The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a

National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...

made up of several parcels of land along of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

and author Rachel Carson, whose book '' Silent Spring'' raised public awareness of the effects of

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge plaque

The refuge's parcels include protected areas between

Kittery Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. The southernmost town in t ...

and

Cape Elizabeth Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, Cape Elizabeth had a population of 9,535. ...

, including land in

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

Kennebunk Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,536 at the 2020 census (The population does not include Kennebunkport, a separate town). Kennebunk is home to several beaches, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife R ...

, Kennebunkport,

Biddeford Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...

, Saco, and

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

. The refuge protects of estuary

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

and

uplands Upland or Uplands may refer to: Geography *Hill, an area of higher land, generally *Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points *Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level *I ...

that drain into the

Webhannet River The Webhannet River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river whose watershed is contained entirely within the town of Wells, Maine. The river has five ...

, or about one-ninth of the river's watershed. The refuge's headquarters are on Route 9 in Wells. The refuge protects various kinds of habitat, including

barrier beach Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a ...

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

, tidal estuary, salt marsh, and rocky coastline. The

piping plover The piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'') is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from e ...

, an endangered species, nests on refuge land.

Wildlife and habitat

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge was established to preserve ten important

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

that are key points along migration routes of waterfowl and other migratory birds. During harsh winters, the refuge's marshes provide vital food and cover for waterfowl and other migrating birds at a time when inland waters are frozen. The refuge also supports

, least terns,

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

s, and other state and federally protected species. Nesting success of plover and terns has benefitted from the increased habitat protection. In addition to

anadromous Fish migration is mass relocation by fish from one area or body of water to another. Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousan ...

fish, many commercially and recreationally important fin and shellfish rely on these coastal wetlands as critical nursery areas. Americanwoodcock

Refuge lands total over in eleven geographic units from

Cape Elizabeth, Maine Cape Elizabeth is a New England town, town in Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland, Maine, Portland–South Portland, Maine, South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, Biddeford, Mai ...

. In 1989, the refuge boundary expanded to include

, freshwater

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s, and "critical edge" uplands around each of the nine divisions. In addition, the

Biddeford Pool Biddeford Pool is a large tidal pool, located off Saco Bay south of the mouth of the Saco River on the south coast of Maine. It is approximately 6 miles southeast of downtown Biddeford, to which it is connected via State Route 208. The town of Ke ...

Division, the tenth division of the refuge, was created. This division serves as a key staging area in southern Maine for a large number and diversity of

shorebirds 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

. In 2007 the final Comprehensive Conservation Plan was signed, adding the eleventh division, York River Division. When land acquisitions are complete, the refuge will be about in size. In 1984, a National Estuarine Research Reserve was established in

Wells, Maine Wells is a resort town in York County, Maine, United States. Founded in 1643, it is the third-oldest town in Maine. The population was 11,314 at the 2020 census. Wells Beach is a popular summer destination. History The Abenaki Indians calle ...

. The reserve land is made up of portions of the Upper and Lower Wells divisions of the refuge. Together, the reserve and refuge function to further the knowledge and understanding of estuaries throughout the community. The goal is to promote an increased

stewardship Stewardship is an ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, property, information, theology, cultural resources e ...

and, ultimately, a greater protection of the estuaries.

Threatened and endangered wildlife species

The piping plover is designated ''federally threatened'' and ''state endangered'' in

. Fifty to 75% of the Maine piping plover population nests at sites on or near the refuge, including Crescent Surf Beach, Goosefare Brook, and Marshall Point at

Goose Rocks Goose Rocks Beach (formerly known as "Beachwood"), is a public beach located in the town of Kennebunkport, Maine United States, bordered by Cape Porpoise, Maine (another neighborhood of Kennebunkport) to the southwest, and Granite Point (a coastal ...

