The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Board voted unanimously at their fall meeting to allocate $5,000 tow...
A Swift Recovery
The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Board voted unanimously at their fall meeting to allocate $5,000 toward replacing the Chimney Swift roosting chimney at the old Brunswick High School. Board Chair Thomas Urquhart championed the proposal allowing it to succeed in a very competitive round of requests. Together with a $2,000 commitment by the Town and $1,000 from Chapter funds, we have a good foundation to start out public fundraising to insure the success of this exciting project.
Chimney Swifts are declining rapidly throughout their range. In Maine, swifts are identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the State Wildlife Action Plan. Maine breeding swift populations have declined 42% in the past 20 years, but poor understanding of statewide population and distribution has kept them from being officially listed as a threatened species under the Maine Endangered Species Act although population trends clearly indicate their eligibility.
Once inhabitants of old growth forests, Chimney Swifts are now dependent on the built landscape. The swifts which migrate through Brunswick on their way to breeding areas to the north will soon lose their roosting place, which we believe is of region-wide importance to the swifts. The chimney at the old Brunswick High School is slated for demolition to provide space for a new elementary school. The current chimney provides rest for up to 300 Chimney Swifts during migration, while some stay in th
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