The Wrack

I stopped short on the wooden boardwalk of the Laird-Norton Trail. The fog of my breath flew a few more feet ahead of me, dissipating slowly in the still air. It was my first time at the Reserve, and I was alone in the woods.

And something was coming towards me. Something big.

I tried to swivel my ears in the direction of the sound. Picture a grown man in a business suit, in a ski hat with pinned-up earflaps, trying to swivel his ears.

Crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch it came, approaching quickly.

Truthfully, I'm more of a Thanksgiving person than a Christmas person. I prefer rich food to rich presents; giving thanks to getting gifts (though I never say no).

I'm thankful that the United States Postal Service is still solvent (as of this writing). Because they are, and because of our great partners at local printer Edison Press, Laudholm members should shortly receive in their mailboxes our latest gift and thank-you: the fall issue of our Watermark newsletter and one-of-a-kind greeting card.

T'is the season, so in the Watermark package?we're also asking our friends and members to send a contribution to our Annual Fund before December 31st. Even if you've never given to us before, you can start by signing up as a member on Giving Tuesday (November 27) or any time this holiday season.

Watermark went to press before we could put in a mention of something else we're recently thankful for: some great new friends at the Corning plant in Kennebunk.

Nearly four months after their Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) II summer workshop at the Wells Reserve, eight middle and high school teachers from New England reunited for an exciting day of professional development and comradery. In the morning, the group reconvened at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth, MA, where they reported on their student-driven stewardship project progress. This team of TOTE II teachers is a truly inspirational bunch. They are fostering a sense of stewardship in their students while getting outside and teaching with a systems-based approach. Their students are becoming agents of change within their watersheds and local communities.

Hi Everyone,

Thought I would share some numbers from our System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) weather station here at the Reserve, and compare them to some values from around the area. First off, it seems we got "lucky" with rain fall totals. Both the Reserve station and the Portland International Jetport weather station reported just over an inch of rain on Tuesday. However rainfall totals varied a bit depending on where those "bands" of precipitation hit& pretty minor event as far as actual rainfall goes, but when that rain is being blown sideways at close to 60mph. Speaking of wind&

I just wanted to let you know that the Wells Reserve came through the storm in good shape, despite wind gusts (according to Jeremy Miller and the SWMP weather station) of up to 58 MPH Monday evening. We were without power beginning at around 8 pm, but regained it around 11 am today.

We lost about 20 shingles on the Laudholm barn and several on the Sheep Barn, but that is it. A dozen or more trees (most small, several large) had fallen across the trails, with one threatening the public entrance. John Speight and volunteer Frank Heller cleared the tree alongside the entrance road and many of those along the trails; they had the gates open by late morning. The Internet was on and the phones working (with some minor glitches) by noon.

On Thursday, the Reserve's education staff hosted eight teachers from Kennebunk's Cocoons Day School for a full day workshop. The group enjoyed a beautiful October day while exploring the Discovery Program's booklets and backpacks on the trails, experiencing the "Time Travels" treasure hunt on campus, and investigating the intertidal zone at Laudholm Beach.

Teachers also learned about the Reserve's grades K-2 Wild Friend in Wild Places field trip offering, as well as the education kit rentals that provide hands-on classroom learning about trees, estuaries, birds, and mammals. At the end of the day, Paige led the group on a history tour through the barn and farmhouse, sharing the Changing Landscapes exhibits along the way.

Much fun was had by all, and the Reserve is looking forward to seeing Cocoons Day School teachers back on site with their students very soon!

WELLS, Maine, October 29, 2012  The Town of Wells has begun a two-year study to understand and prepare for the potential impacts of climate change. Wells public officials and local residents, with help from researchers from the Consensus Building Institute (CBI), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), will be using short games played face-to-face in community meetings to clarify possible climate change risks and to reach agreement on appropriate adaptation measures.

In mid October, after the hectic field season ends and with September's major events a fading memory, many of us start to anticipate the allstaff email from Tin and Jeremy announcing a date for the annual Reserve Cup. A week and a half ago they picked today for our early escape from the office. It's hard to imagine they could have chosen a more gorgeous autumn afternoon for the pilgrimage.

It was a perfect day for mushrooming, foggy and damp, as Dr. Larry Millman led us slowly down the trail. Said one participant: "The walk was a revelation."

Its that time of year& fall is in the air and (if youre a brook trout) love is in the air too! October and November is prime spawning time for Eastern Brook Trout. Theyve been fattening up all summer on aquatic insects. Now the mature females have bellies full of eggs and are looking for a spots with cold, clear water and loose, clean gravel where they can make their nests, called redds.