New England cottontail The New England cottontail (''Sylvilagus transitionalis''), also called the gray rabbit, brush rabbit, wood hare, wood rabbit, or cooney, is a species of cottontail rabbit represented by fragmented populations in areas of New England, specificall ...

s (''Sylvilagus transitionalis'') are found in Maine. Cottontails inhabit early successional habitat that was relatively abundant in the early to mid-20th century. As farms were abandoned, the species did very well. Subsequently, increased development and

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...

has led to a population decline as this type of habitat became increasingly rare. The refuge prohibited rabbiting starting in 1998 because of ongoing population declines. Subsequently, the Service was petitioned in 2000 to list the New England cottontail under the

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...

. Currently, New England cottontail is listed as a Candidate Species under the Endangered Species Act and as endangered in Maine.

Migratory birds

Salt marsh birds

In 1995, sharp-tailed sparrows were divided into two separate species: the

Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow Nelson's sparrow (''Ammospiza nelsoni'') is a small New World sparrow. This bird was named after Edward William Nelson, an American naturalist. Formerly, this bird and the saltmarsh sparrow were considered to be a single species, the sharp-taile ...

(''Ammodramus nelsoni'') and the saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow (''Ammodramus caudacutus''). Saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrows are found in

es along the Atlantic coast from the Delmarva Peninsula north to southern Maine. Within the refuge both species are found only on salt marshes. The saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow is an obligate salt marsh species that spends its entire life cycle on salt marshes.

Waterbirds

Common loon The common loon or great northern diver (''Gavia immer'') is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish o ...

s (''Gavia immer'') frequent the lower reaches of tidal creeks of all refuge divisions from late autumn through early spring. They are commonly observed feeding on green crabs and small fish. During spring, summer and autumn migration, 11 species of wading birds use the estuarine systems of the refuge.

Waterfowl

Twenty-six species of waterfowl are recorded from the refuge. The most commonly observed species are American black duck (''Anas rubripes''),

Canada goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

(''Branta canadensis''),

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

(''Anas platyrhynchos''),

green-winged teal The green-winged teal (''Anas carolinensis'') is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered Conspecificity, conspecific with the Eurasian teal (''A. crecca'') ...

(''Anas carolinensis''), common goldeneye (''Bucephala clangula''),

bufflehead The bufflehead (''Bucephala albeola'') is a small sea duck of the genus ''Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' as ''Anas albeola''. The genus na ...

(''Bucephala albeola''), and red-breasted merganser (''Mergus serrator'').

Dabbling ducks The Anatinae are a subfamily of the family Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks). Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving. The other members of the Anatinae are the extinct moa-nalo, a youn ...

use salt pannes and the upper reaches of tidal creeks, while diving ducks prefer deeper parts of the tidal creeks and the mouths of rivers and streams. Black ducks, mallards, and increasing numbers of Canada geese breed on each division of the refuge.

Wood duck The wood duck or Carolina duck (''Aix sponsa'') is a species of perching duck found in North America. The drake wood duck is one of the most colorful North American waterfowl. Description The wood duck is a medium-sized perching duck. A typi ...

s (''Aix sponsa'') breed on the Upper Wells and

Mousam River The Mousam River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river in York County, Maine, United States. Its primary source is Mousam Lake, located between the to ...

Divisions each year.

Shorebirds

Southern coastal Maine is a migration and staging area for much of the North American shorebird population. Thousands of shorebirds feed along coastal beaches and

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

s as they migrate through the state.

serves as one of the top shorebird staging areas in southern Maine. The most common species observed in the autumn include semipalmated plover (''Charadrius semipalmatus''), black-bellied plover (''Pluvialis squatarola''),

least sandpiper The least sandpiper (''Calidris minutilla'') is the smallest shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colored waterside birds. The specific ''minutilla'' is Medieval Lat ...

(''Calidris minutilla''), greater yellowlegs (''Tringa melanoleuca''), short-billed dowitcher (''Limnodromus griseus''), and semipalmated sandpiper (''Calidris pusilla''). These species and others typically feed in the

s at low tide. Most shorebirds feed in salt pannes and roost in pannes and adjacent upland areas during high tides.

