Join us at our next meeting, Monday, December 5, and learn all about Fishers, as presented by Ben Nugent.
The meeting will begin at 6:30pm in room 285 at the USM Lewiston – Auburn College, 55 Westminster St., Lewiston.
Ben Nugent has been employed as a wildlife biologist with The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services program in Maine since 2006. Prior to this, he worked for the Institute for Wildlife Studies in California, the National Park Service in Tennessee, and as a fishing guide in Alaska. Ben grew up in Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in wildlife biology.
The presentation will focus on the natural history of the fisher. The fisher is a member of the weasel family and is found only in North America. Although fishers are common at present in Maine, they are rare in parts of the Northwest, and have been successfully reintroduced into about a dozen states and provinces. They travel many miles along ridges in search of prey, seeking shelter in hollow trees, logs, rock crevices and dens of other animals. Fishers are one of the few predators of porcupines, and also eat rabbits, and rodents, as well insects, nuts and berries. Their largely nocturnal and secretive lifestyle, along with their fierce attacks and blood-curdling screams, make them fascinating creatures. Ben will share a story about a rare and exciting experience that he had with a fisher along one of the trails within Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary.