As autumn nears, FSM stewards start seeing more fall flavors lining the forests we traverse. Many people have been foragers at one point or another, picking out wild berries, fruits, or nuts. Others have expertise in identifying mushrooms.

In FSM’s Fall 2025 Forest View newsletter, we featured an article on Wild Flavors in Maine’s North Woods.

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Can you identify this mushroom? Find the answer and read more in the article: Wild Flavors in Maine’s North Woods

There are still places where mighty rivers run cold and clear, ancient mountains rise from the valley floor, forests stretch as far as the eye can see, wildlife moves freely, and people find a connection to something truly wild.

The Magalloway region is one of those places—and now, thanks to you, it is conserved for future generations. 

Together, we’ve conserved more than 78,000 acres in western Maine and connected more than half a million acres, creating a conserved, connected landscape across the Maine–New Hampshire border. In doing so, we’ve safeguarded clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, sustainable working forests, public access, and a landscape that will continue to benefit people and nature for generations to come.

This historic achievement would not have been possible without the generosity of hundreds of supporters and the extraordinary partnership of The Magalloway Collaborative partners, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Forest Society of Maine, Northeast Wilderness Trust, and The Nature Conservancy.

This is a story of what can happen when people come together around a shared vision. We invite you to take a moment to watch this celebration video and share this milestone with your family and friends.

Read more about the project at our conserved lands page: Magalloway lands and waters or on magalloway.org

Thank you for helping make conservation history. 

Photo by Jerry Monkman of EcoPhotography.

Great news! Nearly 1,000 acres are now permanently conserved in Milford and Greenfield, Maine! Wells Forest abuts Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge and adds to a corridor of more than 40,000 acres of conserved lands from Milford to Amherst (northeast of Bangor).

Sunkhaze Stream runs through the property, creating wet meadows, small gorges, and excellent habitat for brook trout, inland waterfowl, and many other species. The forest will continue to be managed sustainably by the landowner, Bryan Wells.

Also adjacent to the easement is Bryan’s dark sky observatory where he photographs distant galaxies and nebulae. In a recent article with Bangor Daily News, Bryan said: “The goal is always to keep forests intact and from being fragmented, to protect them from development and to prevent sprawl,” he said. “It also has the added bonus of protecting the dark skies we have in Maine, which helps everyone — including wildlife. And, well, it’s great for astrophotography too, though that’s just a nice bonus for me personally.”

A tremendous thank you to everyone who helped make this project a success, including the Land for Maine’s Future program.

Read more about the landowner’s history with the land here: Old Town man carries on his late wife’s legacy through their woodlot and observatory or on Bryan’s website: https://wellsforest.com/

Photos by Bryan and Pamela Wells.

We’re celebrating 17 years of being an accredited land trust! After a rigorous verification process by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Forest Society of Maine has proven that we have sound finances, practice ethical conduct and responsible governance and can ensure lasting stewardship. This marks our 3rd renewal of our accredited status.

A huge thank you to Bob Duchesne and everyone who joined us on Earth Day to see his “Maine is Weird” talk at the Bangor Public Library. He gave an insightful presentation that shared historical reasoning for some of Maine’s most beloved land features, as well as some of his fantastic bird photos!

An additional to thank you to everyone who participated in our Earth Day fundraising campaign. We were able to meet the goal and unlock $1,000 to support conservation in Maine.

Thank you, and we hope you enjoyed your Earth Day!