Gulls and terns

Herring gulls Herring gull is a common name for several birds in the genus ''Larus'', all formerly treated as a single species. Three species are still combined in some taxonomies: * American herring gull (''Larus smithsonianus'') - North America * European he ...

(''Larus argentatus'') and great black-backed gulls (''Larus marinus'') are the most common gull species sighted on the refuge. They frequent all divisions throughout the year, but are most abundant in the autumn and winter when they roost on the marsh and tidal flats, and occasionally steal food from diving ducks in tidal creeks. Ring-billed gulls (''Larus delawarensis'') also are common throughout the refuge, particularly during non-breeding season. During autumn and winter migration, Bonaparte's gulls (''Larus philadelphia'') feed and roost at the mouths of tidal creeks and rivers throughout the refuge, but they are most abundant on the Biddeford Pool, Upper Wells, and Lower Wells divisions. Least terns nest on the refuge in several locations. In the mid-1980s, common terns nested in the

on the Lower Wells and Little River divisions.

Roseate tern The roseate tern (''Sterna dougallii'') is a species of tern in the family Laridae. The genus name ''Sterna'' is derived from Old English "stearn", "tern", and the specific ''dougallii'' refers to Scottish physician and collector Dr Peter McDoug ...

s (''Sterna dougallii'') nested on West Goose Rocks Island in 1985, and lately, have been observed along Crescent Surf Beach in the Upper Wells Division. In 2003, Crescent Surf Beach hosted the largest nesting colony (157 pairs) of least terns in Maine. Early season crow predation and late season owl and coyote predation depressed productivity. The refuge controls diurnal predators such as crows and foxes with several techniques, including hazing, fencing, trapping, and shooting. Least terns also nest at Laudholm Beach,

, Higgins, and

Reid State Park Reid State Park is a public recreation area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on Georgetown Island in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The park is noted for its sandy beaches and sand dunes—both rare in the state of Maine—plus its rock ...

. During migration, large numbers of common terns, along with smaller numbers of roseate terns (15), stage at Crescent Surf Beach.

Land birds

Over 120 species of land birds have been recorded at the refuge, with over 72 nesting. Some of those include

great crested flycatcher The great crested flycatcher (''Myiarchus crinitus'') is a large insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. It is the most widespread member of the genus ''Myiarchus'' in North America, and is found over most of the eastern and mid-weste ...

(''Myiarchus crinitus''),

tree swallow The tree swallow (''Tachycineta bicolor'') is a migratory bird of the family Hirundinidae. Found in the Americas, the tree swallow was first described in 1807 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot as ''Hirundo bicolor''. It has since been mov ...

(''Tachycineta bicolor''), hermit thrush (''Catharus guttatus''), black-throated green warbler (''Dendroica virens''), scarlet tanager (''Piranga olivacea''), and others. Forests, woodlands, and swamps surrounding refuge

es also provide habitat for many raptors. Many migrating raptors use forested areas next to marshes as hunting perches and feeding areas. Sharp-shinned hawk (''Accipiter striatus''), Cooper's hawk (''Accipiter cooperii''), and broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') have nested in forested habitat on the refuge.

Northern goshawk The northern goshawk (; ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large bird of prey, raptor in the Family (biology), family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harrier (bird) ...

s (''Accipiter gentilis'') and red-tailed hawks (''Buteo jamaicensis'') nest in the area. During migration (primarily autumn), many raptors move through the refuge. Northern harriers are the only raptor species thought to breed in the

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

communities of the refuge.

Mammals

White-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

(''Odocoileus virginianus'') are the

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

most commonly observed on the refuge. Their trails cut through certain portions of the

on each division, although they more typically are observed along marsh edges and in surrounding forests. The refuge lies entirely within Wildlife Management District No. 24, which had an estimated winter deer population density of in 1997. The Wildlife Division Research and Management Report (2000) stated that the herd has continued to grow at 15 percent per year, and the wintering deer population density is now nearly . In certain areas of the refuge, hunting (including white-tailed deer) is prohibited because of state designated Game Sanctuaries. Deer population densities in those areas are estimated from to more than . Those densities far exceed the state target of 50 percent to 60 percent of

carrying capacity The carrying capacity of an environment is the maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained by that specific environment, given the food, habitat, water, and other resources available. The carrying capacity is defined as t ...

