Maine Morning Star - Curt Brown spent his childhood harvesting lobsters along the coast of Maine. As an adult, he went on to earn a Master of Science from the University of Maine, observing the very waters where he spent years fishing for the crustaceans.
With a rapidly changing climate, many researchers worry that Maine’s lobsters will eventually move north to colder waters. Brown isn’t so sure, though, seeing all of the forces affecting the ecosystem as highly complex. His studies in marine biology and policy, along with his continued work as a lobsterman, have helped him understand that the lobster industry depends upon various factors, some beyond man’s control.
Last year, the state of Maine’s lobster fisheries harvested 78.8 million pounds of lobsters, and according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), commercial harvesters earned $619 million.
Synonymous with the New England state, lobsters have a documented history in Maine that dates back to 1605. Recent studies, though, show that climate change and a shift in currents are warming up the local waters. In a now well-quoted 2015 study led by Andrew Pershing, researchers found that the surface temperature of the Gulf of Maine is warming 99 percent faster than the rest of the ocean.
Some say this could lead to lobsters moving north to Canadian waters in search of colder temperatures and many wonder what the future of Maine’s fishery will look like.
Big Country - One major change the Maine Wildlife Park revealed in a Facebook post is allowing credit cards to pay for entry. The park used to only accept cash and checks, so if your wallet was empty of dollar bills, you'd have to run to the ATM to get in. Taking my kids to the park last year, I didn't realize it was cash only and expected to use a card, only to be met with panic that the plastic was not an option. Yes, luckily, there was an ATM, but it's exciting knowing that now there's one more way to pay.
EVENTS
APR 21
Town Council Meeting - 30 Main Street, 6 pm
APR 22
Wabanaki Oral History Project, Hawthorne-Longfellow Library 5 Colllege St Brunswick 3pm
APR 24
Friday, April 24 • 10:30 AM
@ Bradley Room at Freeport Community Center
Age-Friendly Freeport & Pownal is hosting the Art Van every second and fourth Friday. Join us in the Bradley Room to make art and see what the Art Van has in store. Free and open to all!
APRIL 25
Visit Freeport & Meetinghouse Arts present
Saturday, April 25 • 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
@ Various Venues in Freeport!
Visit Freeport & Meetinghouse Arts invite you to join us on a journey through Freeport, Pownal, Durham & New Gloucester to explore the artist & maker studios often hidden on side streets and
country roads. You’ll be invited into their working studios to view their newest projects up close. Learn about their inspirations and process in intimate conversations that are sometimes not possible at art show openings.
Earth Day Festival -Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Brunswick
Freeport Folio presents
Pressure Makes Diamonds | Poetry Workshop with Joseph Coleman
Saturday, April 25 • 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
@ Freeport Community Library
In this workshop, “Pressure Makes Diamonds,” students will use the pressure of workshopping an original poem and then reading that poem at an open mike that same evening. The instructor will provide prompts and each student will get a typewriter if they would like to experience what it was like pre computers. As a Barnum and Bailey Ring Master would yell out when a rogue elephant dashed for the exits: “The Show Must Go On!” or in this case: “Poems Must Be Read!”
APR 26
O’Donoghue’s Pub, 103 Pleasant St., Brunswick: Open mic hosted by Billy The Kid, 3-7
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Shuck Yeah! Oyster Shucking and Cooking Class
Sunday, April 26 • 3:00 PM
@ Wolfe’s Neck Center
Join Chef Malcolm Kelly to learn about how to safely shuck an oyster along with some tasty recipes. Using oysters from Quahog Bay Conservancy, you will learn raw, grilled and baked oyster preparation and enjoy these yummy bivalves.
APRIL 27
Royal River Conservation Trust:
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April27th 6:00 PM Public Hearings27th 6:30 PM Select Board meeting28th 6:30 PM Conservation Commission Meeting29th 6:30 PM Capital Asset Plan Funding Committee Meeting
May16th 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Pownal Community Day
APRIL 30
MAY 1
Maine Democrats Biennial Convention. 1 Thompson Point, Portland. 9 am
MAY 9
Climate Solutions Dance Party: Dance your way into climate action! in collaboration with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and SPACE Gallery. The event is a celebration of the paperback release of Dr. Johnson’s New York Times bestselling book What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures —an inspiring collection of possibilities for building a better climate future. The first 200 people to arrive will receive a copy of the new book. Grab your tickets before they sell out. TICKETS
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| Just $46/per person. (normally $58) Reservation must be made to: Dave@MaineUlsterScots.com and payment will be due at the event by check or cash. |
Thanks to Patch for some of the above