DownEast Acadia - True Maine 2020 DownEast Acadia | Page 27

Head out to the bays and Gulf of Maine, where playful harbor porpoise pop their heads above the surface. Spot harbor seals sunning on ledges alongside cormorants and gulls. A trip to the outer islands reveals the summer home of the iconic Atlantic puffin. Explore ocean ecology at the DownEast Institute in Beals or visit the Discovery Wharf at the Center for Coastal Fisheries in Stonington to get a hands-on look at the world below the waves. Spot Birds and Wildlife from Shore and Forest On shore you’ll spot harlequin ducks making their way across harbors, herons swoop over marshes, osprey and bald eagle hunt overhead. As part of the Atlantic Flyway, you’ll find myriad birds in Roque Bluffs State Park, or the Maine Coastal Islands Wildlife Refuge. Watch closely as you drive along roads for deer or moose, especially The Airline, Route 9. The Downeast Lakes Community Forest, Downeast Lakes Water Trail, and Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge offer excellent habitat for wildlife like black bear, bobcat, and beaver. Please never feed any wildlife and give them plenty of space do go about their business. The Future of Our Fishy Friends Learn about the miraculous life cycle of sea-run Atlantic salmon at the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in Orland. Grand Lake Stream State Fish Hatchery rears 80,000 landlocked salmon and brook trout annually. Visit The Green Lake National Fish Hatchery in Ellsworth, for a look at a large-scale cold water hatchery in action. Plan Your Visit Today! Downeast Fisheries Trail– DowneastFisheriesTrail.org Downeast Lakes Land Trust– DowneastLakes.org Schoodic National Scenic Byway Kids Quest– SchoodicByway.org/kids-quest/ Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge– fws.gov/refuge/moosehorn/ Discovery Wharf at Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries— bit.ly/DiscoveryWharf Spot a moose on one of many inland lakes Petit Manan National Wildife Refuge– bit.ly/PMananNWR Acadia National Park– NPS.gov/acad/ ©ThaloBlue Birds along the Atlantic Flyway. For more information on wildlife in the region visit DownEastAcadia.com TRUE MAINE | 25 Take an Ocean Excursion