The Wrack

Bright and beautiful at the seashore today. People were out. A few of them even talked to Vivien Leigh, reporting from Wells. We know at least a dozen folks took pics and imagine many more will send to the contest.

Email your best one or two before October 15 at 11:59 pm to:

contest@gulfofmaine.kingtides.net

See the winning entries, finalists, and additional images from around the region.

Several of us scattered across estuaries stretching from Ogunquit to Kennebunk, documenting the sea's level and considering the consequences.

We'll start sharing our thoughts with a collection of photos from the day. Up top is Sue Bickford's shot of a submerged crab play set. Below will be&

1. Drakes Island Road by Nik Charov
2. Mile Road shoreline by Kristin Wilson
3. Mile Road, Wells by Sue Bickford
4. Webhannet Drive, Wells by Kristin Wilson
5. Welcome to Drakes Island by Nik Charov
6. Little River Estuary by Suzanne Kahn
7. Barrier Beach Overlook by Annie Cox
8. Ankle Deep by Sue Bickford
9. Laudholm Beach walker by Scott Richardson

Figure 1: A chart of the scientific consensus on climate change (97% of scientists agree that humans are driving global warming), and how much attention the minority opinion seems to receive in the media. Or is it a graph of the amount of America's wealth controlled by the top 3% (54.5%), vs. the bottom 97%?

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The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 10/5/2014.

Two weeks ago, my family and I were perched on the steps of the grand fountain in Columbus Circle, Manhattan, watching 300,000 people march past. They sang, they shouted, and they carried thousands of messages, all communicating one thing: world leaders, its time to do something about climate change. A week of action followed. Further protests spread around the world, corporations declared carbon reduction goals, and even presidents and prime ministers frankly spoke of addressing the need to revise a framework for negotiation.

Thats some progress, anyway.

The Yankee Woodlot Trail & Demonstration Forest was dedicated with a ceremonial watering of a newly planted American Chestnut seedling and a guided hike along the trail.

Heidi Hubbard originally came from Germany but moved to Texas where she was an art and German teacher for many years until her retirement. She has used her retirement years volunteering around the world and …

Last Thursday, I was fortunate to be among about 75 people who gathered at the Footbridge Beach parking lot in Ogunquit to unveil a rock dedicating the estuary in memory of Isabel Lewando who died in 2011. Isabel came to Ogunquit in the 1950's and established herself as a model, artist, writer, and photographer. She was also a life-long defender of the environment, particularly the Ogunquit River and beach.

"What an impact! Verifiable scientific information--not political lies! Excellent! A must see and hear program for ALL! Really relevant! Outstanding! Data rich and easily understood!" These are comments written on evaluation forms at the end of Dr. Paul Mayewski's Climate Stewards evening lecture in Mather Auditorium last week. Mayewski, the Director and Distinguished Professor of the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, took us on a "journey into climate," sharing results from research he and others have conducted over the past forty years in Antarctica and the Arctic. Did you miss the lecture? Don't fret! Kate filmed it and you can watch it in its entirety here.

Short on time? Below is a sampling of the many nuggets of information Mayewski shared:

The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 9/21/2014.

With a too-short summer and the back-to-school fracas, anyone would be pardoned for missing the official Congressional resolution naming this coming week National Estuaries Week, the annual celebration of the places where rivers meet the sea.

Before you get too excited, please understand that the resolution is merely pending, and that estuaries dont get the whole month. According to Congress, the entire 30 days of September have, in recent years, been reserved for Gospel Music Heritage, Bourbon Heritage, Prostate Cancer Awareness, Childhood Obesity, Honey, and even Self-Awareness. (And you thought our legislators didnt do anything  shame on you.)

Resolved or not, 1/52nd of a year certainly seems like a worthy amount of time to devote to estuaries, those humble places of mud and marsh that do so much.

The local paper of record didn't print this letter to the editor these last two weeks, so we'll just publish it ourselves! Thank you again, one and all, for another great Crafts Festival. ----- For 27 years running, dedicated volunteers and the staff of the Wells Reserve and Laudholm Trust, along with hundreds of master artisans, have been proving that there is life here after Labor Day. …

The invasive European green crab is not only a popular topic in the media these days; here at the reserve green crabs are receiving their?fair share of attention as well? 5,878 of them so far to be exact!

The Wells Reserve has teamed up with the University of Maine, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, and Southern Maine Health Care to study the impacts of the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) on the geology and stability of our marshes. Over the summer we have been collecting abundance data that will later be used in conjunction with fyke net data, water quality data, and even geological techniques to better understand the effects green crabs are having on salt marshes throughout southern Maine.

Create a U.S./Canada working group, identify research gaps, and establish a regional approach to blue carbon science and policy.