The Nature of Maine in December

turkeys

A State of Grace

Here
on this unpredictable wild
salt coast, we live
at peace with whatever
is offered, comfortable
with the creatures that fly,
that crawl, that slither,
that burrow, that leap,
that eat the birdseed, up-
turn the trash barrel
and that come into the
yard to eat the hay and the
apple stunts left for them.
And we all share in the
gifts and the bounty
of the seasons.

~M. Kelly Lombardi
Courtesy of Wolf Moon Press

 

Plants

This is the month of shortest days (less than nine hours around the solstice on December 21). Most plants have gone dormant and ground plants may benefit from the extra insulation provided by lingering snow cover. If you tire of shoveling, remember that a thick quilt of snow may make for healthier perennials come spring!

While woodlands have lost much of their color this time of year, there are still bright spots here and there - with the iridescent stems of red osier dogwood and the amber branches of willow glowing in the low, saffron light of midwinter.

Wildlife

While most birds have high-tailed it to warmer climes, some hardy species consider Maine the balmy southland. It's a great time of year to observe migrants from the arctic regions-whether the synchronized flight of snow buntings (whitish-rust bundles with pronounced black/white flashing wings in flight) or the occasional Snowy Owl. These birds summer on islands near the Arctic Circle but head south to northern North America come fall. Look for them near the shore and in open areas.

Local Foods

'Tis the season for festive holiday foods-and a good time to order poultry and meats (if you eat them) from local farms. It may be hard to "source" all your foods at this season from local providers, but you can often find Maine or New England suppliers for many staple foods at this season (potatoes, apples, winter squash, onions, maple syrup, honey, etc.). Smaller natural food stores often have more of this regional produce than larger supermarket chains.

Green Tip

The holidays can cause a spike in electrical use (and power plant emissions) with lots of extra outdoor and indoor lighting. Consider using LED holiday lights (which can save up to 90 percent on electricity use and last roughly 20,000 hours (for decades of holiday use). The federal Department of Energy estimates that if everyone converted over to LED holiday lights, the total savings would equal what 500,000 households use for electricity in an entire year!

Notable December Dates

December 5: New Moon
December 13: First Quarter Moon
December 21: Full Moon (Cold Moon) and Winter Solstice
December 27: Last Quarter Moon

See downloadable tide charts and times of sunrise/sunset in December.