Two New Babies

Rachel and Steve, our famous Osprey couple now have two eggs. We anxiously await to see if they will have a third. Rachel has a rival for Steve’s affections. Watch the drama unfold at www.explore.org.  Here is another unusual FOHI volunteer opportunity – you, too, can remotely control the osprey cam. Sign up on-line or e-mail Janine at

Are you watching me?

Janine.explore@gmail.com. You must be willing to commit 10-15 hours a week from now until August.

A Note from Sue . . .

It’s spring now – the peepers are peeping and the pussy willows are popped!  The woodcocks are winding their way down the sky into the Nash meadow.

Some FOHI have asked, “When do you really need us?” We could really use volunteers during our big Joy of Birding session (June 9-14). This is an incredible all-star session with a full roster of enthusiastic campers.

Later in the summer we have  interesting opportunities like the Small Reach Regatta (August 14-18), where the island will be chock-a-block with fascinating boat people and their small traditional vessels.  And September has a number of interesting options if you’d like to join us during an absolutely perfect time of year in Maine.

Don’t forget about the “Turnover Tornado” option if you only have a day or two to donate – come in on a Friday morning to help us with the departure and refit tasks between sessions, and enjoy a quiet Saturday all to yourself on Hog Island.  I hope to hear from you soon and THANK YOU for all you do. Sign up now to volunteer!

FOHI volunteer Steve always ready to help even on a field trip!

And Finally . . .

FOHI volunteers will be arriving to open up the camp on May 19 and the first campers will arrive May 31. We’re excited about all the new things that are happening on the island. Be sure to include us in your plans for the summer – freshly caught lobster, home-made pies, friendly staff, stunning setting.

Oh, and if you have a 10-15 passenger van or a small motor skiff to replace our workhorse boat send an e-mail to president@fohi.org.

See you on Hog Island.

Why are all these people waving -they’re happy FOHI volunteers. They love being on Hog Island and contributing to its success and well-being. They want you to join them and be part of the FOHI team that rocks!

FOHI work week 1 volunteers in May 2012

Programs . . .

Yes, the 2013 Hog island season is around the corner. It’s exciting for many reasons:  a great line-up of instructors including some new ones that you won’t want to miss, and a new session, The Arts of Birding, will add a whole new dimension to your enjoyment of birds and nature.

Registration continues to outpace last year’s and some sessions are already full.  Tell friends about this amazing place and these unforgettable learning experiences. Explore what’s available at http://hogisland.audubon.org

Volunteers . . .

Our volunteer team is growing and many are signing up for multiple weeks. Doing so, gives you time to explore the region and relax on the island. It also helps us, because you “learn the ropes” and help teach others. Our volunteer brochure, sign-up sheet, and  information packet are on our website, so it’s all in one place. Cannot leave home this year, then be a remote operator for our  Hog Island osprey cam in the comfort of your home or school.

Another option:  be a Turnover Tornado! Arrive at 8 a.m. on the last day of a session ready to work like a tornado. Clean up, change beds, and lug things off the island – then, by early afternoon, relax and enjoy a quiet overnight on the island hiking and exploring on your own. This is perfect for an overnight commitment! We’re trying.

Annual Report . . .

Like the volunteers, we’re happy!  Our Annual Report is a snapshot of our accomplishments and financial position for 2012. Highlights include over 8,000 volunteer hours; restoration of the Writer’s cabin, donation to the Hog Island endowment, and many other things.  Take a moment  and see what your dollars and hard work have made possible.

Wish List . . .

Ah, we all have wish lists and FOHI and Hog Island has theirs.  FOHI is planning to replace the walk-in fridge on the island by building a new one with volunteers and contributions. If you’d like to help contact president@fohi.org. Other items include chest freezer, pizza oven, 10 Water Hog door mats 2 x 3. Dream item: 8 – 15 passenger van!

The snow is melting, the days are getting longer, and we can’t wait to get back to the island – join us.

Believe it or not, but the number of registrations for the 2013 sessions at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine are way ahead of this time last year. Word has spread.

