The Wrack

On Saturday, the Wells Reserve and New England Wild Flower Society partnered to offer a "Naked Shrubs" workshop with naturalist Boot Boutwell. Participants hailed from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine to learn how to identify 15-20 species of shrubs in winter. Following a slideshow and overview of identification terminology, the group hit the snow-covered trail to observe shrubs up close. …

Here are the top-ranked essays submitted by the winners of the 50th anniversary Silent Spring essay contest. Thank you to these and the other 257 Maine seventh graders who submitted essays.

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is special. Not a day passes that we dont think of this unique place as a gift to those of us who work here, to the wildlife that abounds here, to the coast of Maine and to the international community of estuaries, and of course to our members and to the public.

Because so much of our operating support comes from our members and donors, we believe it is in the best service to you and your gifts that we operate as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The response to the Silent Spring Essay Contest, offered in partnership with Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, was overwhelmingly positive. A total of 24 schools and 257 seventh grade students across the state participated. The deadline for submission was December 1, and the Reserve's Education Advisory Committee immediately got to work reading and scoring each essay. What quickly became apparent to the 17 reviewers was the widespread writing talent and environmental awareness among seventh grade students in Maine! So much so, that the Committee created an additional prize-winning category of "honorable mention" for students who did not win the top four prizes, but stood out from the larger pool of applicants with their exceptional essays. Following are the contest winners:

Strangely for a New England farmhouse in the holiday season, the windows in this picture are mostly dark. I'll explain why at the end of this post.

Dr. Christine B. Feurt, coordinator of the Coastal Training Program at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), was presented with the 2012 NERR System and NERR Association Award at the annual NERRS/NERRA meeting held in West Virginia in November. The award is given annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the reserve system.

Last night's Wassailing for Wildlife program brought children and adults alike out onto the Reserve's trails for a festive evening of caroling. Participants met indoors to enjoy holiday treats, and then wrote wishes for wildlife to hang on the Reserve's Christmas tree. Several participants even dressed in costume as wolves, an otter, and a polar bear!

Karen Stathoplos, Laudholm Trust Finance Coordinator and professional singer/actor, led the group in song& all the way to Laudholm Beach! It was a beautiful night, especially at twilight with the sunset's colors illuminating the trees.

We held our annual meeting, volunteer recognition, and holiday party together this year, packing Mather Auditorium with good stories, tasty treats, and merriment on December 5. Here are just a few of the highlights and people who took part&

Contents of the Fall 2012 issue of Watermark include&

Unprecedented flooding in New York City rekindled the national debate regarding climate change, sea level rise, and the fate of coastal communities. While the deniers and alarmists take turns needling one another no end, many others have begun to unify around meaningful planning for an uncertain future.