The Wrack

On Thursday, May 7, a little bit of history was made at the fish ladder located at the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water District. For the first time since restoring the fish ladder in December 2013 we successfully caught a fish that we had previously captured and tagged downstream at our Route 9 Branch Brook fishing net. Now, sea lamprey #181 is famous here in the research department!

One April long ago, my ornithology instructor took our class to Bowerman Basin to view an annual sandpiper spectacle he helped discover and document. Dr. Herman delivered us to an enormous flock of shorebirds and, as science students "seeking patterns in nature," charged us with tallying them.

"How do we count such a huge flock of birds?" we asked the sage.

"Count the legs and divide by two," was his wisdom.*

Ever since, I've strived to get good looks at bird legs whenever I've got binoculars in hand. No, I'm not counting them; I'm checking them for bands. Steve also taught us the value of studying birds as individuals and as populations  and how both approaches are aided by a scientist's ability to identify specific birds reliably. To do that requires marking them and legs are the go-to appendage.

Now that we are heading into May, the schoolyear's biggest vacations are over. But during February and April breaks, campers headed to the Wells Reserve for plenty of outdoor fun and learning, and this year was a blast! Below are a few fun photos from February's Ocean Explorers and Snow Survivors camps and April's Vernal Pool Party and Marshy Mysteries. Check them out and remember: the biggest vacation is right around the corner -- click here for our full schedule of summer camp offerings beginning in June!

Our quinzee building crew during Snow survivors!

Weve known for decades the high costs of digging up and burning oil, coal, and natural gas. Science, and now morality, implore us to find cleaner, more guilt-free energy sources.

Today's preschool story hour featured local author/illustrator Tony Viehmann's Whales Are Amazing...Just Like You! After a reading of this playful story in the library, our group of little marine scientists moved to the barn and learned that blue whales can grow up to 100 feet long. We measured this distance together and discovered that blue whales are a few feet longer than the barn! Below are photos of some of the participating preschoolers and their caregivers, creating their very own whale sock puppets to take home.

I had a very busy weekend. I led vernal pool walks for both the Kittery Land Trust and the Great Works Regional Land Trusts on conserved properties known for their vernal pool habitats. But not only was I busy, so were the inhabitants of these very cool pools.

all photos: Brenna Crothers

A tough winter gives way and spring is in the air.

It has been nearly two months since Linda Littlefield Grenfell, the Reserve's Environmental Educator, presented her Lunch 'n Learn entitled, "What Do I Want to Do Next?" It followed our tremendously successful Volunteer Fair, where community members gathered to learn more about the varied year-round volunteer opportunities available at the Reserve.

Linda's presentation was centered around retirement, aimed at providing useful tips for retirees. Two months later, I am still reflecting upon the content of her talk.

Learning how the reserve system works as a whole, how neighboring reserves strive to work together, and how staff members collaborate on ideas.

On Tuesday, six of us traveled to Augusta for the 2015 Maine Sustainability and Water Conference. This conference was established by UMaine in 1994 to bring together water resource professionals, researchers, consultants, citizens, students, regulators, and planners to discuss the future of Maines water resources. This year's conference included presentations, panel discussions, and poster displays. Session topics ranged from Ocean Acidification to Municipal Water Resources Management to Urban Sustainability & Climate Change, to Sustainable Engagement with the Food System, as well as many more!

Four reserve staff had the privilege of sharing recent and ongoing projects: