When we talk about the longer-term goals of the Gouldsboro Shore program, we use two taglines. One is "Keeping Gouldsboro's shore at the center of the community." The other is "Keeping ahead of coastal change." Governor Mills' visit yesterday helped us develop a deeper appreciation of what those taglines mean.
Maine Coastal Program Report – Jan-June
Much of the work we do to preserve shore access and prepare for larger storms and sea-level rise is funded by the Maine Coastal Program through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Our most recent report to the Maine Coastal Program provides a brief (4 pages) but comprehensive overview of progress since January. If you want to know what the Gouldsboro Shore program does, this is a good place to start. There's a link to the report at the end of this post.
An Icon on Our Shore
On the morning of June 27, a fire broke out at Gull Cottage in Prospect Harbor destroying much of the lighthouse keeper’s house. While the lighthouse itself is a beacon, the keeper’s house, Gull Cottage, is a special icon to many of us. Gouldsboro Shore is working to “keep Gouldsboro’s shore at the center of the community.” Gull Cottage has been doing that for 131 years.
Nature on Schoodic Peninsula
As someone who is somewhat new to the area, I've been trying to explore as much as possible to check out the amazing nature here on the Schoodic Peninsula. In the past couple weeks, I've been able to see so many interesting things, some of which I've only ever read or heard about, and not just plants and animals, but I've also witnessed some interesting phenomena. There are so many amazing things happening under our nose, and I encourage everyone to go explore and check them out!
Mapping Flooding: More on Gouldsboro’s Need for your Help
Last month we wrote about Gouldsboro's need for information from the people who live here about where they are seeing problems with flooding due to big rainfall events and tides. Almost immediately, we heard from someone with a flooding problem. His email raised important questions that we had not addressed in our initial post. He also shared insights into potential concerns about how people might Gouldsboro's interest in understanding how things are changing. In this post, we try to answer the questions and address the concerns.
Feeding Time
After a long winter, the clams are finally ready to start feeding and growing again. During the winter, the clams were packed together in mesh bags, lying dormant in one of the upweller tanks in the lab. This past week, we cleaned out the second upweller tank and, once filled with sea water, transferred the clams from the mesh bags into five-gallon mesh-bottom buckets where they could spread out while still having access to a constant flow of water.
We Need Your Help! Watersheds and Big Rainfalls
Gouldsboro's hills are creased with valleys that concentrate water into a complex system of watersheds. As climate change brings increasingly intense rainfall, flooding and damage is happening in new places. It's the folks who live around all the streams, ponds, vernal pools, and marshes in Gouldsboro who will notice these changes first. The town needs their help -- your help -- in getting these changes onto a map so it can take steps to avoid problems before they happen.
News Flash! Second Tank is Operational
Late this afternoon, I got word from Mike Pinkham that he and Jim McLean finished setting up and plumbing the new, second tank that we will use to grow clams over the summer in Gouldsboro's Shellfish Resilience Lab. This tank is an essential part of this summer's research program, which will compare growing one-year-old clams … Continue reading News Flash! Second Tank is Operational
Where Do You See Trouble Ahead?
Over the coming years, storms that drop a lot of rain in a short period will become more frequent in our part of the country and sea level is predicted to be at least a foot and a half higher by 2050. Knowing this, Gouldsboro wants to plan ahead so that, when doing regular maintenance and repairs to roads, culverts, and other town infrastructure, it can invest, bit by bit, in upgrades to get ready for what's in the future. Learn how you can help ...
Clam Cookbook
Do you have a favorite clam recipe that you would be proud to share with others in town? Maybe a chowder recipe? A clam and sausage stew? Clam risotto or a dynamite clam spaghetti recipe? A luscious baked clams recipe? The Gouldsboro Shore project is putting together a cookbook of clam recipes to show off the skills and imagination of Gouldsboro's cooks. (Winter Harbor's cooks are welcome too!)