Voices for Maine's Environment

Casco Bay stretches from Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth to Cape Small in Phippsburg. It’s clean water and rich ecology support 14 coastal communities and tens of thousands of jobs in fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and recreation. In this episode, we speak with Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca, environmental attorney with expertise in the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws, about the threats to...

In April 2026, the NRCM Board of Directors selected Justin Strasburger, a well-respected leader of impact-driven organizations, as our next Executive Director. In this episode, Colin speaks with Justin about why he’s so excited about advancing the unique role NRCM plays as a fearless watchdog for Maine’s environment and mobilizing the power of everyday people coming together to build a lasting leg...

A new Maine law will allow residents to install compact plug-in solar panels in their home or apartment with the help of a qualified electrician. Plug-in solar opens the door for every Mainer, regardless of their income or housing type, to take steps toward energy independence without unnecessary utility barriers. In this episode, Colin speaks with Beth Woolfolk of the local climate action group A...

Spring marks one of the truly remarkable feats of nature we get to experience in Maine: the annual return of sea-run fish to our rivers and streams. One of the most iconic species is Atlantic salmon, an endangered fish with a long history and connection to our land and the Wabanaki Nations who have stewarded these places for time immemorial. In this episode, Colin speaks with state fisheries biolo...

Hear from experts at the Natural Resources Council of Maine about the bills we are tracking in the 2026 legislative session to will advance climate action and protect Maine's forests, wildlife, waters, and outdoors. Getting involved at the Legislature – either by listening to this recorded webinar, sending in comments in support of bills, or joining us at the State House -- is a great way to...

Jackson Chadwick of Maine Youth for Climate Justice and Rockland City Councilor Nate Davis speak to Colin about the proposal to create a Maine Climate Superfund. Mainers across the state are paying the price for destructive storms and flooding made worse by climate change. This year, lawmakers have the chance to provide relief by creating a Climate Superfund that would help towns rebuild after cli...

Christi Elliott has been called a powerful force for outdoor recreation in Maine. Born in Machias, Christi founded Maine Women Hunters as a welcoming place for like-minded women to learn and join in the fun of hunting and fishing. A strong voice for hunting and conservation, Christi’s new book Always Game documents her journey. In this episode of Voices for Maine’s Environment, Christi speaks with...

Connection, community, joy. These are all essential ingredients as we come together to confront the environmental challenges confronting our world, nation, and state. In this episode, we speak with Sophie Davis and Luke Fatora from Halcyon, an artists collective in Midcoast Maine working to inspire environmental stewardship through music and arts. Their newest multimedia project, The Future is Her...

Last week, the Nature Conservancy announced it has reached an agreement for the purchase of the four Kennebec dams between Waterville and Skowhegan, an essential step toward their eventual removal and a multi-year restoration process in close collaboration with local communities and businesses. To get a sense of what’s possible when rivers flow free, Colin speaks with Steve Brooke, retired Senior...

Advancing more sources of homegrown renewable energy is our best step toward a more equitable clean energy future. The Maine Labor Climate Council (MLCC) is an important coalition partner that NRCM is collaborating with to advance this vision. Colin speaks with MLCC’s Francis Eanes and Cheyenne Gallivan about how they are growing coalition of public and private sector labor unions working together...

Maine is generating more waste per capita over time and studies estimate single-use packaging materials make up a large amount of the trash we send to landfills and incinerators. We’re joined by University of Maine professor Dr. Cindy Isenhour to discuss what Mainers can do about this by moving toward reusable packaging programs in restaurants and other local businesses. Isenhour leads research ef...

The first session of the 132nd Maine Legislature has officially concluded, producing some big wins for clean energy and conservation, but also some mixed results and a few losses that were hard fought and disappointing. Colin speaks with Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim to break it all down and describe how our experts worked with partners and people like you to deliver results for Maine’s environ...

