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Hurricane Island Field Research Station is in the works!
According to Board Member and UMaine Marine Ecologist Bob Steneck, the new Hurricane Island Field Research Station will be, "a scientific bonanza!"
In order to break ground at the Valley Cove site, we had to say goodbye to the old shingled building known fondly to many as the Bosun's Locker. Demolition day was bittersweet but marked an exciting new chapter for science in the Gulf of Maine and integrated science and education on Hurricane Island.
The Groundbreaking ceremony was a moving experience. Surrounded by our supporters and partners, we quite literally moved granite to start the site preparation process! Thanks to all those who made the trip and were able to enjoy a beautiful July day with us on Hurricane Island.
Watch the video footage of Executive Director, Bo Hoppin, along with Board Member Bob Steneck (quoted above); Board Chair, David Conover; Board Secretary, Heather Deese; Director of Research, Phoebe Jekielek; OPAL architect, Matt O'Malia; and Representatives from Senator Susan Collins office speaking at the Groundbreaking Ceremony
We were honored to have Alison Langley photograph the event. Click here to see the full photo gallery.
You can also read more about the Field Research Station in the following press coverage from the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald
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Hurricane Island Scallop Research in the NYT! |
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Director of Research, Phoebe Jekielek's scallop research was featured in The New York Times this summer! Hurricane Island was spotlighted along with the Brewer family, which owns and operates Pen Bay Farmed Scallops outside of Stonington.
Every week our research team visits several scallop aquaculture sites and dives on nearby wild scallop populations. Along with fresh scallops, they also collect water samples, plankton tows, and environmental data to better understand food supply, presence of scallop eDNA, and monitor variables like temperature, salinity, and pH.
Upon arrival back at the island lab, the scallops are dissected and measured as part of our ongoing studies to evaluate the spawning activity and larval supply from aquaculture and wild scallop populations in Penobscot Bay.
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Stories from the Island Season |
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Check out our blog to catch up on highlights of our 2021 island programming & research season.
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Community support comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and sweat equity. We are so thankful to have had several volunteer visits this summer, including from the First Congregational Church of Camden, the Maine Conservation Corps, Camden Rotary, and our faithful local volunteers. This year we even saw volunteers ranging from nine to ninety! |
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The Many Faces of Hurricane |
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Hurricane brought together an amazing group of staff in 2021 including Nathan Lyczak serving in the role of Island Director. His guidance and organization skills were invaluable in navigating the unpredictability of summer 2021.
Several folks from the summer crew have now joined our year-round team including:
Captain and now Marketing and Stewardship Coordinator, Nate Hathaway
Research Assistant, Lucy Williams is staying on to assist with research through the fall.
Midsummer we welcomed John Van Dis into the role of Director of Education and Teacher Professional Development. John has worked closely with Hurricane over the last 6 years of his teaching career, making for a ready transition to our staff. John hit the ground running coming to the island with his creative and hands-on science lessons.
While we are thrilled to have our new staff joining us, it is not without shedding a tear for the staff we said goodbye to in 2021. Dr. Jenn Page was foundational in growing Hurricane Island into what it has become. We will miss her multitalented gifts!
We also wish Caroline Albertson well after 4 years of working up the ranks from intern to Marketing and Stewardship Coordinator. Caroline set off on some wonderful sailing adventures this summer and we send her off with fair winds and following seas.
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Our Partnership With United People Global
creating global change through local action
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"This Sustainability Leadership Initiative, run in partnership with United People Global, is Hurricane’s opportunity to bring the world together to dance on a small island in Penobscot Bay for a bright and positive future."
- Bo Hoppin, Executive Director
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Our partnership with United People Global (UPG) Sustainability Leadership Program continues to grow. This year 500 young sustainability leaders from around the globe were selected from an applicant pool of over 5,000. These young leaders joined our year-long online leadership trainings focused on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. From the large cohort, 60 young leaders with action plans for creating change in their home communities were selected to come to Hurricane Island for a week of training and support to implement their individual local projects.
Following an extremely successful inaugural class of 2019 and an online year of programming in 2020, it was with open arms that we welcomed the talented and bright 2021 group of visionaries from as far away as
Bolivia, Brazil, Philippines, Venezuela, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Pakistan, Ukraine, Indonesia, and Nigeria. We gave them the reins to our Instagram account and loved the perspective.
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As always our trusty facilities team worked around the clock ensuring all systems were providing the electricity, internet, hot water, and composting required for the comfort of staff and participants.
In addition to the daily maintenance of boats and sustainable systems, they were busy building new and repairing old facilities.
Here is the short and sweet list of 2021 facilities victories:
- Renovated the BOQ cabin, with new stairs, shingles, door, windows; heck even new paint!
- Welded together a trailer for our new solar-powered vehicle.
- Erected a 50 foot tower for ongoing internet network expansion on the island.
