by Marina Schauffler | April 4, 2021
The ethereal refrain of the white-throated sparrow runs through memories of childhood. My own children have rarely heard its call. Bird populations in the U.S. have plummeted since 1970, with 1 in 4 birds disappearing. The fraction of global species lost each year is...
by Marina Schauffler | March 21, 2021
Editor’s note: This is the second of two columns focused on phasing out fossil fuels in Maine. In the energy transition underway, Maine has strong assets and lingering liabilities. The Legislature and the Mills administration have set ambitious goals for reducing...
by Marina Schauffler | March 7, 2021
Editor’s note: This is the first of two columns focused on phasing out fossil fuels in Maine. Amid a torrent of public comments at a recent Rockland City Council meeting to discuss a proposed Midcoast natural gas pipeline, a teenager’s honest expression of...
by Marina Schauffler | February 7, 2021
It was a strange scene to encounter on a January night in Maine, sitting in my car among more than 100 other parked vehicles, all populated but dark, at a drive-in town meeting. Townspeople had gathered, following COVID safety protocol, to consider a contract to...
by Marina Schauffler | January 24, 2021
Agroforestry, an age-old concept, could provide a path to Maine’s future. Part of the regenerative agriculture movement, it involves an integrated approach to cultivating trees with crops and – sometimes – livestock. These diversified farm systems nourish soil health...