The Wrack

Too many nutrients can cause more algae growth than an estuary can support. Excess algae leads to decreased oxygen in the water and other symptoms that if left unchecked can completely devastate a marsh. This process is known as eutrophication. Scientists are now developing a tool to help address eutrophication in estuaries.

Shade is in high demand. Artists are beneath the copper beech and any other trees that block the searing sun. They're on the farmhouse porch and in the horse barn's shadow. And they have set their umbrellas into the earth, put on their wide-brimmed straw hats, …

Danger seeps from your garden.

Fertilizer causes tomatoes to ripen larger and plants to grow taller. But applying more than your plants need can have a devastating effect.

The rain washes your excess fertilizer, either manure or chemical, down the road and into the nearest water source. There, it mixes with water traveling from other gardens, farms, and power plants to create a stream of nitrogen and phosphorus. The stream pours directly into the marsh.

The intrepid banders caught 14 birds today; it has been a consistently modest summer for the nets so far... June 7 rainout June 14 16 birds June 21 15 birds June 28 15 birds July 5 14 birds Eight more weeks to go& it's always a …

"Wow!" was the interjection of the day, the universal response of visitors stepping into the Alheim Commons for a look around before and after the dedication ceremony this morning. The compliments came easily? wonderful spaces, beautiful colors, impressive kitchen, comfy quarters... very nice.

The Wells Reserve is collaborating with NOAAs National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to determine the extent of eutrophication in five northeastern reserves.

Forty-one Gorham Middle School sixth grade students traveled to the Reserve today to take part in water quality monitoring with their teachers and five Reserve docents. The students divided into groups then participated in hands-on activities to learn about fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, and salinity in the water.

A report evaluating the effectiveness of 12 stormwater treatments in protecting water quality and reducing runoff has just been released by the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology. The report is online here.

Eight York County Master Gardeners did extensive work on the 3-year-old pumpkin patch today, preparing it for its fourth crop. The starts are ready to be planted. This year, we've got seeds from a 742-pound giant, so watch the patch to see how those grow. Lumina,…

As the month of May closes, so does most of the major passage of migrating birds. The movement is not over; it just isn't so obvious.Summer approaches and with it come myriad winged creatures without feathers, so in coming weekly reports some insects might find themselves the objects of attention.Today's butterflies (to get things started entomologically) included sulfurs, ladies, …