One of my pet passions is habitat preservation. As a society we love it, as individuals we hate it. Sound silly? Listen up! It reminds me of building my house....

We searched to find a place close enough to the city, yet close enough to nature that afforded us the ability to observe the landscape and appreciate birds, deer and turkeys. This was to be our home, the place to rear a family by teaching sound values, and yes, to appreciate nature.

We found such a place. Oh, it wasn't perfect. It was in a development, near to the turnpike, less than a mile to the center of town and our lot size was only one half of an acre. We loved it!

Shortly after moving in, I noticed a fox romping through the snow on the vacant lot next door hunting small mice. He would dive head first into the snow shoving his head under, waiting, shaking, and moving on. After a while, I noticed the deer coming to feed on the fur trees at the back of our lot. The chickadees, hawks and finches were year round residents, while the Baltimore Oriels and Grosbeaks were literally snow birds that headed south when the going got tough.

While leaving for work one morning during the summer months, I had to stop traffic while a fifty year old snapping turtle made its way across the road. Our development had placed a road between the two ponds that the old turtle resided in. During the summer months the turtle spent it's time in the eastern pond. During the winter months the turtle would spend it's time in the western pond. Don't ask me why. But, I am sure the turtle had made this crossing for years.

After living in the development for a while, the abutting lot was built on. "Someone is building on the fox's hunting grounds, honey!" I exclaimed as the bulldozers pulled in. We saw the fox several times after that, but it eventually was pushed out of the neighborhood.

Then we received notice that the area behind us was being considered for a multi-family housing development. "How dare they!" I thought to myself, that is the deer's wintering ground. Someone should put a stop to this. The multi-family development was shot down and a single family house was put up instead.

The deer still frequent the area but with much less regularity than they used to.

From year to year, I occasionally would see the old turtle making its yearly trek from pond to pond and would always stop to make sure the inevitable wouldn't happen under my watch. I haven't seen that turtle in a while and fear the old boy was dealt a bad set of cards.

We all want our little slice of nature. We want to embrace it from the warmth of our living rooms, sheltered from the harsh environment that our fury and feathery friends must endure. Whenever some one wants to encroach on them, we are outraged. Well......that is if we already have our little piece of heaven tightly tucked in to our purse or wallet. I have mine and you better stay away from it!

I wonder how the fox felt when I put my house on his hunting grounds or how the finches felt as the bulldozers plowed under their favorite thistle? The other guy is always the bad guy.....how could it be me?

Follow along as I describe the ways our interactions with the landscape affects us all. You may be surprised by the subtle little things we all do that affect the animals around us!

What is habitat anyway? Habitat for humanity? Habitat for migrating birds? Habitat for aquatic life?

They are all inter-woven. Enter, the Sargasso Sea, situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean; it is the birthing place of the American Eel. It is the apex of the Atlantic; all waves rotate around it in a clockwise direction; all currents rotate around the it in a clockwise direction as well. Who is there to protect it?

The many young American Eels make their way from the Sargasso Sea in mile long convoys; each eel being attached to the tail of the one in front of it. Who would of thought? Certainly not me! And who would of thought that the American Eel was being considered for Endangered Species Act Protection? Again, not me! But it is beingconsidered . That is where research comes in.

The same holds true of our river systems and lakes. They are part of enormous water sheds that collect, disperse and cleanse water in a multitude of ways. The ground provides filtration, the river provides oxygen and UV rays for cleansing, the lake provides a reservoir of clean sparkling water; well, that is if things go as nature intended. Research is the only way we can gain an understanding of nature's jewels.

What we do in our back yard effects the water and creatures around us. We may not know how, but it does!

When growing up next to The Pool, a clam flat in Biddeford, Maine, I dreamed of harvesting clams for a family feed. I was not able to do so; due to polluted beds, the flat remained closed for years. As the area developed, overboard discharge systems were identified and removed. Defective septic systems where also upgraded. But, the beds remained closed for a number of years; the research needed to open them was not funded.

A retired Biddeford resident decided to make a concerted effort to open the flats. He contacted the city, and then the state, to determine what type of water sampling was needed to open the flats. He became involved, and he personally monitored water quality. Due to his efforts, the flats were finally opened to clamming.

I find this to be a very exciting time for the Maine Atlantic Salmon and other species of fish and aquatic life. Dams are being removed and habitat is being opened for salmon, shad and alewive migrations. Isn't it great!