Maine’s lakes are just as iconic as our rocky coastline. But lakes don’t just provide outstanding recreational experiences – they provide essential wildlife habitat and clean drinking water for thousands. Colin talks with Susan Gallo, the executive director of Maine Lakes, to learn more about lakes and ponds in Maine, what makes them so special, why we can’t ignore the risks facing them, and what...

Too many Mainers lack access to safe, affordable options to get where they need to go but it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a better path forward. One where more Mainers have better choices for how they get to work, school, local businesses, and essential services. We speak with Zoe Miller, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Moving Maine Network to discuss how we can work together...

In March 2025, a group of Mainers including federal workers, business and fishing groups, veterans, and a SNAP participant came together in Brewer, Maine, to speak about the real-world harm being inflicted by the chaotic decision-making of the Trump Administration. In this episode we bring you a recording of the event so you can hear directly from the speakers discussing the impact of ongoing acti...

Maine’s 10.4 million acres of Unorganized Territories (UT) are home to the last stronghold of remote, undeveloped ponds and scattered older growth forest stands in the eastern United States. We’re joined by Dr. John Hagan, a scientist and founder of Our Climate Common, to learn more about the vast forests of the North Woods. Hagan helped lead a research team that identified the locations of the la...

BONUS EPISODE: A recording of our January webinar previewing the legislative priorities for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) in 2025, including ways you can get involved. Join NRCM's policy experts as they explain the bills that we'll be supporting to advance progress for climate action, land conservation, and a healthy environment. 

Heading into 2025, many of us were inspired by the passage of the Maine Trails Bond in the November 2024 election, which united people and groups that haven’t always seen eye-to-eye but were united by their shared love of Maine’s outdoors. Gabe Perkins, the Executive Director of Inland Woods & Trails, joins the podcast to discuss the Trails Bond and highlight the importance of trails of all ty...

The last few years, our work at the State House in Augusta has delivered enormous progress for Maine’s environment. So, how is NRCM gearing up to continue this momentum and what are the priorities we’ve set for this year’s short legislative session? From curbing the use of polluting gas to encouraging reuse, investing in our trails, and tribal sovereignty for the Wabanaki people, NRCM’s Advocacy D...

It’s the holiday season, which means a lot of gifts, a lot of food, and….a lot of waste. Mainers by nature are frugal and don’t like waste. It’s part of who we are. But when we go to the store or buy online we’re faced with a deluge of plastic and other wasteful packaging. And it drives most of us crazy. What can we do about it? We speak with Laura Marston, the owner of the Maine-based, plastic-fr...

The U.S. government recently released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the nation’s preeminent policy-neutral report highlighting the latest science about climate change impacts, risks, and responses. We speak with David Reidmiller, the director of the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) who co-authored the Northeast chapter about how climate change is affecting Mai...

The Land for Maine’s Future program is Maine’s most successful and popular land conservation program, helping to support hundreds of conservation projects that have exceptional natural or recreational value or support Maine’s heritage industries of farming, fishing, and forestry. In 2021, the Legislature appropriated $40 million in state funding for LMF, which is being used to support many new pro...

Zero-emission cars and trucks are becoming increasingly popular but many prospective buyers are finding that supply can’t keep up with demand. Stronger standards for clean cars and trucks would give consumers in Maine more opportunities to buy electric vehicles and slash toxic tailpipe pollution that is harming human health and making climate change worse. In this episode, we speak with Scott Vlau...

This year's legislative session was another strong demonstration of how Maine's strong conservation ethic continues to define our way of life, drive economic growth, and influence new laws passed at the State House in Augusta. Thousands of Mainers spoke up and took action to protect our environment, strengthen the resiliency of local communities, and accelerate a more equitable clean ene...

The on-the-ground experience of local redemption center owners like Shandra Rubchinuk helped get the bill to modernize Maine's Bottle Bill across the finish line during this year's legislative session. Shandra, who is co-owner of Jansel Bottle Redemption in Winthrop, joins the podcast to speak about the challenges of operating redemption centers, the important role these small businesses...