. Raccoon (''Procyon lotor'') tracks and scats abound on all divisions. Their sign most often appears along the edges of tidal creeks and salt pannes, where they search for green crabs and small fish. Care must be taken to distinguish raccoon sign from that of river otters (''Lutra canadensis''), another mammal that forages extensively in the marshes. River otters are observed infrequently in the

salt hay ''Sporobolus pumilus'', the saltmeadow cordgrass, also known as salt hay, is a species of cordgrass native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Newfoundland south along the eastern United States to the Caribbean and north-eastern Mexico. I ...

along the edges of tidal creeks. Most recently, river otters were seen in the Merriland River and Branch Brook in the Upper Wells Division.

Mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

(''Mustela vison''),

striped skunk The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus '' Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on ac ...

(''Mephitis mephitis''),

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

(''Vulpes fulva''), and

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

(''Canis latrans'') also hunt within the estuary.

Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

(''Castor canadensis'') and

muskrat The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitat ...

(''Ondatra zibethicus'') are occasionally seen swimming in tidal creeks. A few

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

(''Phoca vitulina'') haul-out sites exist on the Brave Boat harbor, Lower Wells, Mousam River and Goose Rocks divisions. Peak use occurs during the winter, but individuals are observed throughout the year. The Lower Wells haul-out site receives the most use, with peak counts of 30 seals. During the winter months harp seals (''Pagophilus groenlandicus''), and occasionally hooded seals (''Cystophora cristata'') and

grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...

s (''Halichoerus grypus''), can be found basking on refuge

es and in offshore waters. Seal strandings are a common occurrence, and are reported to marine animal rescue agencies. Many large mammals are found on or near the refuge.

Moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...

(''Alces laces'') and black bear (''Ursus americanus'') are becoming more common in southern Maine as their populations continue to grow. They have been sighted on all refuge divisions except Moody. A

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

(''Lynx rufus'') was reported as sporadically using the Upper and Lower Wells divisions in 1991 and 1992.

Fishers Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...

(''Martes pennanti'') are increasingly sighted on the refuge; a vehicle killed a fisher near refuge headquarters in 1998, and several sightings around the headquarters have occurred since then. Gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus'') and short-tailed weasel (''Mustela richardsonii'') most likely use several refuge divisions.

Porcupines Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...

(''Erethizon dorsatum'') and woodchucks (''Marmota monax'') are found throughout the refuge, where they occur in varied habitats. Snowshoe hares (''Lepus americanus'') are found in forests throughout the refuge in areas with dense understory. White-footed mice (''Peromyscus leucopus''), meadow jumping mice (''Zapus hudsonius''), and meadow voles (''Microtus pennsylvanicus'') occasionally use the edge of

habitat. Masked shrews (''Sorex cinereus''), northern short-tailed shrews (''Blarina brevicauda''),

southern red-backed vole The southern red-backed vole or Gapper's red-backed vole (''Myodes gapperi'') is a small slender vole found in Canada and the northern United States. It is closely related to the western red-backed vole (''Myodes californius''), which lives to th ...

s (''Clethrionomys gapperi''), and pine voles (''Microtus pinetorum'') have also been caught in

es. Other small mammals that commonly are found on the refuge include eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus''),

American red squirrel The American red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'') is one of three species of tree squirrels currently classified in the genus ''Tamiasciurus'', known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel, ''T. douglasii'', and the sou ...

(''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus''), and eastern grey squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis''). These species are most common in pine-oak forests where acorns are abundant.

Southern flying squirrel The southern flying squirrel or the assapan (''Glaucomys volans'') is one of three species of the genus '' Glaucomys'' and one of three flying squirrel species found in North America. It is found in deciduous and mixed woods in the eastern half o ...