Maybe, you foresee a way to provide information or the labor that will help the environment, help the habitat. If you do, post your ideas in the comments area at the end of this section. I want to hear what other conservationist are thinking!

I recently wrote Patrick Keliher, Executive Director of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission, concerning this issue. I wrote to him expressing my interest in spearheading an effort to use Maine's volunteer spirit for research. And, although I did not hear back from him, I did hear from Noble Smith of Harpswell. He has recently created the Maine Environment Corp. He is also looking to hear from you.

The Maine Environment Corp has worked closely with Volunteer Maine to work out a system of information and data sharing, each supportive of the other's interest and concerns. MEC already has received letters of intent from the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Commissioner of Conservation; Noble expects similar letters from the Departments of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Marine Resources.

What a great effort Noble! He needs more people to come forth like you. If you would like to become involved in this effort, contact nobilesmith@suscom-maine.net .

If you need to reach me, post a comment below. Have fun fishing by taking care of the habitat around you!

You can't beat the smooth feeling of a thick lawn under you feet, and when viewed from the water, nothing beats the look of a well manicured lawn against the waters edge. I love the look; I love the feel. But when I see it, under currents of environmental impact swell up in my mind.

Beautiful lake front lawns are possible, but they must be treated with care. Lawns that run to the pond's edge will have runoff. But, environmentally friendly waterfront lawn treatment is possible.

I have always been proud of maintaining a strong and healthy lawn. Many waterfront properties have owners that feel the same way. When I started to make a commitment to organic methods, I realized that weed free lawns are almost impossible without some sort of commercial pesticide.

Several years ago an elderly couple that loved birds moved across the street from me. They were very aware of how healthy my lawn was. They also were very interested in how I built it, and I was very open with them and revealed the information on how the lawn was formed. It was built through happen stance.

When my house was originally built, the lawn was planted on clay type loam and had a very strong angle from left to right. I didn't like the look; it made the house look crooked and uneven.

After the house was turned over to me, I searched for a source of loam that was rich in organic material, yet light and fluffy. My friends told me I was crazy because such loam would settle and compress after a year or two. They were right, but so was I.

The merchant I decided on using had run a pig farm for years. The field that he was striping had been fertilized with pig manure and turned regularly. The merchant increased his output by finely screening the loam before he shipped it. This made it light and fluffy; this is why my friends thought I was crazy to use it.

I went ahead with my plans anyway. I felt the light soil would allow seeds to germinate and implant roots with ease; I was right. There was one side benefit of having organic pig loam that I was unaware of at the time. My pig soil had a high PH. And lawns love a high PH level!

When I revealed this to my new neighbors, they checked on the loam I recommended but felt they were getting poor value because it would compress. They ordered loam from another supplier and to this day have had to use a large amount of commercial fertilizer and pesticides to obtain desired results.

One morning I ran into my neighbors at the mail box. They were excited that a pair of mocking birds had taken up residence in one of their hews. The next day the couple was out fertilizing their lawn which was followed up with an insecticidal treatment. The Mocking bird's chicks ended up paying the price and much to my amazement the couple hadn't realized what they had done.

The same goes for lakeside lawns, and although I love the look and feel, I can't help but get a funny feeling when I pass them. Maybe some people, like my neighbors, don't realize the side affects of some lawn treatments.

Most commercial lawn treatments have strong warnings about the affects they can have on aquatic insects and birds. But, with the amount of warnings and fine print on these packages, most of us do not read them thoroughly.

I'm no expert on the environmental impacts of fertilizer and pesticides on ponds but I've found a good resource. It is LakeSmart that is administered by the DEP. It never hurts to educate yourself.

Remember lawns love a sweet soil. Limestone is the key ingredient to a healthy strong lawn and it has a low environmental impact considering the amount of acid rain that Maine is subject to.

Those streams you plan on fishing this spring are not always as dormant as they seem. When it comes to brook trout fishing, Maine's streams hold an abundance of fishing opportunities. But, what is happening to their underwater world when the ground cover is holds more than two feet of snow, and the ice is over six inches thick?

I like to look at a stream as I do any other living organism. Each stream has its own character. Some streams have rough edges; other streams are smooth and silky. While hiking through the winter wonderland, I try to envision the stream in its younger years. Was it a roaring maverick or a shy newt?

