Category: Environment

Sometimes there are invasive non-living things in tide pools.

Coastal Ponderings: Do Tide Pools Have To-Do Lists?

9/12/2012 - Living on a small farm, I am plagued with endless to-do lists. As I try to recall the demand of spring projects, somehow the fall seems even more crammed with immediate needs and wants. Of course the needs of putting up firewood, storm windows, garden harvesting, storing winter hay, and… SEE MORE

Itching to get out one more time before winter comes, a wooden beauty rests on the docks of Great Cranberry Island.

Basking in the Splendor of September on the Maine Coast

9/11/2012 - I am prone to hyperbole, but I have to admit, when the month of September arrives on the Maine coast, a certain poignant smell — a mixture of spruce fir, ocean, and wild flowers — pervades the landscape and seems to take my breath away. It is the smell of… SEE MORE

At Petit Manan Point, Seabirds Have Become Songbirds

Environment

8/31/2012 - Here at the Petit Manan Point National Wildlife Refuge bird banding station we are very excited to have just begun our third season of migratory landbird monitoring. Since 2010 the station has banded over 5,000 individual birds of seventy-five different species, most of which are making their annual fall journey… SEE MORE

Woods Hole Center Offers Glimpse Into Ocean Science

8/30/2012 - A trip to Woods Hole affords you a visit to the incredible discoveries of the world-famous research institution called the Woods Hole Oceanographic (WHOI). In the midst of the many scientific research buildings in Woods Hole sits the Ocean Science Exhibit Center and Gift Shop. The exhibit center informs visitors… SEE MORE

The western side of Swans Island is a great place to scamper around the rocks and explore.

Enjoying Sweet Breezes on Swans Island

8/30/2012 - When I first travelled to Swans Island a few years back, I had the great fortune of discovering a truly stunning sand beach on the western side of the island. The beach and its surrounding shores, sitting under the splendid September sun at the end of a long and winding… SEE MORE

This view of a bowhead whale (at center top, with the smooth rostrum) is the first sighting of such a whale so far south.

Rare Sighting of Bowhead Whale Off Cape Cod

Environment

8/29/2012 - Researchers at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies have observed a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) off Cape Cod. This is the first time in recorded history that a bowhead has been seen so far south in the North Atlantic. The bowhead was spotted in the waters east of Orleans by… SEE MORE

Scammell Bridge, carrying Route 4, looking toward the Bellamy River.

Bellamy River – A Hidden Gem In the Great Bay Estuary

8/28/2012 - There are seven rivers that drain into the Great Bay estuary, carrying freshwater runoff – as well as pollutants – from fifty-two communities including ten in Maine. The Bellamy River, which flows into Little Bay, originates from Swains Lake in Barrington and flows east through the Bellamy Reservoir in Madbury… SEE MORE

Under Sail or Power, Everybody Ends Up in Pulpit Harbor

8/27/2012 - Most anyone who is cruising the coast of Maine ends up in Pulpit Harbor eventually. It’s little wonder that many of us who live (and sail) nearby may end up in Pulpit Harbor several times a season. It’s just that kind of harbor — we never tire of it. It’s… SEE MORE

Homes

Exploring Maine’s Oyster Trail in Portland

8/25/2012 - After a hectic summer of coast-hopping, I finally found myself in Portland, where I’ve been wanting to check out the new Eventide Oyster Co. So I caught up with some good friends at the small, bright space on Middle Street next to Hugo’s Restaurant, of the same owners. Speaking of… SEE MORE

Rediscovering the Delights of Vineyard Sound

8/23/2012 - Rediscovering Cape Cod from the water is one of my favorite parts of summer. As the days have started to get shorter recently, and the crispness of autumn snuck into the air, I rushed to take my boat out onto Vineyard Sound. The warmth of the summer water made me… SEE MORE