Body of Well Known Maine Naturalist Found in River

Body of Well Known Maine Naturalist Found in River 

3½ miles downstream from her home, well-known local naturalist Judy Kellogg Markowsky, 65, was found Friday afternoon in the Penobscot River.  She had gone missing from the Avalon Village retirement community earlier this week. 

Earlier this year, Maine Audubon honored Markowsky, who was the first Maine Audubon staff member in the Bangor area and was instrumental in the construction of the Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden, the group’s website states.
The Audubon called her “the person who worked tirelessly to make Fields Pond such a successful place, from building the Fields Pond Audubon Center in the late 1990s, to establishing the family programs, classes, meetings, school programs, and community events that, over time, made Fields Pond Audubon Center a keystone of the greater Bangor community,” states the Maine Audubon’s online journal, Habitat.
Markowsky was a member of the Penobscot Valley Audubon Chapter and was an active member of the state’s annual bird count.
“As a passionate naturalist, and expert birder, she enthusiastically engaged any adult or young person who was interested in nature, while also engaging the scientific community through her writings in books and scientific journals,” the June 2011 Habitat article states.
The National Women’s History Project recognized Markowsky in 2009 “as one of 100 women who showed exceptional vision and leadership in environmental protection,” and that same year she was presented with a Maryann Hartman Award by the University of Maine, it states.
“Judy epitomizes the best of Maine Audubon — experienced, knowledgeable, passionate, willing to engage others, and committed to wildlife conservation for the long haul,” Maine Audubon executive director Ted Koffman states in the Habitat article. “Thank you, Judy, for all that you have done for Maine Audubon, for Fields Pond and for wildlife and habitat in Maine.
“Your legacy is truly extraordinary.”