Celebrating a birthday at Hog island Family Camp

Old favorites, Family Camp, and the new Arts of Birding promise to be sell-outs. Great food, expert instructors, friendly staff, never-ending smiles, stunning scenery – treat a friend, the family, or a grandchild to an experience of a lifetime. Better yet come with them and share the experience.

December 14 is the deadline for the “early-bird” discount, take advantage and register now.  Also check out the brand new website for Hog Island.

Don’t forget that scholarships are available through National Audubon Society.

A limited number of FOHI volunteer slots are also available, so sign-up as soon as possible to assure your spot.

The 2013 Hog Island line-up promises yet another energizing and creative season  - be part of it! 

From Eric Snyder: Thanks to the hard work of a small group of FOHI volunteers and donors we were able to have a wonderfully successful week restoring the small Writer’s Cottage on Hog Island. This cottage was one of two that remain on site and made up the summer home of Mabel Loomis Todd and her daughter Millicent Todd Bingham. A wonderful example of a Maine island camp, these buildings feature a rustic building style and beautiful fireplaces.

Writer’s Cabin – FOHI volunteers 2012. Standing: Eric, Jamie, Asa, Patrick, Pete; sitting: Juanita, Nicole, and Matt; missing: Joanne

The smaller writer’s cabin was badly neglected for several decades. The roof leaked so heavily that the entire floor had rotted through and many joists were weakened. Roof boards were caving in and some sections of the foundation sill were completely missing. Inspired by the results of a 2011 workweek to restore the main lodge, a group of 8 dedicated volunteers helped to restore the cottage this last week.

Everyone pitched in and we accomplished everything we were hoping and then some. The cabin now looks great, and I am sure will last into its second century and beyond. We shored up the foundation and sills, replaced most of the rafters and joists in the floor and roof. The roof was replaced by traditional cedar shingles and we laid a new floor inside. The fireplace was cleaned and a new stone hearth built. The interior walls were stabilized, siding patched, front steps fixed, and trim painted. We were even able to add some furniture. We put back the original chimney cap, upon which the name “F.A. Lailer 7/22/21″ was inscribed. We found it under the building.

Lailer stone at Writer’s Cottage

These cottages are rich in the history of Maine, literature, and the conservation movement. Hog Island is now in a better position to incorporate the Bingham Cottages and that part of the island into its programming and mission on Hog Island. Thank you again to all who helped make it such a fun and productive week. To see more photos of the Writer’s Cabin restoration click here.

Editor’s note: The FOHI volunteers who generously gave their time and wanted to be part of Hog Island’s history were: Pete Snyder, Asa Snyder, Nicole Passeri, Matthew Horan, Joanne Sharpe, Jamie Wisnwieski, Patrick Larson, Moe Martin and Juanita Roushdy. Thanks to Eric Snyder, Hog Island Manager, who also gave extra time to FOHI and patiently guided us through the restoration. Of course, without our FOHI donors we could not have accomplished the restoration of both the Bingham Cottages - thank you.

Volunteers are still needed for the September program sessions. So, sign up and we’ll see you soon.

What happened to Spring? We blinked and now the Hog Island Audubon Camp is in full session.  Two FOHI workweeks went whizzing by and the camp has already had four wildly successful sessions: Road Scholar, Joy of Birding I, Field Ornithology/Coastal Maine Birding for Teens, and Joy of Birding/Coastal Maine Birding for Teens. Throughout these past six weeks, FOHI volunteers have not faltered in making sure campers received the best of care.

Volunteer news

Julie Seifert, a former youth camper and now volunteer, graduated from college this spring and spent three weeks with us. Jill and Jack Whiting, Road Scholar campers in 2011, decided to come back as volunteers and spent most of the time helping Helen Walsh with the gardens and

window boxes as did Joann Frisch.  Helen also donated all the flowers and plants on the island. Thank you, Helen. Jack painted the Bridge hallway! We even added another Eric – Eric Brown, also a former camper, came back so we had Eric, the elder, Eric, the younger and little Eric. Who knows perhaps we’ll have a fifth Eric! We still have volunteer openings for our September programs and FOHI workweek, so sign up and join in the fun. You’ll learn a lot, meet interesting people, work hard, and be part of a great team that keeps the camp humming.