- Continued to build upon and improve the island inventory of floats for aquaculture and future Field Research Station use.
- Cleared and built tent platforms at the beautiful and peaceful undercliff site
- Constructed a new portable outhouse to be deployed at heavily used camping areas
- Prepared the south wall of the mess hall for refitted glass windows.
- Thanks to a generous gift from the Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation, Facilities received a smoking hot new Polaris Ranger side-by-side electric vehicle in late July. Silas wasted no time in outfitting the Ranger with an ingenious rooftop solar panel. No need for charging. Just hop in and haul your tools wherever they are needed!
- Thanks to a generous gift on behalf of our friends and neighbors at Big Boys Camp, we received a beta test Starlink dish which Facilities seamlessly entered into service early this summer. Now we receive internet from SPACE!
- Among the many safety and research equipment improvements, the facilities crew constructed a new wash and hauling station for our dedicated aquaculture research float. This important improvement was made possible by funding from the Gackstatter Foundation to whom we are incredibly grateful.
Hats off to an amazing facilities team!
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Collaborations & Visitors |
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Along with our year-round work with public schools, |
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this year's Research and Education partnerships included:
- St. George's School aboard the Geronimo
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
- Epiphany School
- University of Maine Darling Center
- Island Aquaculture
- Proctor Academy Ocean Classroom
- Dartmouth College
- Maine Department of Marine Resources
- Colby College
- The Rozalia Project
- Hurricane Island Outward Bound School
- University of Maine Honors College
- Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies Inc.
- PenBay Farmed Scallops
- Carrabassett Valley Academy
- Chewonki
- Maine Aquaculture Co-Op
- Great Old Broads for Wilderness
- Cambridge School of Weston
- Pomfret Academy
- Over 300 visitors across our dock!
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A lovely visit from our friends on North Haven |
Over 300 visitors arrived on our docks and signed our log this summer! |
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Distinguished Guest Speakers on Hurricane |
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WoW participants with their guest mentors |
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Craig Venter with David Conover |
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We were thrilled to welcome many guest speakers to the island this year. While not an exhaustive list, here is a sample of who spoke to students & guests:
- Judy Camuso, Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife Commissioner
- Judith Edelman, Consultant
- Bill Mook, Mook Sea Farms
- Don Pettit, NASA
- David Abel, Award Winning Boston Globe Reporter
- Ann Watson, CEO of Fox Island Archipelago
- Craig Venter, Sequencer of the Human Genome
- Kerry Whittaker, Maine Maritime Corning School of Ocean Studies
- Delia Clark, Education Consultant
- Eliza Goddell, Geology Major Oberlin College
- Savannah Judge, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging
- Karen Burns, Island Institute
- Sarah O'Malley, Maine Maritime Academy
- Kate Tagai, Island Institute
- Jes Waller, Maine Department of Marine Resources
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- Upcoming Events -
Holiday Party
Celebrate the Winter Holidays with our team over Zoom December 15th at 5:30pm EST! Register Here
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Thank You for Supporting Our Work |
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2020 Annual Report Available Now |
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The island is pretty special, but it is our donors who bring the magic of education and inquiry to Hurricane. We are grateful for the enthusiastic support of individuals, foundations, and businesses who support the integration of applied science and education on Hurricane Island.
Thank You!
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The CARES ACT Tax provisions allowing increased percentages of tax deductible charitable giving was extended to 2021 tax year. Ask your financial advisor how these changes may allow you to increase your philanthropic goals.
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GEAR UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Need a gift idea? Look no further than our Online Store for hats, t-shirts and hoodies!
You'll never be lost in the crowd with our stylish topographic rendering of Hurricane Island.
And Hurricane Flags? Always a hit!
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Excerpts From Summer Visitors |
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JUL 2 2021
"Hurricane Island was an excellent final stop here in Maine. The Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership staff were gracious hosts touring us around the island and inviting us to dinner. William, Ethan, Tucker, and Nickie were brave enough to go for one last swim in the frigid Maine waters, jumping off the dock before we ate. In the evening, we had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows."
"The purpose of our visit was to introduce the FlowCam to participants in the Women of Water Program and to other visitors to the island. Women of Water is a week-long summer program for female-identifying students" ... "Getting there was an adventure in and of itself: we first took a car ferry from Rockland to Vinalhaven, and then a member of the Hurricane Island team picked us up and took us by small boat, the last 20 minutes to the island."
SEPTEMBER 22 2021
"As we write now, we’re sitting on a giant hunk of granite at low tide where the smells of the intertidal zone drift on the breeze... It’s been light breezes and sunny skies - the best weather we’ve ever had out on the island. We met Kyle and Tigris, who took us on a history hike, a swim off the pier, and a sunset hike looking out to sea. It’s been a smooth beginning to our journey together and we’re feeling lucky to have this time out here."
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