The Wrack
The Wrack is the Wells Reserve blog.
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.
It's apparently a first: Yesterday the U.S. Senate agreed to a resolution designating September 26, 2009 as National Estuaries Day. We're pleased to see Senator Susan Collins as a cosponsor, along with her colleagues Sen. Gregg and Sen. Shaheen from neighboring New Hampshire. Here's the text of the resolution (also available as a PDF):
The Coastal Training Program team has been hard at work helping the Town of Sanford to outline goals and strategies for achieving open space and resource protection in the town's natural areas and working landscapes.
In 2008, the Coastal Training Program assisted the town with a series of workshops designed to bring community stakeholders together, to share their visions for the future of Sanford, and to craft a plan for realizing those visions.
May 21 and 22 were fish sampling days on the Mousam River estuary. Wells Reserve research staff were joined by volunteers from Maine Rivers and AmeriCorps to form a team that set fyke nets and fished on two tides, one by night and another by day. Steve Bodnar from the York County Coast Star tagged along and his article is in today's paper. You can read it at seacoastonline.com.
April 17 was warm and dry with a light breeze, a Friday at the end of a dry week. Early in the morning, a fire crew from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service judged the conditions were just right for burning the 2-acre grassland just beyond the Wells Reserve flagpole.
Dr. Michele Dionne, the Wells Reserve research director, has been awarded the 2008 NERRS/NERRA Award, which recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the mission of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
The Wells Reserve will soon have a new information kiosk near the parking lot. The one that has served well for more than 15 years is being dismantled and removed. The new kiosk is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
The "interim" label has been removed; Diana Joyner is the new president of Laudholm Trust.
Tim Dietz, chairman of Laudholm's board of directors said:
Diana's energy, enthusiasm, and proven organizational skills will play a significant role in taking the Laudholm Trust and the Wells Reserve to the next level of growth. We are delighted Diana has accepted this position.