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The Wrack

The Wrack is the Wells Reserve blog.

Why "The Wrack"? In its cycles of ebb and flow, the sea transports a melange of weed, shell, bone, feather, wood, rope, and trash from place to place, then deposits it at the furthest reach of spent surf. This former flotsam is full of interesting stuff for anybody who cares to kneel and take a look. Now and then, the line of wrack reveals a treasure.

  • Turning Down the Heat

    | January 3, 2013

    Water tower in winterThe 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.

  • Silent Spring Essay Contest Results

    | January 2, 2013

    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:

  • Dear Santas

    | December 17, 2012 | Filed under: Opinion

    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.

  • Chris Feurt, Wells Reserve Training Coordinator, Receives National Honor

    | December 13, 2012 | Filed under: News

    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.

  • Wassailing for Wildlife

    | December 12, 2012

    Karen wears her wolf hatLast 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.

  • Festive Function for Volunteers

    | December 11, 2012

    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&

    Treats!

  • Watermark Newsletter for Autumn 2012

    | December 3, 2012

    Contents of the Fall 2012 issue of Watermark include&

  • Choosing a Response to Sea Level Rise

    | November 29, 2012

    Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City (NOAA photo)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.

  • A Magic Place

    | November 26, 2012

    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.

  • Giving Thanks to Corning, Edison Press, and the USPS

    | November 21, 2012

    Nik sports seasonal headwareTruthfully, 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.