- Up next on "Borealis."

(upbeat music) We get geared up to paddle with one of Maine's most experienced sea kayak guides in Castine.

- Everybody look good?

Rotate, baby.

Rotate.

- Then we travel to the University of Maine in Orono where researchers are studying one of Maine's most notorious pests.

the blacklegged tick.

Come with us on a bird walk in Bangor with legendary Bob Duchesne and learn how you can become a birding expert.

And finally tonight, join me on the trail as I explore Boot Head in Lubec, one of Downey's many stunning preserves.

Stay with us.

- [Announcer] Production support for "Borealis" is provided by.

- [Narrator] The Nature Conservancy in Maine, joining science, action, and innovative partners to help connect communities and address the global climate crisis from our forests to our rivers to the Gulf of Maine.

Learn more at nature.org/joinmaine, - [Narrator] Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation reminding you to be a good guest on trails, in towns, and everywhere in between by participating in the Lookout For Me Campaign.

Learn more at visitmaine.com.

- [Sophie] My dad taught us that protecting Maine's water starts on land.

As a hydrogeologist for Poland Spring, his job is to monitor the springs year round, to check the water levels and help keep the springs healthy.

Poland Spring for 180 years.

- You guys ready to hike?

(chuckles) (upbeat music) ♪ I wanna get lost in the wilderness of you, darling ♪ ♪ I wanna get lost in the rivers and the roads ♪ ♪ Get you up on the mountainside ♪ ♪ And we can just climb ♪ - Welcome to "Borealis."

I'm Aislinn Sarnacki.

Did you know that Maine is home to more than 30 state parks?

Stretching from the sandy shores of Ferry Beach in Saco to the forested heights of Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle, these places are more than just scenic backdrops.

They're vital to Maine's environment, its economy, and our way of life.

Today we're at Wolfe's Neck State Park in Freeport, which sees a steady stream of visitors year round.

And as you can see, it's a spectacular place to visit no matter the season.

One of the biggest draws here is this rugged coastline, a perfect place to explore from the cockpit of a sea kayak.

In our first story we'll head to Castine and introduce you to one of Maine's leading sea kayak guides, Karen Francoeur.

She's passionate about helping people learn how to kayak safely, building their confidence one paddle stroke at a time.

(upbeat music) (gentle music) In Castine Harbor, a group of sea kayakers glide through the water, a persistent piece of the area's maritime culture.

For nearly 30 years, Castine Kayak Adventures has operated from these docks launching guided tours into the bay to explore nearby islands and the ever-changing currents of the Bagaduce River.

- We have a small shop and we have a staff of guides that are trained here and we take people paddling every single day.

I'm Karen Francoeur and I'm a Master Maine Sea Kayak Guide and Master Recreation Guide.

- [Aislinn] Francoeur owns the operation.

She's a well-known expert in Maine's boating community and an advocate for paddling safety and fun.

- I just love Castine and I love paddling and I love guiding.

- [Aislinn] Today, she's sharing some sea kayaking tips with me.

First on land, then out on the water.

- The basic essential gear that any paddler should have is a life jacket that fits you and that's adjusted right.

It's the leading cause of death in paddle sports is not wearing a life jacket.

Along with a well-fitting life jacket, you need a couple of pieces of safety gear because you really want to be prepared for the worst to happen.

If you prepare for the worst, you can enjoy the best.

- [Aislinn] Francoeur says that all sea kayakers should carry a paddle float, which is an inflatable device that allows you to use your paddle as an outrigger for climbing back into your kayak from the water.

This is an essential tool if you capsize.

Other items to carry on your kayak include a pump to remove water from your boat, water and snacks, a carabiner on a rope so you can easily attach to other boats.

A spare paddle, a phone in a waterproof case, spare clothing in a dry bag, and a first aid kit.

The coast guard also requires paddlers to carry a sound making device such as a whistle and a white light if traveling after dark.

Francoeur also carries a chart and a compass which she uses to navigate.

- You can find the tiniest little thing with good navigation and good navigation skills allow you to paddle anywhere in the world.

- [Aislinn] Now that we are geared up, it's time to jump in a boat and hit the water.

But even that takes some careful consideration.

One of the most common mistakes that people make when sea kayaking is using the wrong type of boat.

- People think a sea kayak is a boat that has a rudder on the back.

You might notice none of those boats have rudders on the back.

So, it's not a rudder that makes it a sea kayak.

It's sealed bulkheads, bow, and stern, and it needs to be really at least 15 feet long.

14 maybe.