(''Glaucomys volans'') is recorded for the Upper Wells and Brave Boat divisions, but they probably also occur in other areas with mature pine-oak forest. Other small mammals that are known or are likely to occur on the refuge include

hairy-tailed mole The hairy-tailed mole (''Parascalops breweri''), also known as Brewer's mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus ''Parascalops''. The species epithet ''breweri'' refers to Thomas Mayo Brewer, an American ...

(''Parascalops breweri''), star-nosed mole (''Condylura cristata''),

smoky shrew The smoky shrew (''Sorex fumeus'') is a medium-sized North American shrew found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States and extends further south along the Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appal ...

(''Sorex fumeus''), and

house mouse The house mouse (''Mus musculus'') is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus '' Mus''. Althoug ...

(''Mus musculus'').

Reptiles and amphibians

The refuge has a limited amount of freshwater

cattail ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

marsh or pond habitat. However, within its uplands, the refuge protects an extensive network of rivers, uplands and vernal pools, which provide important

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

and

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

habitat.

Frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

call counts and limited vernal pool surveys were conducted on the refuge; American toad (''Bufo americanus''), green frog (''Rana clamitans''), wood frog (''Rana sylvatica''),

pickerel frog The pickerel frog (''Lithobates palustris'', formerly ''Rana palustris'') is a small North American frog, characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface. Distinguishing features The pickerel frog is a m ...

(''Rana palustris''), bullfrog (''Rana catesbeiana''),

gray tree frog The gray treefrog (''Dryophytes versicolor'') is a species of small arboreal holarctic tree frog native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the eastern gray treefrog, northern gray tree ...

(''Hyla versicolor''), and

spring peeper The spring peeper (''Pseudacris crucifer'') is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern United States and Canada. They prefer permanent ponds due to their advantage in avoiding predation; however, they are very adaptable with respect ...

(''Pseudacris crucifer'') are documented as breeding on most refuge divisions. In addition, yellow-spotted salamanders (''Ambystoma maculatum''),

red back salamander The red-backed salamander (''Plethodon cinereus'') is a small, hardy woodland salamander species in the family Plethodontidae. It is also known as the redback salamander, eastern red-backed salamander,Integrated Taxonomic Information System nter ...

s (''Plethodon cinereus''), and

eastern newt The eastern newt (''Notophthalmus viridescens'') is a common newt of eastern North America. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predat ...

s (''Notophthalmus viridescens'') are recorded as common breeders. The

blue-spotted salamander The blue-spotted salamander (''Ambystoma laterale'') is a mole salamander native to the Great Lakes states and northeastern United States, and parts of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Their range is known to extend to James Bay to the north, and ...

(''Ambystoma laterale'') and northern leopard frog (''Rana pipiens'') are uncommon, but likely are breeders on the refuge.

Documented species on the refuge

Garter snake Garter snake is a common name for generally harmless, small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus ''Thamnophis'' in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus ''Thamnophis'' can be found from the sub ...

(''Thamnophis sirtalis''),

ribbon snake Ribbon snake may refer to: * '' Thamnophis saurita'', also known as the eastern or common ribbon snake * '' Thamnophis proximus'', also known as the western ribbon snake {{disambig Animal common name disambiguation pages ...

(''Thamnophis sauritus'', Maine—Special Concern), smooth green snake (''Liochlorophis vernalis''), redbelly snake (''Storeria occipitomaculata''),

painted turtle The painted turtle (''Chrysemys picta'') is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They have been shown to prefer l ...

(''Chrysemys picta''),

snapping turtle The Chelydridae is a family of turtles that has seven extinct and two extant genera. The extant genera are the snapping turtles, ''Chelydra'' and '' Macrochelys''. Both are endemic to the Western Hemisphere. The extinct genera are '' Acherontem ...

