This series is my chance to share some of my favorite stories, poetry, plays, music, and true-life adventures inspired by the sea. Along the way we’ll hear abou...
Today we're going to be talking about kelp. Yep, seaweed.Alright. Kelp is not synonymous with seaweed, but they are related, and those in the know tend to use the terms interchangeably.The question we'll examine is this; is kelp one of the resources that will help sustain our planet and its ever-growing population in the future.My guest today is Liz McDonald. Liz is responsible for farming partnerships at Atlantic Sea Farms, a main base company working alongside fishing families on the coast of Maine to cultivate regenerative kelp, one of several hundred species of seaweed on open ocean sea farms.Based in Biddeford, Maine, the folks at Atlantic Sea Farms have grown to a point where they now represent the majority of farm seaweed in the United States.
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Saltwater Classroom
I'm pleased to welcome as my guest today a multidisciplined and passionate advocate for the Sea, Alexandra Doudera. What Alexandra has accomplished in a very short period is quite extraordinary. As a young girl growing up in Camden, Maine, she formed a deep and lasting connection with the ocean. I'll use her own words here. “I felt called to it. It was an almost unavoidable consequence of spending summers exploring Maine's Rocky Coast.” Lexi, as her peers and students call her, has gained great success, not only as a passionate ocean advocate and educator, but also as a successful business entrepreneur. She's the founder and executive director of Saltwater Classroom. Saltwater Classroom's mission is to foster an ethic of ocean stewardship in learners of all ages, especially among students in elementary and middle school. Lexi believes in hands-on education, tech integration, and global collaboration.
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Slippery Beast
Today’s topic is an aquatic creature that has been on the planet since the Cretaceous Period – that’s about 145 million years ago. Indigenous tribes in the state of Maine were catching and consuming this tasty fin fish in the local rivers and streams for thousands of years – using handmade traps that pre-date the pyramids at Giza. Yup, we’re talking about the creature commonly known as the Eel. And today we'll take a look at this fascinating and mysterious creature that has baffled philosophers, scientists, and fisherman alike for thousands of years. The book is called Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels. Its author and my guest today is Ellen Ruppel Shell.
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Victory at Sea
A short time ago one of my sisters was looking through a box of correspondence – letters from my father to his sister in the days following World War II. That’s a lifetime ago – 83 years – the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor having pulled America into the war. John Winkworth, my father, had enlisted in the Navy and reported for training in the winter of 1943. My dad was 24 when he enlisted – and he along with other young soldiers volunteered to face the growing escalation of the enemy offensive in Europe. After basic training, he was assigned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade aboard the Guadalcanal, a Casablanca Class Escort Carrier. Following the war, my dad was asked to give a talk, to tell the story of the carrier’s anti-submarine work in the Atlantic Ocean – including details of the remarkable capture of the German enemy submarine U-505.
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The Working Waterfront
The winter of 2023-24 saw a series of fierce storms that reshaped the main landscape. The storms battered landmarks and waterfront communities. Most of us hunkered inside, did not venture out to face the storms fury and impact. Unprecedented rains flooded Western and central Maine with sustained winds of 35 to 40 miles per hour gusting well beyond that, bringing additional damage to the state.My guest today is Sam Belknap. Sam is the current director of Maine Island Institute Center for Marine Economy, overseeing the work on several fronts, including protecting and sustaining Maine's working waterfronts.
This series is my chance to share some of my favorite stories, poetry, plays, music, and true-life adventures inspired by the sea. Along the way we’ll hear about and on occasion meet with some of the gifted artists and courageous individuals who brought those works to life.
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