The Wrack

Were lucky to work with some of the best wedding professionals in the business. Here are thoughts of three of our favorites. What trends do they see in the industry? Why do they love being a part of events here?

Beach-based businesses, a powerful economic engine for Maine, are generally little prepared for storm surge and coastal flooding. Yet lessons learned from previous disasters underscore how important the recovery of businesses is to the overall recovery of a regions economy.

For the past five weeks, our research staff have been out fishing in the rivers of southern Maine to provide up-to-date information on species with the greatest need for conservation. We have been fortunate to have the help of some dedicated community volunteers and members of the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited. ?This is the earliest weve been fishing in recent years and the catch has been diverse and exciting!

How important is having an environmentally-friendly wedding to you? Here's some food for thought.

Green crab burrowing activity is weakening salt marsh creek banks, causing them to erode.

Paddle on calm and quiet waters while observing wildlife and learning about the natural history of estuaries, our treasured habitats.

2016 is our sixth year offering these popular guided tours led by registered Maine Kayak Guides.

Friends and staff of four National Estuarine Research Reserves — Wells, Great Bay, Waquoit, and Narragansett —are expected to line the banks of the Little River over the weekend for Bleachers on the Estuary.

The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 3/20/2016, and Making It At Home's 3/23/2016 issue.

My wife and I and our two boys moved up to Maine full-time in July 2012. We felt like wed arrived in the Garden of Eden. Lobsters were four bucks, the ocean was 73 degrees, and the outdoor season stretched well into November. It wasnt the Maine I knew from my childhood (swimmable water!?), but who cared? It was awesome.

Recently the Coastal Training Program hosted a webinar series on environmental communication by Water Words that Work. Space was limited and several of you asked for materials and resources. View part I here.

The Environmental Message Method

Step 1: Begin with behavior

Watch these two videos and compare their style.

The first video provides awareness about an issue but doesn't leave the viewer with any solutions. The second video provides multiple actions or behavior changes the viewer can make.

This spring, our research staff will be heading out to nearby rivers to begin a fish-monitoring project and you can get involved.

We're collaborating with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to generate up-to-date population information on species with the greatest conservation need in coastal Maine. DMR staff have identified potential spawning habitat for diadromous species such as alewife, rainbow smelt, and brook trout in the Merriland River, Mousam River, and Little River (Biddeford). Now were off too see if these species are indeed using these habitats.