2021 Programs
September 16, 2021 at 6:30pm
Preston Spicer
Title of Talk: Storm Surges in the Penobscot Bay and River
Synopsis: Storm surges can be a threat to life and property in coastal regions during tropical and mid-latitude storm events. The State of Maine is most prone to storm surges resulting from mid-latitude winter storms, typically called “nor’easters”.
When nor’easters track far enough inland, there is often a strong wind directed from the south over coastal Maine which enhances surge in Maine’s many estuaries. We present observations of surge during two of these “windstorms” in one of the states largest estuaries: the Penobscot Bay and River system. We discuss the unique citizen scientist monitored water level network, which was created to capture these observations, as well as some interesting findings from each storm.
A recording of this Zoom presentation is now available on the
Belfast Free Library You Tube Channel:
To access the recording, CLICK HERE
Preston Spicer is a Ph.D. student in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine specializing in coastal engineering and oceanography. Preston joined the Sensing Storm Surge project team in 2017 to aid in data management and processing. Sensing Storm Surge, led by Dr. Kim Huguenard and Dr. Laura Rickard, is a long-term water level monitoring project in which citizen scientist volunteers aid UMaine researchers in collecting water level measurements around the Penobscot Bay & River estuary system. Preston utilizes this extensive data set to study tide and storm surge dynamics in the Penobscot estuary.
October 21, 2021 at 6:30pm
Cassaundra Rose
Title of Talk: Maine Won't Wait
Synopsis: Maine is Taking Action on Climate Change.
To access the recording, CLICK HERE
Cassaundra Rose is a Senior Science Analyst and Climate Council Coordinator with the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. Cassaundra has more than fifteen years of climate research, policy, and communications experience. She holds a MS in Geology from the University of California, Riverside, and a PhD in Earth and Environmental Science from Columbia University.
November 18, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Cloe Chunn
Title of Talk: An Update on the Penobscot River Paddling Trail
Synopsis: Cloe Chunn will brief us about recent developments on the paddling trail, as well as what she has learned about Wabanaki place names, from studying and seeing them, firsthand, along the river.
To access the recording, CLICK HERE
Cloe Chunn is a former high school and college teacher; a naturalist; nature journal keeper; and Registered Maine Guide. Cloe is a cofounder of the Maine Master Naturalist Program. Her book, Fifty Hikes in the Maine Mountains (W.W. Norton), has been a standard hiking guide for over 30 years. For the last 5 years, Cloe and her husband David Thanhauser have been working to establish the Penobscot River Paddling Trail.