Most streams in Maine are well aged. They are mature streams that have taken various paths before now. The organisms that live inside of them are also mature. They have adapted to various climate, water and environmental changes. With the advent of winter, stream temperatures drop and that effect the underwater world. Some organisms slow down or become dormant. Others, like beavers, will hold in their dens leaving the bulk of their work till spring. On occasion, the river otter will make visits to the beaver’s hut and at times cohabit with the beaver. Brook Trout are also less active, tending to congregate were stream flows are slow and where water temperatures are the highest. Sunny shallow banks create a warm wintering area but food is scarce.

Many nymphs are in their dormant stage and are waiting for the passing of winter to begin their metamorphose. They will create the Damsel, May and Dragon Flies of spring. But there are also dangers; dangers are lurking in the waters to come.

Many streams are affected by various forms of pesticides and fertilizer every year. These compounds are used to grow vegetables, protect trees and keep lawn grubs at bay. They can also wreak havoc with stream organisms. Check the warning labels on the products you use. You'll be surprised at what information the squinting eye can provide.

Winter freezes time. Contaminants near the banks are held in a death lock. They are literally frozen in snow and ice. And, if the stream organisms are lucky, they will be washed away with the heavy water flows of spring. But, washed to where? Will they have an affect further down stream?

I love looking at the winter stream, and I have been known to stop and gaze at its ravine as I enter the great woods of Maine. The stream is a living organism that is dynamic by itself. It will move and run away if you watch it long enough. It will grow legs and end up on the opposite side of a pasture. If only our time's eye where long enough for us to truly understand the multifaceted dynamics of the stream.

When I was a child, there was a brook not too far from my house. I learned to fish on the banks of that brook. My uncle would bring me from spring hole to spring hole, in hopes of igniting the stream’s excitement. He had seen the brook's full glory as a child, but somehow it's glory always eluded me; the fishing was slow. But, I still loved to fish it.

As I grew older, my love for fishing and the underwater environment grew. I started to understand things that were previously hidden from my eyesight. I couldn't see these things in my younger years. But, my mind's eye grew with time. I always remembered that brook. It was puzzling for me. It had teamed with life during my uncle’s childhood and practically stood still during mine. What could it be?

Time passed, I became a Master Plumber at the tender age of twenty-three. I changed water mains, ran sewer lines and plumbed homes. One of my responsibilities involved running water mains to homes where wells had become contaminated by a local landfill. The aquifer was poisoned and contained carcinogens and other harmful pollutants.

I began to reflect on the scope of that job. The wells were located on the same side of town as the brook. Was that brook affected by the same contaminants? I scoured a map of the city and searched for the roots of my childhood brook. It started in a small pasture adjacent to local farms. From there it pushed north away from its outlet. It zigged and zagged. And, finally, made its pass by the landfill that contaminated so many wells.

My thoughts reverted to when I was a child sitting on the banks of that brook with my uncle. The fishing was slow and we pushed further up stream to seek new holes. But, the further upstream we would go, the worse the fishing would become. Our efforts seemed useless. Today, I can see the reason. Our walk up stream brought us closer and closer to the land fill.

Today, I try to be aware of my actions. The paint cans that must be dried before bringing for disposal are also leaching contaminants into the air. I wonder what is affected by those contaminants? The batteries, the mercury switches, the plastics, all have an effect on our environment. Could they be posing a threat to under ground aquifers, the air we breath, and birds?

When I studied in Ireland during the eighties, Perrier had closed some of its wells in northern France. The wells where leaching arsenic from the underground rock beds. Could the same be happening today in Maine? Only future scientific research will hold the truth.

So, as we wait for spring to arrive and our favorite springs holes to open up, let's try to remember the effect we have on the brooks we are planning to fish. You may be surprised at what your mind's eye can provided when properly focused and properly aged.

Fishing can work hand in hand with clamming. And, clamming can work hand in hand with conservation.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources goes to great lenghts to insure that the clams people harvest are healthy for huma consumption. Water quality and "red tide blooms" are monitored on a constant basis to protect people from the harmful effects of infected clams. But, the surf clams from Saco Bay make great striper bait; they can also make great bait to catch a few of your friends with by throwing a clam cake party. But, it takes a clean river to make safe clams. The Saco River happens to be one of the cleanest rivers in the State of Maine. And, we can thank The Saco River Corridor for that.

