The Wrack

The weather on July 23 was warm and muggy? a perfect day for a swim at the shore. But rather than head to one of the many lovely sand beaches of York County, some 90 people packed Mather Auditorium to learn about legal issues surrounding ownership, use, and access to the shore.

Attendees heard lively presentations from two attorneys who have extensive knowledge of the subject. John Duff, a law professor and attorney, led with an informative (and sometimes humorous) analysis and explanation of all of the court cases since Moody that have affected use and ownership of Maine's shoreline.

The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 7/20/2014.

If the Wells Reserve at Laudholm had an oil well and a refinery and a power plant on site, we could keep the lights on, fill up our heating oil tank, and top off my Volkswagen every day for cheap. But we dont. Thats just one of the drawbacks of fossil fuels: the infrastructure needs are enormous. Add the geopolitical strife, the pollution, and the finite supply of oil, coal, and natural gas, and its a wonder that our society uses the stuff as greedily as we do.

We cant live without energy. Fossil fuels power the global economic engine, and theyre immensely profitable to their producers. If only they didnt have those annoying consequences. If fossil fuels were as vast, inexhaustible, and reliable as the sun that rises daily over our heads, theyd be great.

World Listening Day is July 18. I'd never heard of it until this week, when listener extraordinaire Bryan Pijanowski mentioned it during his noontime talk in the auditorium. Dr. Pijanowski is in town for the Global Sustainable Soundscapes Network's coastal workshop, which includes a site tour here today.

Last Thursday evening, I happened to be working late in the shop when I received a special dispatch from John, the facilities manager. A research group had taken a golf cart down to the marsh and had not yet returned, though it was nearing closing time. He had to head out, and I really had nowhere to be, so I took off down the trail in my own golf cart to investigate. Down at the marsh (three sides of which I visited trying to get as close to the researchers as possible), it turned out that they were just having a long day in the field and would be finished soon.

Good enough. Here's where the story begins.

Climate Reality Project's Allen Armstrong delivered an info-packed update to An Inconvenient Truth 8 years after its release.

If we look around, we can watch the natural world disappearing right before our eyes. The good news is that those rates of loss have been worse in the past. The bad news is that what we see disappearing isnt the only thing were losing. It turns out, the sounds of the natural world are fading too.

Down in sunny Tuckerton, New Jersey, a contingent of coastal Maine residents and Wells Reserve associates heard firsthand the accounts of locals affected by Hurricane Sandy. The meeting was designed to be an exchange of experiences and suggestions in?regard to storm preparedness and coastal resilience. The discussion was geared toward vulnerable areas in Maine, specifically Drakes Island and the Saco-Biddeford area, both of which sent representatives down to NJ. The trip included dinner at a restaurant damaged by Sandy, a few tours of destroyed coastal communities, and an informative panel discussion with residents and municipal officials involved in the recovery efforts.

The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 6/15/2014.

When Facilities Manager John Speight watched a pickup truck accidentally drive into what hed thought was a well-protected propane tank at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm last weekend, his first thought was: I hear the hiss, so Im still alive.

His second thought was: lets keep it that way.

Preliminary findings of the National Park Service validated the efforts of the Friends of the York River, which since 2009 has been working toward getting a law passed by the U.S. Congress that will allow a comprehensive study of the river.

A scissor-tailed flycatcher spends a few hours along the Muskie Trail.