Shorter boats get moved around a lot more in the wind and current because a longer boat tracks better.

- [Aislinn] Sealed bulkheads mean the boat won't sink if it flips over.

An important feature when paddling out on the ocean.

- My goal is really to empower people to be independent just like I wanna be.

I wanna be able to go out and paddle my kayak and know what I need to know and know what I'm capable of.

- [Aislinn] That being said, Francoeur says that paddling with a partner or in a group often increases your safety and she highly suggests it.

- So a really nice way to get into your boat is to get in while your boat is floating in the water.

So I put my paddle across your boat and then I'm gonna hold my paddle to my boat.

So I have two points of contact.

I'm holding the paddle to the boat and the paddle to your boat.

And then I can come and sit right on my boat.

- [Aislinn] You can also use this method by bracing your paddle on the shore if the water is calm, like today, or on a dock.

- If you put your paddle on your head, you want a 90 degree angle in your elbow.

So you want a nice wide hand spin.

And then remember, you're also gonna hold the paddle straight out in front of you and these top knuckles of your hand line up with the top of the blade.

When you're paddling, you can rotate side to side with nice straight arms.

(gentle music) You can see that the tide is coming in because all of the boats are facing to the right.

So there's gonna be quite a bit of current coming at us from the right.

- [Aislinn] Once out on the water, we practice different paddle strokes and learn to read the current so we could travel more efficiently as a group.

- The ocean can be very serene and beautiful and enjoyable and you don't have to be an expert.

But I think having good paddling skills makes a huge difference.

- [Aislinn] The ocean can present challenges that you may not encounter on smaller bodies of water.

- You can get into trouble faster.

We have more fetch on the ocean, which is the distance that wind has to blow, which can create waves.

Yeah, it's a very dynamic moving environment all the time.

- [Aislinn] Here we're tucking behind a boat in an eddy.

- So come into this little calm water spot right next to me.

See how the water isn't moving.

- [Aislinn] Little tricks like this can be a big help if you need to rest or regroup.

I've kayaked since I was a teenager, yet I'm learning a lot on this paddle.

It's easy to get lazy with your paddling form.

- Everybody look good.

Rotate, baby.

Rotate.

Push on those big paddles.

- Making our way back to the landing, my arms are like jelly and my head is filled with tips and tricks that will help me out on the water.

There's a lot to learn when it comes to sea kayaking, but the fun and the sense of freedom is well worth the effort.

Maine is the most forested state in the country, even along the coast and among the thousands of islands here, you'll find dense forest habitats.

Combined with a warming climate, this makes our state a haven for one of the most despised pests in the world, the blacklegged tick, also known as the deer tick.

Ticks can transmit certain diseases making them dangerous despite their teeny size.

And it seems no matter how prepared you are when venturing out into the woods, they'll find their way onto you, your family, or your dog.

To learn more, we talked with a group of students and scientists at the University of Maine in Orono, in the nearby Cooperative Extension: Tick Lab.

(uptempo music) (suspenseful music) Here lurking in the woods of Orono, Maine, there's something waiting in the underbrush.

Arms outstretched, ready to snag your pant leg, crawl up your body, and bite you.

- We have protective gear.

We wear these full cotton suits that stop them from getting on our arms and our legs.

- [Aislinn] This may sound like a scene from a Stephen King novel, but these researchers aren't searching for some supernatural creature.

On a cold afternoon in November, they're searching for teeny pests called ticks.

- It's surprisingly fun to participate in tick research.

They sit in one spot and hold their arms up and quest.

We have some very nice human bait, which is us, and we have a cloth attached to a dowel that we drag around on the forest floor, which will cause the ticks to be attracted to it and they'll grab onto it.

We periodically check the drag cloths and we'll collect any ticks on them.

- [Aislinn] Ticks are arthropods, closely related to spiders and mites.

They feed on blood by latching on to animals.

But currently the species that causes people the most concern is the blacklegged tick, also known as the deer tick.

- The blacklegged tick was first detected in Maine in the 1980s.

So this is a problem.

- Allie Gardner is a professor at the University of Maine and much of her teaching and research is about diseases transmitted by ticks.

- My position was actually created direct in response to the growing burden of tick-borne disease in this state.

And since then, I've really seen firsthand the tick densities and the human case burden growing pretty explosively.

- [Aislinn] Blacklegged ticks can carry and transmit several diseases, including Lyme disease, which was first discovered in Lyme, Connecticut in the mid 1970s.

Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but if it goes untreated, it can cause serious health issues such as nervous system damage and chronic arthritis.