FOHI highlights

Lots of highlights have happened in these lightening quick weeks: Maria Mason, volunteer, was responsible for the Camp receiving a brand new specimen case for the Queen Mary Lab’s bird collection. Road Scholar participants spent part of their time switching out the cases and putting the birds in their new home.  Thank you, Maria, and all who helped.

Maria and the new specimen cabinet

To the delight of last year’s Field Ornithology alumni, Janii’s new stove finally arrived. Thanks to Lorraine Novinksi and Donna Yorkston for jump-starting the “Muffin Fund” which collected $4,800 for the kitchen, and to Linda Ford and the many other campers who contributed. Janii now puts all of his big pots there to boil.

Tired of seeing great black splotches marring the spectacular photo presentations shown in the Fish House, Scott Weidensaul, FOHI board member and camp instructor, donated a brand new projection screen. Now the bird images literally spring to life! Thank you, Scott. FOHI received a donation from the The First, N.A. in Damariscotta to fund a scholarship for a teacher from Washington County, Maine, to attend Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week.

A donor who wished to remain anonymous challenged the Road Scholar group by donating $1,000 to the Endowment Fund. The group rose to the challenge and $2,000 for the Endowment Fund was raised. Again, where would we be without our “Friends.” Thank you.

And last, but not least, at the Field Ornithology session, FOHI presented it’s annual check of  $50,000  to Steve Kress for Hog Island. Thank you to all who made it possible.

Check out our latest sightings on the island!

From Janine Parziale: You’ve probably all heard about the new Osprey cam at Hog Island Audubon Camp. Our Ospreys, Rachel and Steve, named after Rachel Carson and Steve Kress, have had three hungry chicks. All the chicks are growing rapidly before our eyes. By the end of August, the chicks will be grown and ready to fly south.

The Osprey cam operates from early morning until dark. FOHI is thrilled to offer this great volunteer opportunity to operate the osprey cam from home remotely. If you’d like to be a volunteer, contact us below. An hour or two would be a great help, not to mention being a cool volunteer task.

Two Osprey chicks hug an unhatched egg.

Do we have a treat for you this summer. In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the Friends of Hog Island presents Kaiulani Lee in a one-woman tour-de-force performance of Rachel Carson’s Sense of Wonder, a two-act drama, on July 28, 2012 at the historic Lincoln Theater in downtown Damariscotta at 7 p.m.

Rachel Carson was a special friend of Hog Island and was present when Millicent Todd Bingham signed the deed to National Audubon at Hog Island in 1960. Likewise Kauilani Lee is a special friend of Hog Island. She performed in the Fish House on the island and is excited about performing again for Hog Island.

Kaiulani Lee

Audiences nation-wide have described Ms. Lee’s performance as “mesmerizing,”” extraordinary,” “sensationally wonderful, “ “inspiring, “ and as” having been touched by Rachel Carson herself. “ Billy Moyers, PBS, described it as a performance “that brings to life the remarkable spirit of a woman who changed the way we see the world… You cannot walk away unmoved.”

Ms. Lee has guest-starred in numerous television series including Law & Order and The Waltons. Her film credits include The Seduction of Joe Tynan, The Fan, Garp, and Cujo. She has more than 35 years experience in writing and acting. She also has a special place in her heart for Hog Island, Maine, the home of the Audubon Camp, where she performed a Sense of Wonder in the very building where Rachel Carson had witnessed a momentous time in the camp’s history.

The performance will be followed by an audience Q & A with Ms. Lee and a conversation with Dr. Steve Kress, Scott Weidensaul, and Tim Glidden. Kress is Director of the Hog Island Audubon Camp and of National Audubon’s Seabird Restoration Program. Weidensaul is naturalist, researcher and the author of more than two dozen books including Living on the Wind and his most recent, The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery and Endurance in Early America. Glidden is President of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and former director of the Land for Maine’s Future Program.

All proceeds will benefit FOHI and its mission.

For more information or reservations e-mail president@fohi.org.

