Sale of New HERON Sticker Will Fuel Maine's Aerial Survey

Wednesday January 16, 2013   |

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Heron Observation Network (HERON) has partnered with Burly Bird (a Maine-based conservation sticker company) to help raise funds for an important statewide aerial survey for nesting great blue herons scheduled for 2015.

Members of the public can support HERON by purchasing the UV-coated vinyl sticker that shows a black and white silhouette of a great blue heron. The HERON sticker can be placed anywhere, including on car bumpers and windows, water bottles, coffee mugs, laptops or bikes.

The great blue heron was designated as a Species of Special Concern in Maine in 2007 due to a decline in breeding pairs along the coast. Little was known about the inland breeding population before 2009 when the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ramped up its monitoring efforts by creating the Heron Observation Network. HERON is a volunteer adopt-a-colony program whereby volunteers monitor great blue heron colonies during the breeding season, collecting information that helps state biologists understand the species' population trend and prioritize future conservation efforts. In addition to the data collected by volunteers, it is important to periodically do a statewide aerial survey to find new heron colonies that may have recently popped up.

The Burly Bird HERON sticker can be purchased from the Burly Bird website (www.burlybird.com) or through the Department's online store (www.mefishwildlife.com). They sell for $4 each with $3 going directly to fund the 2015 aerial survey. Sticker sales will also help leverage federal funding through Maine's State Wildlife Grant Program. The HERON sticker is a great, inexpensive, conservation-minded gift for anyone with a love of the outdoors. Get yours today!

For more information about the Heron Observation Network of Maine, visit www.maineheron.wordpress.com, or contact Danielle D'Auria at danielle.dauria@maine.gov or (207) 941-4478.