, you can help! Join Maine Audubon’s Staff Naturalist and Maine Bird Atlas Outreach Coordinator, Doug Hitchcox, for a presentation about the purpose, goals, and expected outcomes of the atlas and how you can help.
A Maine native, Doug grew up in Hollis and graduated from the University of Maine in 2011. The year he graduated, he traveled to every corner of the state trying to observe as many species as possible in what is known as a ‘Big Year.’ He ended the year having seen 314 species in the state, a new record for Maine. Throughout college, Doug worked at the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center running their store and leading walks and tours. Doug was hired as Maine Audubon’s Staff Naturalist in the summer of 2013, a long time “dream job” for him. In his free time, Doug is one of Maine’s eBird reviewers, owner and moderator of the ‘Maine-birds’ listserv, York County Audubon board member, and Secretary of the Maine Bird Records Committee.
