The Wrack

A big congratulations to Stephanie, Suzanne, Sue, and Nancy for passing the Registered Maine Guide Sea Kayak exam. Maine is one of the few states that requires outdoor guides to be licensed to maintain a quality of outdoor recreation for visitors, as well as to protect our natural resources when visiting wild spaces. It is one of the most difficult guide exams to pass. Usually, half of the people taking the test fail on their first try. Not these ladies! They will continue to hone their guide skills this summer during our kayaking programs.

Have you ever wondered what watershed conservation is all about?? Do you often consider where the water in your local river travels, and how its care affects your community and others down the river?? Here at the Wells Reserve we work with watershed conservation on a day-to-day basis.? Watersheds are areas of land which share a common featureall water that flows above or underground drains to the same place.? The Saco River watershed connects diverse areas such as North Conway, NH, and Biddeford, ME.? The lives of the people who live within these areas are affected by the healthconservationof their watershed.

I was out on the salt marsh this morning  the sun-baked, no-shade Little River marsh  to learn a bit about Jenn Dijkstra's research and couldn't help but notice a number of winged creatures. The mosquitoes weren't too bad (they were worse in the woods on the walk down), but as soon as I reached the research transect an early green-headed horse fly sortied to my left shin. The menacing tabanid maneuvered around my counter-strikes, making several quick attacks before succumbing to an overwhelming force. I usually think of greenheads as a July annoyance, so I was unpleasantly surprised to have to battle this one.

Fourteen enthusiastic participants traversed field, forest, and bog to discover late spring wildflowers. 

Goal

Assess occurrence of migratory fish species in Branch Brook to establish a baseline prior to anticipated restoration and improvement of an inoperable fish ladder.

David Word is?an 11th and 12th grade AP biology and environmental science teacher at St. Francis High School in Louisville, Kentucky. Thanks to his participation in Teachers on the Estuary last summer he has been very busy with his students this year, removing invasive species within a 200 square foot area of riparian forest along the Beargrass Creek. Species of invasives within the plot included?Bush Honeysuckle, English Ivy,?and Winter Creeper.

After the removal, the group planted 70 native plants within the same area. Native species planted include:?Great Blue Lobelia, Joe Pye Weed, Mistflower, Thimbleweed, Slender Mountain Mint, Wild Geranium, and Jack in the Pulpit.

In late May, the Reserve was thrilled to host three Berwick Academy students for a two-week senior project. Devon Wood, Nicole Kleinmann, and Ellie Penati each painted large habitat murals with acrylics on canvas. Following a day of walking the Reserve's trails and sketching, each student chose her favorite habitat to depict. These murals will be used extensively in programs and at events throughout the year.

The Friends of the York River received some excellent news last week: The Wild and Scenic Study Bill written and sponsored by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree was unanimously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on June 5.

The bill calls for a multi-year study of the York River, done in conjunction with community input, that would determine if the river is eligible for designation as a Wild and Scenic Partnership River by the National Park Service. The bill still needs to pass in the Senate before it can become law.

We saw a cold and wet start to the month of June here in Southern Maine. I thought I would share some SWMP data from a few of our stations to illustrate how weather can significantly impact the water quality of our estuaries