WELLS, Maine, December 11, 2019 — Two staff members at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve were recognized by peers from across the country at the annual meeting of research reserves held in South Carolina last month. 

Susan Bickford, stewardship coordinator for the Wells Reserve, was presented with the NERRS Impact Award by Erica Seiden, program manager of the reserve system. Seiden praised Bickford for her 20 years of work on geographic information systems, natural resource management, and disaster planning. She also cited Bickfords expertise in applying cutting-edge technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles and soundscape acoustic devices, to research and conservation challenges in Maine and at other reserve sites. 

Jeremy Miller, research associate at the Wells Reserve, received the Technical Assistance Award. Miller has managed the weather, water quality, and nutrient data program in Wells for 15 years. Over that time, he has become the reserve systems expert on the telemetry equipment that sends environmental data to orbiting satellites for near-real-time sharing via the world-wide web. 

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is one of 29 coastal sites designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect and study estuarine systems. The reserves represent a partnership program between NOAA and coastal states, where NOAA provides funding and national guidance and each site is managed on a daily basis by a state agency or university with input from local partners. The Wells Reserves nonprofit partner, Laudholm Trust, is a member-supported organization that provides vital monetary and in-kind support for reserve programs and capital improvements. To learn more, visit wellsreserve.org or call 207-646-1555.  

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Download the photo: The Wells Reserves Susan Bickford, recipient of the 2019 NERRS Impact Award, joins Erica Seiden, program manager of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, at the systems annual conference in November. Bickfords peers from across the country show their support. Courtesy photo.