- Right now, Maine is ranked as the third highest Lyme disease incident state in the country.

And that's been really a recent phenomenon over the past 10, 15 years or so.

- [Aislinn] In response to this growing problem, scientists throughout the state of Maine have been focusing their efforts on better understanding ticks and the diseases they carry.

- It's quite an interdisciplinary problem to confront.

You've got dimensions related to the environment and the biology of all of the vector and host species involved.

But there's also a really strong human component to tick-borne disease exposure risk, because how we interact with the environment, how we modify the environment, can really affect the environment for ticks and their hosts - [Aislinn] Here in this patch of woods, these humane researchers are trying to determine if ticks are more numerous in areas where certain plants grow.

- There's been a lot of evidence that invasive plants might correlate with a higher number of blacklegged ticks in an area.

So what we're doing here is we're comparing sites with buckthorn, which is an invasive plant, to sites that don't have buckthorn on them.

So this is our buckthorn and they're the plant that we're interested in 'cause even though this one's alone, they tend to grow really densely together, which makes for good habitat for small mammals.

- [Aislinn] Blacklegged ticks feed on a variety of animals, including small mammals like mice.

Therefore, if those animals are living in the area, that may mean more ticks on the landscape.

- We're also measuring leaf litter density and we've got sensors measuring temperature and humidity.

And we also have some trail cameras out to see if we can catch any deer or mice in the area.

- [Aislinn] After they're done collecting ticks with the cloth, which is known as tick dragging, they conduct a tick check, searching their clothes and skin for any stowaways.

Diseases usually take several hours to be transmitted through a tick bite so finding and removing ticks quickly is key to avoiding infection.

- We have a bottle of 70% ethanol and we just drop them right in and that will keep them preserved so that we can identify them in the lab and so that they can be sent off for testing.

- [Aislinn] Looking at ticks at a microscopic level is key to understanding them.

Nearby at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tick ID Lab, researchers do just that in a state-of-the-art facility.

- The Tick lab itself kinda started in earnest in 2013 when we took over a tick identification program from some of our collaborators at Maine Health.

- [Aislinn] The lab provides a popular service.

Anyone from the public can mail in ticks for free identification and a $20 testing for diseases.

This service has grown in popularity over the years.

To date, between five and 6,000 ticks are sent in by the public annually.

- To submit a tick to the lab, all we really ask is that people complete a relatively short submission survey and then they'll get a sample number.

They pop their tick in a Ziploc bag and mail it to our lab here in Orono.

- [Aislinn] Here Dill is looking at a blacklegged tick or deer tick.

- So with the deer tick, it tends to be this kinda round, dark brown or black spot on the back of the tick.

And that's kinda something you can generally see without the aid of a microscope.

You can kinda just look at a tick in the palm of your hand and generally see that spot on the back of the tick.

- [Aislinn] Often people's skin will swell in reaction to the bite, and this makes the tick appear to be buried deeper into the skin than it actually is.

After the tick is IDed, it's tested for a variety of diseases.

- As the ticks arrive here at the lab, they go through a freezing process to make sure that they're all dead.

Then they come under the scope.

Here we do a morphological identification, looking at all these minute features to make sure that we're accurate in our tick identifications.

From there, the tick then goes on to a machine that violently shakes them and crushes them up into little pieces so that we can access the DNA and the RNA that's within the tick to get at those pathogens.

We're currently testing for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, hard tick relapsing fever, and Powassan virus.

We're also proactively testing for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and Heartland virus.

- [Aislinn] All of this data is compiled in a report that's released to the public annually.

A big part of the lab's mission is to keep the public informed with the most up-to-date information.

In addition, the lab has also established 15 long-term monitoring sites throughout the state to track changes in tick populations over time.

Plus, Dill works with other labs to share knowledge.

- Everyone is really collaborative in nature when it comes to this tick-borne disease issue.

Everyone's looking for solutions and is happy to share data, information, and resources.

- It is certainly a national problem, not something that is strictly confined to Maine.

And we do have a great community of researchers in the state, the region, and the country as a whole who are working on it.

- This collaboration extending beyond Maine to other states is especially important.

It's our best defense against new tick species as they migrate into Maine.

Tick research is a daunting challenge, but rewarding in the way that it helps people stay safe as they continue to enjoy the outdoors.

Ticks are an unfortunate fact of life here in Maine, but you can improve your safety by always doing a tick check after being outdoors.

If you do find a tick on you, contact your healthcare provider right away.

(lighthearted music) Maine's distinct seasons and diverse habitats provide conditions that allow wildlife to thrive here.