(''Chelydra serpentina''), and spotted turtle (''Clemmys guttata'', Maine—Threatened) are documented species within the refuge. Species that are likely to use the refuge but are not documented include

ringneck snake ''Diadophis punctatus'', commonly known as the ring-necked snake or ringneck snake, is a harmless species of colubrid snake found throughout much of the United States, central Mexico, and south-eastern Canada. Ring-necked snakes are secretive, no ...

(''Diadophis punctatus''), milk snake (''Lampropeltis triangulum''), northern water snake (''Nerodia sipedon''), brown snake (''Storeria dekayi'', Maine Special Concern), Blanding's turtle (''Emydoidea blandingii'', Maine Endangered), and possibly, eastern racer (''

Coluber constrictor The eastern racer (''Coluber constrictor'') is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America and Central America. Eleven subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized, whic ...

'', Maine— Endangered), wood turtle (''Clemmys insculpta'', Maine—Special Concern) and

common musk turtle ''Sternotherus odoratus'' is a species of small turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known commonly as the common musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, or ...

(''Sternotherus odoratus''). Records indicate that both Blanding's turtle and spotted turtle occur in many locations along the refuge boundary. Wood turtle and black racer records are much less common, and musk turtle records in the vicinity of the refuge are nonexistent. Surveys targeted at detecting turtles and snakes could be developed and implemented on refuge lands with particular attention to the occurrence of the rare, secretive Blanding's turtle. Lands within the proposed acquisition boundary in Kennebunk and Biddeford have extensive vernal pool habitat that would benefit several Species of Concern.

Fish

Coastal

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

es, bays, tidal creeks, and rivers support diverse shellfish and finfish populations. Sunfish ('' Lepomis'' species),

creek chub ''Semotilus'' is the genus of creek chubs, ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. The term "creek chub" is sometimes used for individual species, particularly the common creek chub, ''S. atromaculatus''. The creek chub species of minnows can ...

(''Semotilus atromaculatus''), cunner (''Tautogolabrus adspersus''), golden shiner (''Notemigonus crysoleucas''), common mummichog (''Fundulus heteroclitus''),

American eel The American eel (''Anguilla rostrata'') is a facultative catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. Freshwater eels are fish belonging to the elopomorph superorder, a group of phylogenetically ancient teleosts. The America ...

(''Anguilla rostrata''), and

white sucker The white sucker (''Catostomus commersonii)'' is a species of freshwater cypriniform fish inhabiting the upper Midwest and Northeast in North America, but it is also found as far south as Georgia and as far west as New Mexico. The fish is commonl ...

(''Catostomus commersoni'') abound.

Brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

(''Salvelinus fontinalis'') and

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

(''Salmo trutta'') are stocked in rivers and estuaries each year. The

Ogunquit River The Ogunquit River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 30, 2011 tidal river in southern Maine. It flows to the Atlantic Ocean at the town of Ogunquit. Images Fil ...

sustains alewife (''Alosa pseudoharengus''), blueback herring (''Alosa aestivalis''), pollock (''Pollachius virens''),

bluefish The bluefish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'') is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as ta ...

(''Pomatomus saltatrix''),

longhorn sculpin The longhorn sculpin (''Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus'') is a Northwest Atlantic species of sculpin in the fish family Cottidae. It is a predatory and scavenging fish that can feed on the remains of other organisms. Appearance The longhorn s ...

(''Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus''), and winter flounder (''Pleuronectes americanus''). The

has native species such as winter flounder,

northern pipefish The northern pipefish (''Syngnathus fuscus'') is a northwest Atlantic species of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. Description The northern pipefish has a long, thin, rigid body encased in bony rings. up to 30.0 cm length. The no ...

(''Syngnathus fuscus''),

Atlantic herring Atlantic herring (''Clupea harengus'') is a herring in the family (biology), family Clupeidae. It is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. Atlantic herrings can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, congregating in large ...

