Birdsacre Sanctuary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Stanwood Homestead
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 289 High Street (Maine State Route 3), Ellsworth, Maine |
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| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000110 |
| Added to NRHP | January 19, 1973 |
Birdsacre Sanctuary, also known as Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary, is a special place in Ellsworth, Maine, United States. It is a historic house museum and a home for wild animals. The main part of this property is a 40-acre piece of land. It once belonged to Cordelia Stanwood, a pioneering Maine ornithologist. An ornithologist is someone who studies birds. Her home became a museum in 1960. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Sadly, Stanwood's home was damaged by a fire in 2014. Today, the sanctuary is much larger, covering about 200 acres. It has walking trails, an apple orchard, and a nature center. The nature center shows off a collection of art and nature items. This includes Cordelia J. Stanwood's notes about birds and her many photographs.
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Discovering Birdsacre Sanctuary
Birdsacre Sanctuary is located just south of downtown Ellsworth. You can find it on the west side of Maine State Route 3. This road connects Ellsworth to Bar Harbor. The Stanwood home is a simple wooden house built around 1850. Before the 2014 fire, it held many original items. These included things that belonged to Cordelia Stanwood.
Who Was Cordelia Stanwood?
Cordelia Stanwood was a self-taught ornithologist and naturalist. A naturalist is someone who studies nature. She spent 50 years of her life studying birds and nature. She focused on the area around her home. After she passed away in 1958, people in the community worked together. They bought her property. It was then opened as a museum and sanctuary in 1960.
Exploring the Wildlife Sanctuary
The wildlife sanctuary has grown to about 200 acres. It has a network of trails for visitors to explore. Some of these trails were even planned by Cordelia Stanwood herself. These trails lead through different landscapes and habitats. This means you can see many different types of birds there.
In 1990, a nature center was built at the sanctuary. This center has a collection of mounted birds and mammals. It also displays a collection of bird eggs and nests. Some parts of this collection are more than 100 years old.
The Stanwood Homestead Fire
On March 6, 2014, the Stanwood homestead was badly damaged by a fire. Much of the old building was destroyed. Many important items from Cordelia Stanwood's life were also lost. These included her camera and her typewriter. However, some items, like many of her field notes, were saved from the flames.
