The Nature of Maine in November
After Indian Summer
Yesterday, the light began to fail.
Autumn-and leaves catch in the arms of spruce
and hemlock. And then, a temporary truce,
as days that Keats recalled seem to prevail,
even though green leaves lie along the floor
of the woodland path, ripped away by rains
of September, long before the crouching mountains
of storm coming soon. And light no more
will jostle with the stars. The sky will take
the color from the bay, one of the old,
original shades of gray, and then will shake
its crystals loose to wind, to touch the blood
inside the rings of waiting trees, and make
the warrior oak turn bronze to face the cold.
~Herb Coursen
Plants
By mid-November, even the red oak trees have relinquished their leaves-and the only spots of color left in most woods are the bleached bronze leaves of the and the brilliant scarlet berries of the native "winterberry" bush (Ilex verticillata), a member of the holly family that can flourish even in shady locations and standing water. Birds love its bright berries but keep them from children, pets and livestock.
Wildlife
While many winged creatures have migrated south by now, the ones that remain are more visible—amidst the bare tree branches. Species such as chickadees, juncos, nuthatches and pileated woodpeckers remain through the winter-despite the plummeting temperatures. Pileated woodpeckers (with the classic red "Woody Woodpecker" crowns) are the largest woodpecker species in Maine (approaching a crow in size) and remain paired year-round in areas where the trees they rely on for ants are not too fragmented by development.
Local Foods
As daylight dwindles, the local supply of greens recedes-leaving only the cold-hardy chards, collards and kales in most gardens. Those with hoophouses or greenhouses may snack off spinach and lettuce a few extra weeks. Local food enthusiasts (commonly known as Locavores) enjoy celebrating the holidays in the spirit of the First Thanksgiving-with foods grown and harvested from their immediate landscape (if not their own yards). With a little planning, it's possible to obtain all the traditional fixings (turkey, potatoes, squash, cranberries and cider) from within Maine - direct from the farmer/grower or through a local natural foods store or coop.
Green Tip
As the days grow darker, you can invest in energy-efficient light bulbs that will help reduce power plant emissions and lower your electrical bill. Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs are now widely and more than a hundred Maine stores participate in the State's "instant rebate" program. If you need CFL bulbs in unusual shapes or sizes, try Energy Federation Inc. in Massachusetts.
Efficiency Maine runs a recycling program collecting used CFL bulbs - which should not be disposed of with household trash because they contain a small amount of mercury. Be careful to prevent having bulbs break and avoid using bulbs in settings where exposure to mercury vapor would be a particular concern (e.g., children's bedrooms or playrooms).
Notable November Dates
November 5: New Moon
November 8-15: Maine Recycles Week
November 13: First Quarter Moon
November 21: Full Moon (Beaver Moon)
November 28: Last Quarter Moon
See downloadable tide charts and times of sunrise/sunset in November.
