Herring Gut Happenings

Educating students and communities about the connections
between the ocean, inland water, and economy of Maine.

Spring has finally sprung for the St. George peninsula, and our classrooms and outdoor learning spaces are filled with the sound of kids from Damariscotta, St. George, Friendship, and Windsor. We want to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who contributed to and purchased items in our spring auction which makes these incredible seaweed, plankton, and fish exploration visits possible. Students build models, scrutinize plankton through microscopes, sample seaweed dishes, and play interactive games while learning how physics, biology, and chemistry enables all aquatic life to thrive and grow.

We are preparing for our summer camps and there are still spots available in our Changing Seas Camp, July 6-10 and the second week of Junior Marine Scientist Camp July 27-31st. The registration deadline is May 15th.

We are working on building a beautiful coastal resiliency exhibit down by the lobster pound. Our historic “bait shack/fish shed” is now renovated and elevated five feet, protecting it from sea level rise and storm surge for decades. We are working with Maine Preservation to learn more about this beautiful building which may have been built by Russell Porter.

Read about our Sturgeon Bride project in this month’s issue of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors.

We have almost reached our goal of $50,000 in matching funds for our Touch Tank Renewal Project. Thank you to everyone who donated, the finish line is in sight! We are moving the June18th ribbon cutting to July 1st so that we and all the animals are completely prepared to welcome you to our new exhibits. Donate here to help us reach our goal.

Tickets are going fast for the August 5th gala. We hope you can join us for our annual celebration. Each year at the gala we announce the Phyllis Wyeth Visionary Award. Please submit your nominations and check out past award winners. This award of recognition is bestowed upon an individual that has proven to have contributed to the field of marine science that reflects the Herring Gut Coastal Science Center’s vision and work of founder Phyllis Wyeth.

As we tidy up the campus and renovate many of our indoor spaces, we want to thank our volunteers led by Michelle Stuck and James Gregg. Without the help of dozens of community members, we could not bring the Herring Gut learning experience to life.

Thank you!

Touch Tank Renewal Project

The Sea, the Future, and Us
Summer Gala

St. George 7th Graders competed with their team ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) at the Hampton Inn Pool on April 3rd! Students were incredibly enthusiastic and supportive of one another, and each received a certificate of completion for their 10-week marine robotics project.

Oceanside Middle School’s Gifted & Talented Crew recorded video of our marine animal ambassadors with GoPro cameras attached to the neutrally buoyant structures they had designed, built, tested, and re-engineered to hover in the middle of the water column. Then they added voice-overs, sound effects, and music, and shared their produced videos with the class.

RSU 13’s Elementary Gifted & Talented students from four different elementary schools combined forces and visited Herring Gut for a day of Powerful Plankton! Under magnification, they differentiated between various species of phytoplankton and zooplankton that they collected at Drift Inn Beach, and they constructed their own models and raced to be the slowest sinker!

We visited grades K-2 at Friendship Village School with our traveling touch tank and Lobster Adaptation Stations over two days. Damariscotta Montessori School brought grades 1-6 over two days last week for Seaweeds Run the World & Powerful Plankton. Curiosity, inquisitiveness, and kindness were effervescent among these groups of students as they explored the foundations of the marine food web and adaptations of some of their favorite crustaceans.

May Programs

May 2 - Present Data Art at Maine Science Teachers Association Conference
May 5 - Diadromous Fish & Powerful Plankton with Windsor Elementary
May 7 - Tidepooling & Seaweeds with St. George Age 3s, Pre-K, and Grade 1
May 8 - Fish Dissection with Friendship Village School 5th and 6th Grade
May 11 Pemaquid Beach Trip with Bristol Consolidated School
May 14 - Invasive Pests: Emerald Ash Borer presentation with the St. George Conservation Commission – 7:00 PM at the Town Office
May 19 - Coastal Meetup Community Science
May 21 & 22 - Allen Island with St. George 4th Grade
May 27 - Bivalve Course Collaboration with Quahog Bay Conservancy at Harpswell Community School
May 27 - Spring Fever Trip to Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder
May 27 - Future Fair at South School
May 29 - S.E.A. Fair at Camden Middle School
May 30 - Emerald Ash Borer Spring Fever Program at 10 AM at Fort Point Trail, St. George