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.
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Dedication ceremony at Alheim Commons
| June 17, 2006"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.
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ASSETS-SWMP Data Synthesis Workshop
| June 12, 2006The Wells Reserve is collaborating with NOAAs National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to determine the extent of eutrophication in five northeastern reserves.
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Gorham Middle School students test water quality
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.
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Stormwater Center field trip follows report's release
| June 6, 2006A 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.
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Prepping the Punkinfiddle pumpkin patch
| June 1, 2006Eight 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,… -
Winged Wednesday VII
| May 31, 2006As 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, … -
Winged Wednesday VI
| May 24, 2006Several Least Terns were over the Webhannet marsh today, scanning for fish in the pools and salt-marsh pannes below and diving to snag them when the moment was right. Before long they will be gathering on Laudholm Beach and elsewhere along the Maine coast to begin their breeding season.… -
Floodwaters impact estuarine life
| May 21, 2006About 12 inches of rain fell in parts of southern Maine and seacoast New Hampshire between the 12th and 16th of May, and the sudden flow of fresh water into normally salty estuarine and marine waters will impact fish and shellfish in the region.
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Winged Wednesday V
| May 17, 2006Bobolinks were back in force at the Wells Reserve today. Their song might be the craziest in the region? it's so much fun to hear them bubbling with enthusiasm! Today, at least four sang from fields near the main campus, sharing the space with Eastern Meadowlarks.It's fortunate that the reserve's Resource Advisory Committee created a grassland management plan several years ago, recognizing the value o… -
What is your ecological footprint?
At the Reserve's Earth Day Celebration, the Kittery Trading Post Outdoor Academy allowed visitors to input their living styles into a computer program that would then give them their "ecological footprint." An ecological footprint is the amount of land and water a person uses to support his or her daily lifestyle. This includes what types of food a person eats, vehicle gas consumption, and size of his or her house…