(''Clupea harengus''), common mummichog,

Atlantic silverside The Atlantic silverside (''Menidia menidia''), also known as spearing in the northeastern United States, is a small species of fish from the West Atlantic, ranging from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to northeastern Florida in the USA. It is ...

s (''Menidia menidia'') and Atlantic mackerel. The Merriland River sustains populations of American eel, brown trout, and brook trout. The Mousam River attracts

little skate The little skate (''Leucoraja erinacea'') is a species of Skate (fish), skate in the family Rajidae, found from Nova Scotia to North Carolina on sand or gravel habitats. They are one of the dominant members of the demersal fish community in the n ...

(''Raja erinacea''),

American shad The American shad (''Alosa sapidissima'') is a species of anadromous clupeid fish naturally distributed on the North American coast of the North Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Florida, and as an introduced species on the North Pacific coast. The ...

(''Alosa sapidissima''),

striped bass The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has al ...

(''Morone saxatilis''), bluefish, cunner, Atlantic mackerel (''Scomber scombrus''), pollock, and rainbow smelt (''Osmerus mordax''). The

Spurwink River The Spurwink River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 primarily tidal river in Cumberland County, Maine. It rises in the town of Cape Elizabeth and flows we ...

supports blueback herring,

Atlantic menhaden The Atlantic menhaden (''Brevoortia tyrannus'') is a North American species of fish in the herring family, Clupeidae. Atlantic menhaden are found in North Atlantic coastal and estuarine waters from Nova Scotia south to northern Florida. They ar ...

(''Brevoortia tyrannus''), American shad, pollock, cunner, winter flounder, and little skate. Striped bass and brown trout are popular recreational fishing resources in the area. The

National Marine Fisheries Service The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stew ...

has designated as " essential fish habitat" areas that provide substrate necessary for fish spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. Estuaries within the refuge boundaries are part of that essential fish habitat.

Habitat types

Rachel Carson NWR is approximately 35 percent tidal, 10 percent freshwater wetlands and 55 percent uplands. Tidal

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s include beach,

, dune grassland, river, rocky shore, estuarine, bay, and

. Freshwater wetlands include cattail marsh,

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

, emergent scrub-shrub wetlands, pocket swamps, red maple swamps, and

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

forest. The majority of the upland forests consist of mixed

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

and

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

forest. However, hemlock,

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

and

pitch pine ''Pinus rigida'', the pitch pine, is a small-to-medium-sized pine. It is native to eastern North America, primarily from central Maine south to Georgia and as far west as Kentucky. It is found in environments which other species would find unsuit ...

stands occur, as well as

hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...

and

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

forests.

Viburnum ''Viburnum'' is a genus of about 150–175 species of flowering plants in the moschatel family Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny. It was previously included in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. The membe ...

s, winterberry,

blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

serviceberry ''Amelanchier'' ( ), also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear,A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador Vascular Plants/ref> is a g ...

Virginia rose ''Rosa virginiana'', commonly known as the Virginia rose, common wild rose or prairie rose, is a woody perennial in the rose family native to eastern North America, where it is the most common wild rose. It is deciduous, forming a suckering shru ...

, and male berry comprise much of the shrub understory. Other upland habitats consist of

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

units and thicket units. Habitats are quite diverse, containing elements from the more southern oak-pine forests and the coniferous forests of the north. Southern Maine is where these two community types collide and blend, creating a wealth of

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

. The refuge has exemplary natural communities that include a coastal dune marsh ecosystem, ''

Spartina ''Spartina'' is a taxon of plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. Its species are commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, and are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Europe, north ...

'' saltmarsh, white oak – red oak forest, dune grassland, and pitch pine bog.

Gallery

File:Rcnwf-4.jpg File:Rcnwr-2.jpg File:Rcnwr-12.jpg

References

External links

U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Rachel Carson National Wildlife webpage

Rachel Carson home Page

* ttp://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/map.html Map of Rachel Carson NWR holdings {{authority control National Wildlife Refuges in Maine Protected areas of York County, Maine Protected areas of Cumberland County, Maine Protected areas established in 1966 Wells, Maine Kennebunk, Maine Wetlands of Maine Landforms of York County, Maine Landforms of Cumberland County, Maine Kennebunkport, Maine

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...