New England Cottontail Conservation in Maine (online)

Description

Once widespread in the region, the New England cottontail has become endangered in Maine and is now found in just a few towns in coastal York and Cumberland counties. These small, shy rabbits are habitat specialists. They need dense early-successional shrublands and young forest (collectively known as "thickets") to survive. Unfortunately, these habitats are in short supply in southern Maine, putting the New England cottontail in peril and causing other species to decline. In this free online talk presented by the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, Jeff Tash will discuss efforts by state and regional partners to conserve cottontails and other thicket specialists. Tash, a wildlife biologist, is the New England Cottontail Habitat Restoration Coordinator for Maine. He holds a master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied the status and distribution of New England cottontails throughout their historic range.