Abigail Curtis

Features Reporter at Bangor Daily News

Writer, hiker, reader, newshound, enthusiastic citizen of the Pine Tree State. As of fall 2022, telling stories from Colby College (Go Mules!)

Articles

Foraging means free food everywhere, if you know how to find it

Jun 28, 2024 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in 2018. When most people venture into Maine fields and forests in the summertime, they probably see flowers, trees, ferns and glimpses of wildlife if they’re lucky. David Spahr of Washington sees all those things, too, of course, but he also sees something else: a stocked pantry, full of wild foods that are delicious, nutritious and, best of all, free. “There’s free food everywhere you look,” the 68-year-old forager, writer and educator likes to say.
How an invasive plant is helping ticks survive

Jun 11, 2024 | newsbreak.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in August 2018. There are a lot of reasons to want to control the non-native plants that have invaded the state of Maine. But scientific research done on Japanese barberry adds one more big one to the list: the dense, thorny shrub actually creates a microclimate that is good for ticks. And that is bad news for people.
Beware of the beautiful weed that can cause blindness and burns

Jun 8, 2024 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in July 2021. Imagine that you are poking around your flower garden, weeding or simply enjoying the beautiful blooms, when you suddenly notice a tall, beautiful plant that looks out of place among the day lilies and other midsummer blooms. That’s exactly what happened recently to a family that lives in the Saturday Cove neighborhood of Northport.
These invasive flowers are bad for Maine

May 16, 2024 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in May 2018. Just as your mom might have told you, beauty is only skin deep. That’s the case with a trio of invasive plants that have been identified as problematic in Maine, according to a couple of plant experts here.
How to grow rhubarb in Maine

Mar 26, 2024 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in 2018. When it comes to starting rhubarb and keeping it going, it’s worth looking at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s bulletin on growing it in Maine. The cool-weather perennial, which is a member of the buckwheat family, thrives in northern states where it gets cold enough to force the plant into dormancy, according to Richard Brzozowski, an extension educator.
Maine Yankee Archives

Feb 25, 2024 | bangordailynews.com | Jules Walkup |Abigail Curtis

After challenging the exemption in court late last year, the town is now making a separate push for legislation that would specifically bar Maine Yankee from using the tax incentive that’s meant for facilities that control air pollution.
How Mainers can reduce their plastic waste

Feb 22, 2024 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in August 2018. Shlomit Auciello of Rockland hasn’t bought plastic wrap, or new Tupperware-style plastic containers, in decades. She avoids using microfiber fleece and washes plastic bags to reuse them again and again. She knows that makes her a bit quirky by modern American standards, but she hopes that more and more Mainers will start to develop quirks like hers and take their own steps to reduce their use and waste of plastic.
That can of pumpkin puree could have Maine roots

Nov 14, 2023 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

This story was originally published in November 2021. Like lots of Mainers, Emily Muise of Trenton spends part of the month of November in a frenzy of pie making. By the time she’s done, she’ll have baked two pecan pies, a blueberry pie and four pumpkin pies, all of which are destined for a bake sale that raises money to support women’s education.
Remembering the Unity firefighter who died in flooding during a 1954 hurricane

Sep 14, 2023 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

Editor’s note: A version of this story was originally published in January 2022. A Unity firefighter was killed while trying to rescue a family caught in a flash flood more than 60 years ago may have a bridge named after him. Sen. Glenn “Chip” Curry, D-Waldo, submitted legislation in 2022 to rename a bridge over Sandy Stream in Unity after Alton “Mac” McCormick. The bridge, then called Bridge 5228, carries Routes 202 and 9 over Sandy Stream.
Remembering the Unity firefighter who died in flooding during a 1954 hurricane

Sep 13, 2023 | bangordailynews.com | Abigail Curtis

Editor’s note: A version of this story was originally published in January 2022. A Unity firefighter was killed while trying to rescue a family caught in a flash flood more than 60 years ago may have a bridge named after him. Sen. Glenn “Chip” Curry, D-Waldo, submitted legislation in 2022 to rename a bridge over Sandy Stream in Unity after Alton “Mac” McCormick. The bridge, then called Bridge 5228, carries Routes 202 and 9 over Sandy Stream.