From Sue Schubel, FOHI Volunteer Coordinator:

Greetings Friends – It’s only February, but . . . February! It’s already February! Good grief, it will be May before we know it! Time to buckle down and confirm you summer plans. Many thanks to everyone who has submitted a volunteer application so far. And much encouragement to those who are still pondering. Now is the moment to nail this down in your schedule. I do understand in this mosaic of life that sometimes we wait for the muse to strike, divine inspiration to hit us over the head, or some other unlikely outside influence to guide our path and put down that one element to work around.

Kate, a former camper, returns to volunteer

Let me give you a lightning bolt of direction and ask for volunteers for these camper weeks:  June 3-8 (Seabird Biology and Conservation – Road Scholar); June 10-15 (Joy of Birding);  June 24-29 (Joy of Birding 2 + Teen Birding); August 19-24 (Family Camp); August 26-31 (Audubon Leadership); September 9-14 (Seabird Biology and Conservation 2 – Road Scholar); September 16-21 (Migration and Monhegan).  We really need a good crew for each of these weeks so our participants will feel well cared for and want to return with all their friends.  (You will notice that Educator’s Week and Ornithology/Teens are not on the list as they are already filled.)

If you prefer a quieter time, we also have space for volunteers during our spring and fall work weeks.  No campers during these sessions – just plenty of paint, scrapers, hammers, nails, rubber gloves, scrubbies, brooms, and vacuums.  A good time is had by all – you could even be the “head” man!  (or woman!)

Look through our FOHI volunteer packet for useful information or drop me an e-mail of inquiry at sschubel@audubon.org.  Looking forward to seeing your creative souls on Hog Island this summer!

From Scott Weidensaul

If you’re thinking about coming to Hog Island’s Audubon Camp this summer, there’s an important deadline approaching fast. A variety of scholarships up to $500 for both teens and adults are available through National Audubon and many chapters, as well as a number of independent bird clubs, but the National Audubon deadline is March 1. There’s more information at http://projectpuffin.org/hogisland/scholarships.html#Registration

If you don’t see your local bird club or Audubon chapter listed, check with them because some have offered scholarships in the past and may be willing to do so again – believe it or not, these offers often go unclaimed and unused.

Looking for Upland Sandpipers at Clary Hill

This will be an exceptional year at Hog Island, and I’m not just saying that because I’m now directing the ornithological programs there. We’ve never had a more stellar lineup of internationally known birding and ornithological superstars, including Pete Dunne from Cape May Bird Observatory; Wayne Petersen from Mass Audubon and ABA; ecologist John Kricher (author of The Neotropical Companion, the Peterson Guide to Eastern Forests and many other books); bird vocalization expert Don Kroodsma; renowned sound recordist Lang Elliott; Steve Kress of Project Puffin; Bill Thompson III from Bird Watcher’s Digest; author, NPR commentator and bird artist Julie Zickefoose; Birds of Maine author Peter Vickery; and Pennsylvania’s own birding phenom Tom Johnson, along with a dozen or so more.

We’ve also completely updated the Field Ornithology curriculum, which will give participants more chances to dig deep into subjects like vocal and visual communication, avian reproduction and annual cycles – all in the field, while visiting a host of new locations from the outer bay to inland bogs. If you took FO in the past, consider coming back for a very different experience.

Monhegan Island

We’re also offering two sessions of our popular “Joy of Birding” program, which is designed to turn you into a better birder by eye and ear, along with two teen ornithology sessions for 14- to 17-year-olds.

I haven’t even mentioned the Educator’s Week, Family Camp, or the Road Scholar sessions – all of which have outstanding instructors and programs. Check out the descriptions and register at http://hogisland.audubon.org

I know summer seems far away, but some of the programs are nearly full, so if you don’t want to be on a waiting list, I’d suggest registering immediately. Birders and non-birders will equally enjoy the sessions. Tell your friends and family.

It’s here at last, FOHI’s first annual report.

As you read, you’ll learn what we have accomplished together in such a short time and what we plan for 2012. Thank you for making 2011 a great year for FOHI and the Hog Island Audubon Camp. We couldn’t have done it without you! Don’t forget to share the report with friends and family.

Guillemot bringing home the "bacon" - Red Rock Eels