During spring, Maine is a key stopover point for millions of birds along the Eastern Flyway.

One of the busiest spots is at the Bangor City Forest.

in Orono Bog Boardwalk.

We took a stroll with avian aficionado, Bob Duchesne, to learn about the ins and outs of spring migration here in Maine.

(gentle music) So do you come to the Bangor City Forest a lot to bird?

- Every chance I get, which isn't very often 'cause I'm so busy.

(Aislinn and Bob chuckling) - [Aislinn] I'm walking with Bob Duchesne, one of the most well-known bird experts in Maine at one of his favorite birding spots, the Rolland F. Perry City Forest, also known as the Bangor City Forest.

- It is a managed forest for decades, managed for diversity, and you know, species diversity and age.

So there's so many little micro habitats in here that if there's a bird, it can find the habitat it wants in here.

It's just full of diversity.

- I've known Bob for years.

He's the founder of the Maine Birding Trail, a list of birding hotspots throughout the state and he often leads guided bird walks at festivals and other events.

So what can we see along the road here?

I know you can bird by ear.

- Yes.

- So you already know what's here, I'm assuming.

- Oh yeah.

There's a chipping sparrow that just chipped in there somewhere.

Then there's a red-eyed vireo that just sang for one song up there.

He's just warming up.

(bird twittering) There's a blue-headed vireo singing over there.

- I have to learn this, this trick of yours.

How long does it take to learn how to bird by ear like this?

- I started in first grade, so I would say- - Oh, darn it.

(Bob chuckles) (bird warbling) So you know the ovenbird, teacher, teacher, teacher.

It's a ground-dwelling warbler.

They actually nest on the ground in what looks like a dutch oven up against the tree trunk.

- Oh cool.

- And so that's where they got the name.

But it's brown and looks very much like a thrush and kind of acts like one.

(bird warbling) - So, is it predictable that certain birds will come back year after year or do you have to come and like scout it out?

- Nope.

It's very predictable.

I could draw a map of where everything's gonna be in this place.

- Wow.

- And it's all habitat-related.

There's certain things that certain birds like.

This forest edge is this kind of thing that a magnolia warbler and black and white warblers really love.

And then there's Nashville warbler that's around the edge that is always in the spot.

Black-throated green warbler tends to be back over there.

The blackburnian tends to be in the taller trees back there and the pine warbler's singing like crazy, so.

- Wow.

- And it's the same every year.

(bird warbling) So we're in the height of migration season right now, which is just like for a birder, it's like the most exciting time of year because you don't have to work that hard.

Birds are saying where they are and who they are regularly.

- [Aislinn] Bird migration in Maine starts as early as March with red-winged blackbirds and turkey vultures.

Then continues through April and May as different species make their way north from wintering grounds in the south.

(bird chirruping) - [Bob] There's the guy I was waiting for.

- Winter wren?

- Winter wren.

Best singer in North America.

- [Aislinn] Maine is home to around 300 bird species.

But don't let that overwhelm you if you're new to birding.

Bob says that birding isn't as hard as it looks.

- You open up a field guide and there's all these birds, all these pictures.

How could you possibly know or see all these, right?

But the reality is around you, you can rip out 90% of the pages and still cover what's in your backyard.

- So I learned by sight 'cause I take photos, but I wanna learn by ear.

Would you suggest that people learn birds by ear and what's the benefit of that?

- Yes, definitely because especially you take right now, the birds are telling you who they are and where they are.

So you can walk through the woods and you know everything that's around you if you know them.

And it's the same situation.

There's a lot of songs going on, but if we hear 20 birds on a walk through here, 80% of the noise is coming from five of them.

I mean, how many ovenbirds have we heard just walking in this area?

They, everywhere.

They're just everywhere.

- It's on cue.

- Yeah.

So, once you get to know the ones that are making all the noise, the ones that are making a little less noise get easier.

- [Aislinn] For birding tools, Bob suggests binoculars plus the mobile app eBird, which allows you to track your sightings.

And the mobile app Merlin, which allows you to identify bird songs in real time.

These were created by the Cornell Lab, which runs a website, allaboutbirds.org, where you could learn about bird species and compare them.

So this has just opened up.

- Yeah, May 1st.

This is spectacular.

- [Aislinn] Next we visited the adjacent Orono Bog Boardwalk.

A 600 acre habitat perfect for a variety of bird species.

- I mean, to have this kind of access through a forested wetland into a open bog, you can't even put a road through that kind of thing anymore.

But to put a bog boardwalk over it is nationally significant.

