Outdoor Learning Initiative
Sending Maine Students to Hurricane Island
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Maine Governor Announces Initiative to Provide Maine Students Hands-On Outdoor Coastal Learning Experiences this Summer |
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We are so excited and grateful for the support that comes with Governor Janet Mills' announcement of the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative developed by the Maine Department of Education.
“We hear firsthand from students and teachers about the uniquely impactful experience of learning on Hurricane Island, and we are grateful to be able to offer these experiences to a greater number of Maine youth.” - Bo Hoppin, Executive Director
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Multi-year Support from Builders Initiative
Funding Our Sustainable Research
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Thanks to generous multi-year funding from the Builders Initiative, Lead Scientist Phoebe Jekielek is deepening Hurricane Island's study of the wild and farmed scallop populations in Penobscot Bay and strengthening our ties with the broader scientific community. We are grateful to have been chosen by Builders Initiative as an innovative organization who shares their vision to improve stewardship of ocean and coastal ecosystems.
This grant will support two years of funding to conduct research on climate change,
aquaculture, fisheries biology and fisheries management in Penobscot Bay. The research will focus on understanding production efficiencies in scallop aquaculture, biological effects of climate change on bivalve species, and the role aquaculture farms play in supporting wild populations and production.
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Out of the Classroom and Onto the Island
Recent Education Programs
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Our island programming season kicked off in mid May. So far we have welcomed and worked with a wide range of schools and programs including: |
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The Riley School Rockport, ME
Cambridge School of Weston Weston, MA
Watershed School Camden, ME
Camden Hills Regional HS Camden, ME
Belfast Area High School Belfast, ME
Casco Bay High School Portland, ME
Cornerspring Montessori Belfast, ME
Abington Friends School Jenkintown, PA
Mount View Middle School Thorndike, ME
Nobleboro Middle School Nobleboro, ME
Vinalhaven School Vinalhaven, ME
St. George MSU 65 Tenants Harbor, ME
Oceanside High School Rockland, ME
United People Global Geneva, Switzerland
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School Lane Charter HS Bensalem, PA
Troy Howard Middle School Belfast, ME
Epiphany School Dorchester, MA
Cape Elizabeth MS Cape Elizabeth, ME
West Coast Connection Mamaroneck, NY
The Game Loft Thorndike, ME
OUT Maine Rockland, ME
Augusta Prep Day School Martinez, GA
The Apprenticeshop Rockland, ME
H.I.O.B.S. Camden, ME
Maine Conservation Corps Augusta, ME
Vinalhaven Land Trust Vinalhaven, ME
Center for Wildlife Studies N.Yarmouth, ME
Penobscot Bay Stewards Belfast, ME
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Thanks in part to multi-year funding from the Onion Foundation and The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation, the Hurricane Island Education team provides year-round support to local schools and educators.
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In addition, we have received generous funding to provide
hands-on science learning experiences with these local schools
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Nobleboro Central School
Nobleboro, Maine
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St. George MSU
Tenants Harbor, Maine
Students in the Upper ARC program at St. George wrapped up their unit on fungi and life processes by examining mycelium buoys as a replacement for styrofoam buoys. The mycelium buoys breakdown quickly in the environment, a positive for the environment, but a challenge for the fishing industry. - JVD
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Vinalhaven School
Vinalhaven, Maine
Middle school students at the Vinalhaven School have been designing green crab traps through their work with Hurricane Island education staff. Today, students started using 3D printing pens to weld and assemble those traps.
Students will deploy the traps on Hurricane during their visit. Middle school students in the Upper ARC program at St George will also use this technology as they assemble oyster cages made of PETG that have been laser cut in the school's makerspace. - JVD
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Hurricane Ed Team in the News!
Newscenter Maine Feature
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Newscenter Maine Coverage
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Increasing Access to Summer Science Programs |
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We are able to offer scholarship support thanks to generous funding from these and other organizations, foundations, and individuals:
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Aaron's Presents Andover, MA
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Adémas Foundation Los Angeles, CA
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Apprentice Learning Jamaica Plain, MA
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Ash Point Fund of Maine Community Foundation Belfast, ME
- Howard Balloch
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Camden Rotary Club Camden, ME
- Noreen Drexel
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Gardner Family Fund Portland, ME
- Harvey and Pam Geiger
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Jinny Chalmers Fund for Education Justice Cambridge, MA
- Alexander and Linda Knowles
- Chip and Kathy Morgan
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02 for Life Rainforest Foundation Lexington, MA
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West Bay Rotary Club Camden, ME
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Women's Initiative 4 Progress Cambridge, MA
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Our partnership with United People Global continues to grow! This year 75 young sustainability leaders from around the globe will train with us on Hurricane Island.
Our first group on the island represented: The Maldives, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon, Indonesia, Mozambique and Pakistan.
United People Global is a global community that enables individuals and organizations to participate in making the world a better place guided by the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Their ideas are transformed into action through four pillars: awareness, belief, collaboration, and community.
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Come out to Hurricane Island! |
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Island Hike & Picnic Days
8/20 & 9/3 (11am-4pm)
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Visit the Island by Boat
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Fall Volunteer Day
10/8 (8am-4pm)
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Communicating Our Research
Our Researchers are out and about sharing findings with the broader scientific community.
The Hurricane Island team presented at the Benthic Ecology Meeting earlier in the season, which earned a blog post here. Our '21 season intern Sophie Lisle, a rising senior at Bowdoin, also shared her work.
Phoebe and Aquaculture Manager Madison Maier also presented as part of the Herring Gut Learn-Discover-Grow series with a feature on shellfish farmers. They were joined by our research partner Jordan Kramer of Winnegance Farms.
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We hosted our first annual Aquaculture Day on May 20th. This event introduced a diverse group of participants to the methods we employ while growing, collecting and researching scallops here on our research site.
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Scallops in the Working Waterfront
Lead Scientist Phoebe Jekielek took some time between studying for her PhD exams to write a story for the Island Institute's Working Waterfront newspaper. |
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Hurricane Island Field Research Station
Currently Under Construction
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Field Research Station Update
Learn more about this modern sustainable facility and watch the progress unfold.
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Thank You for Supporting Our Work |
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It Takes A (Seasonal) Village |
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This work would not be possible without our dedicated & talented seasonal staff |
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Educators
Tigris Nevans, Liv Lenfesty,
Gab Rosenthal
Education Interns
Robyn Walker-Spencer, Pearl Benjamin, Kaiden Bedell, Babi Amaral
Garden Manager
Libby Wilkerson
Facilities Manager
Ryan Whale
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Garden/Aquaculture Assistant Educator
Alex Pesek
Research Assistants
Lucy Williams
Essie Martin
Research Intern
Jess Cleary-Reuning
Facilities Assistant
Chloe Finger
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Captains
Julie Winzler, Albert Kolodji, Elizabeth Foretek, Saphrona Stetson
Galley Manager
Kendra Wilkerson
Cook
Micah Conkling
Galley Assistant
Isabella Daniels
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New Year-round Staff Roles
and Job Postings!
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Phoebe Jekielek is moving forward as our Lead Scientist as she pursues a Ph.D. at UMaine
Silas Rogers is now the Sustainability and Special Projects manager
Kelly McPhee moved into the Program Logistics role supporting the Education team.
Liz Jenkins joins the Advancement team with her wealth of experience in donor engagement and database management.
Derek Schott joins us as Island Director. Derek's experience includes managing remote scientific work in high latitudes, so Hurricane Island should be a piece of cake!
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