Recent News

Bouncing Back: Maine Landowners Work to Save Cottontail Rabbits

April 06, 2015 — cfergus

By Aislinn Sarnacki, Bangor Daily News

Once abundant in farming communities, the New England cottontail rabbit has all but disappeared from Maine in the past few decades. Today, biologists estimate that 250 to 300 cottontails remain in the state, and they’re secluded to small pockets of shrublands south of Portland.

A Bunny’s Tale: Protecting New England Cottontail Habitat on Cape Cod

April 03, 2015 — cfergus

By Diane Petit, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Massachusetts

Cape Cod’s beautiful seashore, inlets, salt marshes and woodlands are a natural draw for year-round and vacation home owners, and tourists. A boon for the local economy, the associated development is not so good for an elusive little creature: the New England cottontail rabbit. Habitat loss has New England’s only native rabbit as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

“Bunny Hop” Race Focuses on Rare New England Cottontail

March 14, 2013 — cfergus

Londonderry, NH (March 11, 2013) – Stonyfield, the world’s leading organic yogurt maker, in collaboration with LOCO Sports, will host the third annual Stonyfield Earth Day 5-Kilometer Race and Fair on Saturday, April 20. The event will take place from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Stonyfield Yogurt Works at 10 Burton Drive in Londonderry. This family-friendly road race and fair is open to the public.

Habitat Projects Moving Forward in New Hampshire

May 23, 2012 — cfergus

From New Hampshire Fish and Game Department:
For the New England cottontail, mild winter conditions during 2011-2012 were a stroke of luck: The lack of snow made it easier for the bunnies to hide and find food. For the biologists who are surveying cottontails, the same conditions made it maddeningly difficult to find evidence of the rabbits' presence.

Citizens Can Help New England Cottontails in Massachusetts

May 23, 2012 — cfergus

From Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife:
Back in December 2010, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) appealed to sportsmen, highway department workers, animal control officers, and other interested citizens to collect and provide cottontail carcasses or skulls.

New Preserve in Southern Maine to Benefit Bunnies, People

March 06, 2012 — cfergus

Residents of Wells, North Berwick, and southern Maine will enjoy a new nature preserve in 2012. After more than a decade of community efforts, the Town of Wells bought the former Granite State lands from Unitil Corporation in December 2011. Great Works Regional Land Trust will hold a conservation easement on the 288-acre property, which was renamed Perkinstown Commons.

Captive Breeding May Help Save the New England Cottontail

March 05, 2012 — cfergus

In November 2011, conservationists and captive-breeding specialists released nine three- to four-month-old New England cottontails at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge on the southern coast of Rhode Island.

The rabbits, born from matings between wild cottontails from Connecticut, were placed in a 1-acre brushy area surrounded by predator-proof fencing. As of February 2012, they were doing well in their semi-wild home.

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