The top of Cadillac Mountain on a busy summer day.

Working Waterfront

A coastal conundrum—taxes or tourism?

By Sarah Craighead Dedmon Acadia National Park broke records this summer when more than 35,000 people visited on a single day. The increased traffic led to near-constant road and parking lot closures and, according to the National Park Service, an unprecedented number of emergencies. In just ten years, Acadia’s visitation… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Beaches are soft frontline in the climate change war

By Tom Groening The sunny, vacation-vibe we associate with beaches was doused like a pelting thunderstorm at the 12th Beaches Conference in Kittery on June14. Instead of swimming and sunbathing, the gathering addressed the dire realities of sea level rise, unprecedentedly big storms, and dying marshes. “Why invest in Main Street… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Airboats find a home in Maine waters

Story and Photos by Kelli Park Long a staple for the swamps of the South, airboats are now finding their way into Maine waters. The flat-bottomed, fan-propelled vessels have grown in popularity, and find practical use in shallow water. Airboat hulls are built with aluminum or fiberglass and are coated… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Delaware researchers uncover ‘ghost’ crab pot problem

By Craig Idlebrook A pair of researchers said they were stunned to discover just how many recreational crab pots were abandoned or lost in Rehoboth Bay, a sheltered body of water near Delaware Bay. A survey of 100 acres of shallow water in the watershed found 160 ghost pots, and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bucksport’s not-so-overnight transformation

By Susan Lessard The path Bucksport took from “mill town” to something else—including becoming the planned home of a land-based salmon farm and an annex of Maine Maritime Academy—began more than 20 years ago. Local government leaders began setting aside funds for the possible “rainy day” that would come if… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Seasonable eating is intuitive

By Sandy Oliver The term “seasonable eating” means normal or appropriate to the time of year, as if the weather told us what was good to eat, and not magazines or newspapers, the internet or corporate test kitchens, or especially the produce sections of the grocery stores. At this house… SEE MORE

Gorham Mountain in Acadia National Park.

Working Waterfront

Acadia National Park managing for changing environment

By Laurie Schreiber Climate change is changing Acadia National Park. Native species are disappearing. Non-native species are introducing themselves. Longer warm seasons are drawing more visitors. Infrastructure and roads are flooding. Two winters ago, heavy rainfall followed by falling temperatures caused much of Sieur de Monts Nature Center to flood… SEE MORE

Environment

Beyond Acadia on display in a local bookstore. PHOTO: SARAH CRAIGHEAD DEDMON

Working Waterfront

‘Beyond Acadia’ illuminates lesser-known beauty of Bold Coast

By Sarah Craighead Dedmon A young family passing through Machias stopped at a land trust office looking for local activities to fill their day. “They had a site at Cobscook Bay State Park for just one night, and they wanted to know what to do in the area,” said Rich… SEE MORE

Jacquelyn Gill stands near the Indigirka River

Working Waterfront

UMaine scientist pursues ‘Lost Beasts of the Ice Age’

Jacquelyn Gill stood entranced inside a permafrost cave in Siberia. Woolly mammoth tusks protruded through glistening walls. A lion cub, dead for 30,000 or more years, appeared as if it was napping. “In those 30 minutes (inside the cave), I had the opportunity to get closer to the landscape I’ve… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bird-friendly island has unintended consequences

By Barbara Fernald As the birds return to the islands, I have to admit that some birds are a little more special to me than others. Nothing beats that incredibly sweet moment when I hear my first hermit thrush of the season. Cardinals, with their variety of calls, used to… SEE MORE