Rachel Carson Wildlife Center, Wells
Rachel Carson, author and environmentalist, played a major role in raising the public awareness to the impact of pesticides on the environment. Some of her earlier works concerned life in and around the sea and the role all creatures play in the chain of life.
The Rachel Carson Refuge is part of a nationwide system of refuges created to protect wildlife and their valuable habitats at key locations along migration routes. Rachel Carson Refuge was created to protect the vital coastal marshes and wetlands in southern Maine in cooperation with the State. The Refuge is under the direction of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.

When completed, the refuge will consist of 7,435 acres of salt marsh and adjacent upland habitat in ten divisions between Kittery and Cape Elizabeth. The Refuge was established in 1966 and dedicated to Rachel Carson on June 27, 1970. The Refuge commemorated the 25th anniversary of the dedication to Rachel Carson in June, 1995.

This marshland was highly valued by the early settlers for the harvesting of salt marsh hay. The dikes they constructed can still be seen along the marshes. This coastal marsh area provides habitat for a wide variety of birds, mammals, and plants. Over 250 species of birds can be observed on or from the refuge during the year. Waterfowl including Canadian Geese, black ducks, green winged teal and other species visit the area during the spring and fall migratory seasons. Shore birds, wading birds, gulls and terns, as well as a variety of songbirds, use the refuge. A one mile long wheelchair accessible nature trail with an associated interpretative leaflet is available at the headquarters site. Literature, maps and other information can also be obtained at the refuge office, located on Route 9, on the way to Kennebunkport.

For more information about Rachel Carson: http://www.rachelcarson.org/