The Saco River Corridor has been in existence since my youth. When I was a child, my uncle happened to buy a piece of property on the Saco River. It was actually a farm; he had visions of being a farmer and he began haying, raising horses and cattle. His days as a farmer were short lived, but his relationship with the property was not. That’s when I first heard of the Saco River Corridor.

My uncle use to grumble about all the regulations set forth by the Corridor to protect the river. Regulations prohibited people from building structures or cutting trees too close to the shore. You even had to get approval for an outhouse. Imagine that!

As I grew older, I heard less and less about the Corridor; but every now and then I’m exposed to its work when involved with river front property. The Saco River Corridor still has a major impact in how the river is managed. I thank God for that.

Have you ever heard the saying “As Maine goes, so goes the nation”? I wish that saying held true today. It seems that I grew up on a water shed that was far ahead of its time. People living in the Saco River Valley made early conservation efforts so that future generations could enjoy the benefits of a clean river. I happen to be part of that future generation, and am enjoying those benefits now!

Last weekend I stumbled down to the shores of Saco Bay with my good friend Richard Bartlette. Richard and I wanted to take advantage of the extremely low tides that the harvest moon was providing. And yes, we wanted to harvest something other than vegetables. We wanted to harvest the white meat of the Maine Hen Clam.

Hen Clams have a sweet white meat. They are sweeter than Ocean Quahogs. Quahogs have a darker colored meat that isn’t as sweet as the Hen. And, due to Hen Clam's size, which is usually larger than my opened hand, they are ideal for grinding into clam meat. This meat is used for clam cakes, chowders, fritters and dips. My aunt’s clam cake recipe calls for heaping amounts of Hen Clam meat; I always indulge with a tip of my hat to her!

I introduced Richard Bartlette to claming several years ago. He has developed into a true clam watcher and harvester. He checks the tides, the storm forecast, and the state's clam safety hot line, to see when clamming will be the best. The lower tides expand the flats for harvesting, the storm forecast enable us to predict where clams might wash up, and the hot line makes sure the clams are safe to eat. At times, clamming is closed due to heavy rains, red tide or other reasons. The state's hot line (1-800-232-4733) is instrumental in insuring the clams are safe to harvest. Richard is a true friend and clamoholic.

So when Diane, Richard’s wife, approached me in Shaw’s saying Richard was in dire need of a clamming partner, I knew the clamming was going to be good.

The harvest moon was causing extremely low tides which enabled us to dig for clams in areas that are usually well under water. The lower the tide, the better the harvest. The better the harvest, the more clam meat. The more clam meat, the more clam cakes. And, the more clam cakes, the more smiles I see on peoples' faces. It is a truly festive time when the cakes are rolling out of the pan and into my mouth…..I mean my friends mouths, or my relative’s mouths, or my neighbor’s mouths. Who ever has the mouth to hold them, a smile is sure to follow.

Clamming for Hen Clams is different than flats clamming for little necks. First, as with all clamming, you have to locate an area that will hold them. Secondly, you need a good stiff hay/pitch fork. I prefer a fork with five to six prongs spaced one and a half inches to two inches apart. My fork has a long straight handle; you can stand straight while probing the sand at your feet. Third you will need a bucket and boots. The boots are optional, but even if you try to stay out of the water to harvest, a good patch of clams may lure you into the sea. I recommend some kind of boots.

If you really want to get serious about it, you can purchase a pair of chest waders and dig for clams in the surf. I prefer harvesting from the beach and just on the edge of the water.

Once you’ve decided on a low tide from a good tide chart, head down to the beach and start walking backwards on the beach probing with your fork. The top of the clams are less than an inch and a half down. Just take in the sights and slowly walk backward on the edge on the water probing all the while. When you feel something hard, back your fork and gently push it into the sand. If you feel the clam again, back your fork again an inch at a time. Then, slowly sink the fork to a depth of six inches and begin prying the clam to the surface.

If the clamming is good, you can fill a five gallon bucket in less than an hour. If you are a little unsure, send me an e-mail by posting a comment below. I will be taking a group of friends out on November 4th. You can tag along and see how it is done. If your a Maine resident, you shouldn't need a license to clam at this location, but regulations are always changing. Make sure to check with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (207-624-6550) before you harvest.

Be safe and have fun clamming!