The Nature of Maine in March
When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay
As ice storms do. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow dust--
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen"
~Robert Frost, excerpt from "Birches"
Plants
Mild days and freezing nights combine to start sap flowing in stands of maples (known as "Sugarbush"). Depending on the weather conditions, syruping can run through much of March and into early April. The sap is primarily water (90-98 percent depending on the species, with sugar maples usually having the highest sugar content) so it's not surprising that it takes 35 gallons of sap to generate a single gallon of syrup. Sugar maples throughout New England have had setbacks in recent years - from a combination of factors (often some combination of the introduced pest, pear thrip; acid precipitation and ozone pollution).
Wildlife
Robins, the traditional harbinger of spring's arrival, aren't all in southern climes still pulling worms from sun-soaked soil. Flocks of the hardiest thrushes fend for themselves through the Maine winter-even with a foot or more of snow on the ground covering any potential worms. Their winter diet consists of fruits (like crabapples and rosehips) and berries. Those who endure the frigid winters here are the first to enjoy the worms of spring (as the ground thaws) and to claim the best nesting territory.
Local Foods
Many people are familiar with Community Supported Agriculture (see Local Foods listing for April if you're not), but it's new sibling is "Community-supported Fisheries"—in which people can buy weekly shares and get fresh fish and shellfish delivered to a location near them (typically a cooperative food store or church). The Midcoast Fishermen's Cooperative is piloting this innovative concept in Maine, supplying locations in Unity, Bangor, Damariscotta, Belfast, Rockland and St. George.
Green Tip
Whether you're in your home community or traveling for some R&R, it's good to acquaint yourself with what materials the local community recycles. Ask at the lodging you are staying at (and urge them to set up recycling containers and inform other guests about those…). They (and you!) can get more information on what and how to recycle from the State's Waste Management and Recycling Program. There are growing opportunities to reuse and recycle items that commonly accumulate around households-from cardboard boxes (which can often be reused by your local pack-and-ship store) to compact fluorescent bulbs and thermometers containing mercury. Check with your local municipality or see Green America's list of "21 Things You Didn't Know You Could Recycle."
Notable March Dates
March 7: Last Quarter Moon
March 15: New Moon
March 21: Spring Equinox
March 23: First Quarter Moon
March 27: 8:30-9:30 PM, Earth Hour, a global event to symbolize the impact each person can have in reducing their carbon footprint
March 29: Full Moon (Sap Moon)
See downloadable tide charts and times of sunrise/sunset in March.
