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PHOTO: From left, Blaise Clapp, Leslie Clapp, Bicknell Award winner; Amanda Laliberte, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust. (Submitted photo)
RANGELEY – Leslie Clapp is the recipient of the John Bicknell Award for Birding Conservation, which was presented at the fourth annual Rangeley Birding Festival on June 11.
Under the direction of Clapp, of Blue Hill, the most significant conservation effort of the Downeast Chapter of Maine Audubon, the Bluebird Trail, was completed. The trail was started 15 years ago with just 20 houses in two locations. The trail now has more than 400 homes in 117 areas. Clapp oversees this process, sending out data sheets, instructions, and visuals for the monitoring process, getting GPS coordinates for all houses, and compiling the data sheets. Last year on the Blue Bird Trail, there were 337 bird houses monitored by volunteers. From those 337 monitored houses, six house wren, 229 black-
Clapp’s birding trips are unique and famous, and the field trip that everyone — birds and non-birders alike, waits for is the one at her 10-acre property. Her gardens, fields, woods, pond, and apiary area is not only beautiful but is also managed as prime wildlife habitats. Feeders, shelters such as brush piles — both casual and structured, water features, and natural food sources for both birds and pollinators abound. It is recognized by the National Wildlife Association as Certified Wildlife Habitat.
“Leslie does her work quietly and without fanfare or need for recognition, which makes her the ideal candidate for the John Bicknell Award,” said Chrissy Beardsley Allen, who nominated Clapp.
The John Bicknell Award for Birding Conservation Excellence honors the legacy of Bicknell, who became a Rangeley resident in 1973 and remained one until his death in 2018. He designed and cared for the Mingo Trail and Bird Walk and created many rock gardens and the annual and perennial flower gardens throughout Mingo Springs Golf Course. Bicknell led the effort to get sanctuary designation on the Mingo Springs golf course and was also recognized for his environmental stewardship by Audubon International.
Throughout the weekend of the birding festival, world-class guides explored the boreal forest of Rangeley with festival participants, sharing their knowledge of the birdlife and more that flourishes there. Birders checked Bicknell’s thrush, boreal chickadees, Northern parula, Swainson’s thrush, bay-breasted and Blackburnian warblers off their life list.
For more information about the festival, visit RangeleyBirdingFestival.com.
