Restoring native shrublands for New England Cottontail in Southern Maine

Once found throughout New England and eastern New York, the New England cottontail’s range has shrunk by 75 percent in only the last 50 years. The species prefers dense thickets of early-successional habitat and has declined dramatically with the regeneration of mature forests in this region. Biologists believe competition with extremely high densities of white-tailed deer and Eastern cottontails and a proliferation of exotic plant species have also contributed to their decline. With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) recent decision to list the New England Cottontail as a candidate for the endangered species list, there has been a reinvigorated interest in protecting them. As an example, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in southern Maine hosted two volunteer planting days in September. The FWS and Defenders volunteers planted many native shrub species including gray birch, chokeberry, and common juniper, to enhance cottontail habitat along the Spurwink River. These species should form high-quality, dense habitat for the New England cottontail and other shrubland species.

Defenders will continue to partner with a variety of groups in New England to help restore habitat needed for the recovery of the New England cottontail. Our $5,000 contribution to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge will support cultivating and planting natives while removing non-native, invasive plant species, creating vegetation and cottontail monitoring programs, and recruiting volunteers to assist with the labor-intensive restoration work. This work will improve conditions for the rabbit prior to its being placed on the federal threatened and endangered list.

Support for this project is provided through Defenders of Wildlife’s Earth Friends Wild Species Fund, which helps protect and restore our nation’s imperiled wildlife.