- The boardwalk travels through a forested wetland to a peat bog, and different birds favor those habitats, like the northern water thrush.

(bird chirruping) So what are some things that you typically see around this area?

- Oh, what?

Okay.

That's the northern water thrush.

- [Aislinn] Is this a common bird here, the water thrush?

- It's not uncommon in Maine.

There's plenty of them but they're very specific about the habitat they're looking for and this is it.

Beaver Flowage is really marshy areas with a lot of understory like this.

That's where they hang out.

I've been coming to the spot for, I don't know, 25 to 30 years.

And every year there's a chestnut-sided warbler right here.

- Bob shares his birding adventures and knowledge on his YouTube channel, Bob Duchesne, which has 14,000 subscribers.

He also writes a column for the Bangor Daily News called "Good Birding."

Why do you think so many people are into birding?

The community is giant.

- I have a number of theories because this has been happening for a while.

First of all, you get all us baby boomers (chuckles) who grew up doing mountain climbing and biking and whitewater rafting and all that stuff.

And then we get old but we still wanted to be outside doing stuff.

And it was either golf or birds or gardening.

I mean, gardening is a big one.

So, we still wanna be active and outside and engaging with nature.

We always, especially Maynard, just love wildlife.

So there was a natural progression there.

- [Aislinn] So what do you think it is about birds?

'Cause we've got other animals to get into but people just really love birds.

- They can fly.

We can't.

(chuckles) They are colorful.

They sing.

You know, how many other animals are out there singing like birds do.

They will come to your backyard and they are so colorful and there's so much variety and they're seeable.

I mean, you can love amphibians, but how many do you see in one day?

- [Aislinn] Right.

- But how many birds were around here today?

- [Aislinn] Yeah.

- So, birds are just a resource for everybody that a lot of people can get into real quickly.

- Well, thanks so much for walking down the trail with me today and showing me a few things and I'll definitely be back at Bangor City Forest to do this because it was so much fun.

- Thanks.

I was thrilled because "Borealis" is great.

It's great.

- Thank you.

Well, thanks so much.

(gentle music) (no audio) This week's hike takes us to Boot Head, a beautiful piece of land on the eastern corner of the state that includes some of Maine's most spectacular ocean cliffs.

This is just one of the many properties conserved by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

An organization that's conserved over 190,000 acres throughout the state with the help of partners and has opened 165 preserves for the public to enjoy.

(uptempo music) (relaxing music) Today we're in Eastern Maine, in the town of Lubec, and we are adventuring at Boot Head Preserve.

(water lapping) (relaxing music) This property was conserved by Maine Coast Heritage Trust in 1988, and it features a hiking trail that forms a loop and out and around it's about two miles.

(relaxing music) The trail starts out in this beautiful mossy forest and pretty early on you can go visit a peat bog.

(relaxing music) So, this is Boot Cove Heath and it is one of the state's 115 raised coastal peatlands.

It's home to some interesting plants like Labrador tea and eastern larch, and even carnivorous pitcher plants.

Basically what happens is the flies climb in, they die, and then the plant uses those nutrients.

So, they're carnivorous.

(relaxing music) This is a red-belted polypore.

It's a very common mushroom, tree mushroom in Maine, and one of my favorites.

(relaxing music) (relaxing music continues) This is a perfect example of how dramatic and rocky Maine's coastline can be.

This is actually a famous section of the Maine's coastline and it's called the Bold Coast and you can see why.

(relaxing music) (relaxing music continues) (relaxing music continues) (relaxing music continues) (relaxing music continues) So this is probably the most photographed spot in the preserve with this beautiful overlook on the cliffs here.

(relaxing music) We're just gonna sit here and enjoy the sunset.

And from here, the trail's gonna loop back into the forest and we will follow it back to the trailhead.

(relaxing music) Thanks for joining me and I'll see you on the next set.

(relaxing music) (waves crashing) (relaxing music fades) If you missed an episode of "Borealis" or just wanna rewatch one of your favorite segments, head on over to our YouTube page.

You'll find full episodes, individual stories, and bonus content that you won't find anywhere else.

Watch "Borealis" anytime, anywhere on YouTube.

(lighthearted music) Thank you for watching another season of "Borealis."

I hope you enjoyed all the people and places we visited on the show this year.

If you know of an outdoor-related story we should tell whether it's an inspiring outdoors person, unique outdoor activity, or fascinating research or conservation project, email us at borealis@mainepublic.org.

And until next time, get out there and enjoy the outdoors, rain or shine.

(lighthearted music) (lighthearted music continues) (lighthearted music continues)