2014 Brennen Lowe Memorial Golf Tournament

2014 Brennen Lowe Memorial Golf Tournament September 14,  2014 Please join Harbor House for the annual Brennen Lowe Memorial Golf Tournament on Sunday, September 14th at  8:30 am at the Causeway Club in Southwest Harbor. The Brennen Lowe Memorial Golf tournament is in memory of young Brennen Lowe who lost his battle with cancer several years ago. Lunch will be provided after the Scramble Pre-Registration is encouraged. To sign up a team or to become a sponsor please contact Diana Novella at  207-244-3713 or email at diana@harborhousemdi.org $75 per person, Scramble format. Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 8:30am Causeway Club Golf Course, Fernald Point Road Southwest Harbor, ME 04679

Thank You for a Wonderful Flight!

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Visit I Exhibits & Events I Collection I Get Involved I Education I Store I News & Resources I Contact A postcard from California, right here in MaineThanks to the warm support and company of so many of our friends, the Wendell Gilley Museum's third annual Flight of Swallows proved a soaring success. Guests, volunteers, trustees, and staff gathered on August 13th for a summer evening filled with elegant tastes, sights, aromas, and sounds of the Pacific. The exquisite selection of 50 wines from California gave everyone plenty to savor, as did the hors d'oeuvres and fresh, poppy jazz delivered to us live by Scott Cleveland on piano, John Gallagher on bass, and Jim Frick on vibes. People noted their favorite wines and enjoyed lively conversation with each other in a classic coastal Maine setting. The most memorable part of the evening was the company. A Flight of Swallows, and the Museum, would not be possible without your enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. Next year we continue our Flight around the world with primo wines from Italy. The flavors and stories that accompany the selections are sure to keep everyone in good spirits. We hope you can join us for this Italian-inspired celebration in August 2015. Again, from all of us at the Gilley, thank you. (photo credits: Tammy Packie) Follow the Gilley on:    Wendell Gilley MuseumPO Box 2544 Herrick Road Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679 (207) 244-7555 info@wendellgilleymuseum.org www.wendellgilleymuseum.org Copyright (C) 2014 Wendell Gilley Museum All rights reserved. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Unsubscribe info@AcadiaChamber.com from this list. Forward this email to a friend.

Bridge repairs at Acadia National Park to start in early September 2014

Bar Harbor ME – The National Park Service will be performing maintenance and significant repairs to several motor road bridges in Acadia National Park. The work will involve waterproofing, improving drainage, and rehabilitating and/or reconstructing masonry and mortar joints of the bridges. The repair work will continue over the next year and is expected to be completed by the end of September 2015. The bridges, their location, and schedule of repairs are as follows:

In 2014:

• Paradise Hill Bridge, Park Loop Road over Duck Brook Road, Bar Harbor
  • This bridge is located between State Route 233 and Hulls Cove Visitor Center. It is over the section of Duck Brook Road that is currently closed to motor vehicles.
  • Work will be occurring between late August through mid-November of 2014; traffic will be restricted to one lane only intermittently throughout this period.
• Day Mountain Bridge, Route 3 over Park Loop Road , Mount Desert
  • This bridge is located south of Blackwoods Campground where State Route 3 passes over Park Loop Road.
  • Work will be occurring between early September and the end of October 2014; traffic will be restricted to one lane only intermittently for both State Route 3 and Park Loop Road as work will be completed throughout this period.
• Route 233 Bridge, Park Loop Road over Route 233, Bar Harbor
  • This bridge is located west of the park entrance road on State Route 233 and Park Loop Road passes overhead.
  • Work will be occurring the first week of September through mid-November of 2014; traffic on State Route 233 and Park Loop Road will be restricted to one lane only intermittently throughout this period.

