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For most students, the closest we’ve been to nature since coming to school is watching the squirrels and birds during our brief walks to and from class. Students often become distracted by books, papers and exams and forget how fortunate Mainers are to live in an area with so many outdoor recreational opportunities. The Maine wilderness is one of the few places in the world that is not cluttered by tall buildings and shopping malls.
Sunkhaze Meadows, a wildlife refuge in Milford, Maine, gives University of Maine students an opportunity to reconnect with nature. Sunkhaze Meadows is one of more than 500 refuges located in the United States and U.S. Territories, according to Tom Comish of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and literature provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service about the National Refuge System. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt started the National Wildlife Refuge System in 1903 with the designation of Pelican Island, Fla. as a bird sanctuary. What started out as three acres of refuge, has since spread to more than 93 million acres nationwide; an area four times the size of the state of Maine.
In comparison to other refuges in the system, Sunkhaze Meadows is of average size, covering about 10,000 acres, which mostly consists of a large peat bog. It was established in 1988 when local people saved it from being destroyed by a peat mining company. Ever since the refuge was established, the community has played a vital part in the continued preservation and upkeep of the refuge. In return, Sunkhaze Meadows has become a place, which, in theory, will be preserved forever.
“Wildlife first, people second,” is the motto of the refuge according to Comish and Pam Wells, president of the Board of the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows. The refuge is public land and open to public use as long as wildlife preservation and protection aren’t interfered with.
Unfortunately, Comish is the “Lone Ranger,” as he put it. He takes care of almost all of the management issues of the refuge by himself and thus he wears many hats, including manager, assistant manager, biologist and law enforcement.
This is where Pam Wells and the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows come in. There are 150 “Friends” groups such as this nationwide. The groups work to create community support and education programs, and also provide political backing for national wildlife refuges. The current Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows group is relatively new. After one unsuccessful attempt to start a friends group in 1997, the group tried again in 1999. It started with about 42 members and has continued to grow rapidly during the last few years to just more than 100 members. Their agenda includes providing community outreach through educational presentations to various age groups and helping the refuge in acquiring more land. This takes money, lobbying and petitions, all of which the friends help to acquire. Wells said the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is only able to provide minimal funding for the protection and maintenance of the refuge. The allotted amount of money is not enough to manage biological and public use programs.
Comish said the above tasks are made even more difficult because, as far as the regional office in Western Massachusetts is concerned, Sunkhaze Meadows is a low-priority refuge. College students don’t often have the money it takes to support programs such as this, but the student cost to become a member of the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows is $10.
As public land, the refuge offers many opportunities to community members. Recreational activities include canoeing, hiking and walking on the many different trails; fishing; cross-country skiing; snow shoeing; hunting; biking and bird watching.
UMaine is also part of this community; therefore, the refuge also provides opportunities for area college students. According to Comish, there are two summer internship positions available. The positions start in late May and run through late August. Comish said there are also graduate student research opportunities. In the future, Comish and Wells both say that they would like to see Sunkhaze Meadows and UMaine as partners in preserving a part of Maine forever.
The refuge is located in Milford between the County Road and the Stud Mill Road. If you are interested in learning about Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge or wish to become a member of the Friends of Sunkhaze Meadows write to Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, 1033 South Main St., Old Town, Maine 04468-2023, visit their Web site at http://www.sunkhaze.org, or call 827-6138.
Bangor Daily News