October 2025
Educating students and communities about the connections
between the ocean, inland water, and economy of Maine.
 
The leaves are changing to red, orange, and gold and Herring Gut is gearing up for another busy school season. We have contacted 255 teachers and principals to schedule school year classes. Not all of them have the time or resources to participate, but last year, Herring Gut provided classes, professional development, and hands-on education programs year-round for 4601 students and adults in addition to our walk-in visitors. We reach nine counties in Maine from Lincolnville to Warren to Bristol and Washington to Kennebec to Monhegan Island and St George, right next door.

October is all about community! We cannot function without our community and our mission is to serve the community. Herring Gut is hosting a variety of community events. Our next Coastal Meet-Up is October 9th at 1:00 pm. We have been doing this in tandem with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute for two years to provide on the ground recording of actual high tide levels along the peninsula. This weekend you can find us at SardineFest, talking about herring and river run fish. Our signature Aquatots program will swim into your local library, you can find us in Rockland on October 17th and November 21st. October 18th, we will be at the Fall Festival at St George MSU with a vampire squid (yes, they are real) activity and a mini-touch tank. November and December and into Spring features our cozy and informative Cabin Fever and Spring Fever pot-luck lectures and field trips.

Herring Gut is also a partner in two community efforts, the St. George and South Thomaston Community Resilience Plan and on a small working group trying to address the cell phone signal challenges in the area. If you have experienced signal issues in St. George and South Thomaston, please complete the survey below.

I just came back from an invigorating trip to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado to join 130 other field station and marine lab directors from around the world for the annual meeting of the Organization of Biological Field Stations. I have served on the board of OBFS for many years. This organization shares best practices for science research, funding ideas, new ways of approaching place-based education, and tips for collaborating with conservation partners among dozens of other essential tools for marine educators and science centers. We held a special event with Miles O’Brien, the PBS News hour science correspondent whose recent feature on the success story of puffin reintroduction on Eastern Egg Rock will bring a smile to your face. 

This week, I’ll be traveling to Washington DC to conduct the Society of Woman Geographers (SWG) Triennial. The SWG was founded in 1925 by a group of women explorers and scientists who were not allowed to be in the Explorers Club. We will be celebrating 100 years of “Women who know no Boundaries”. We are sad but fortunate to have an opening statement by one of our members, the late, great, Dr. Jane Goodall, who taped a welcome for us. 

These trips help me engage with our supporters near and far, learn new ways to strengthen our programs and outreach, and provide critical lifelines to funding and new ideas. I hope you too get to recharge this Fall!

Thank you for your continued support of Herring Gut. We could not do our essential and life affirming work without you!

 
Mobile Service Survey
 
Register Here for Coastal Meetup
 


PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Upcoming Programs: 
  • Saturday, Oct. 4th – HG is leading a new Herring program and tabling at the SardineFest at Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport!
  • Thurs. Oct. 9th at 1 pm – Coastal Meetup 
  • Fri. Oct. 17th at 10:30 am –Aquatots at Rockland Public Library
  • Sat. Oct. 18th –Tabling at St. George Fall Festival

Fall is here at Herring Gut Coastal Science Center! We’re gearing up for school-year programming–teachers can check out some of our course menu here for hands-on programming options. As the flood season approaches, we’re preparing our communities by monitoring coastal flooding and sea level rise at our Coastal Meetup programs with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The data collected is already being used to help predict flooding events to make our coastal communities safer. 

Aquatots gathered at Rockland Public Library to observe shark shapes and coloration, 'swim' the lengths of whale sharks and great whites, and measure what part of their bodies were as long as a dwarf lantern shark. They engaged in sensory science during excerpts of Hark! A Shark! by Bonnie Worth, played a color-matching 'feed the sharks' game, and crafted a shark habitat scene to take home.

We have developed a new herring program to bring on the road with our touch tank to Penobscot Marine Museum for their Sardine Festival on October 4th! You are of-fish-ially invited to join in the fun!


 
 
 
 

SAVE THE DATE
 


ANNOUNCING OUR NEW ONLINE STORE

Special thanks to Adventure Advertising for setting up our online store!  Orders can be mailed to you or picked up at Adventure Advertising in Rockland.
 
SHOP HERE


The Sea, The Future, and Us 

 
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT: DONATE HERE
 
HERRING GUT COASTAL SCIENCE CENTER IS A
501 (c) (3) MAINE PUBLIC CHARITY
#92-0902723

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