In 2015:

• Fish House Road Bridge, Park Loop Road over Fish House Road, Mount Desert
  • This bridge is located on the Park Loop Road north of Fabbri Picnic Area. The Fish House Road passes beneath.
  • Work will be occurring from mid-April to mid-July 2015, traffic on the Park Loop Road will intermittently be restricted to one lane traffic and Fish House Road will be closed during this period.
• Sieur de Monts Bridge, State Route 3 over Park Loop Road at Sieur de Monts, Bar Harbor
  • This bridge is located just south of Jackson Laboratory on State Route 3. Park Loop Road passes beneath.
  • Work will be occurring from early April through June 2015; traffic on State Route 3 and Park Loop Road will be restricted to one lane only intermittently throughout this period. While work is occurring underneath the bridge on the east side of the park loop road car traffic will be allowed but bus detours will be in place. More information on this closure will be forthcoming.
• Kebo Brook Bridge, Park Loop Road over Kebo Brook, Bar Harbor
  • Bridge is located on Park Loop Road at the Gorge Path trailhead. Kebo Brook passes beneath.
  • Work will be occurring from mid-July through September 2015; traffic on Park Loop Road will be restricted to one lane traffic only intermittently throughout this period.

For more information, contact Keith Johnston at 207-288-8750 or Clay Gilley at 207-812-8989.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov. Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, or Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice.

Two New Prescription Drug Drop Boxes for Hancock County

Two New Prescription Drug Drop Boxes for Hancock County

Hancock County—Healthy Acadia, in partnership with the Ellsworth and Mount Desert Police Departments, are pleased to announce the addition of two new prescription drug drop boxes for Hancock County, as part of their substance abuse prevention efforts.

The new prescription drug drop boxes have been placed in an accessible but secure location within the Ellsworth and Mount Desert Police Departments’ lobbies. The drop boxes will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week at both of these locations. “We feel that the drop box program is an important service to the public and we are very happy to participate in the program,” stated Interim Police Chief Harold Page of the Ellsworth Police Department.  

The two new drop boxes bring the total number of prescription drug drop boxes in Hancock County to six. The other drop boxes are hosted at the Bar Harbor, Bucksport, and Southwest Harbor Police Departments, as well as the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

Police Chief James Willis of the Mount Desert Police Department stated, “I strongly believe that providing more opportunities to easily and safely dispose of prescription drugs will improve the health and safety of the town of Mount Desert and other Hancock County communities.”

Prescription drug misuse is the fastest growing substance abuse problem in the United States. Maine has consistently been one of the states with the highest rates of prescription drug abuse. In an effort to reduce prescription drug misuse and potential abuse, Maine has been proactively involved with initiatives to decrease prescription drug diversion activities. For example, Maine has developed a Statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program between prescribing providers and pharmacies, and the state also works with local partners to share information about safe prescription drug use and disposal. For more information about the prescription drug drop box program and other initiatives in Downeast Acadia aimed at preventing substance abuse and misuse, visit Healthy Acadia’s website: www.healthyacadia.org

Camp Beech Cliff Launches Acadia Leadership Institute

 Bordering Acadia National Park’s Beech Mountain and Echo Lake are fifty picturesque acres and extraordinary opportunities for adventure and growth.

Expanding on their quality summer day camp, Camp Beech Cliff announced the launch of the Acadia Leadership Institute for year round outdoor education, adventure, training and leadership programs. “The camp experience fosters strengths, self-confidence, team building, and connection to the natural world. We are using our unique strengths and expertise to bring the camp experience to a broader audience” explained Debra Deal, Executive Director at a recent event for Camp Beech Cliff supporters and local leadership. According to Deal, those strengths include location, unprecedented facilities, the talent and expertise of staff and local instructors, and a caring camp community.

Schools, colleges, non-profits, businesses and other groups from all over New England are creating custom meetings, trainings, retreats and events in a truly unique natural setting that is conducive to team-building, learning, adventure and relaxation. Impressive amenities include a full gymnasium, 30-foot indoor rock climbing wall, state-of-the-art low and high ropes challenge courses, meeting rooms, kayaks, canoes, and more. The camp has partnered with outdoor adventure and education pioneers Project Adventure, inns, caterers, local area instructors and facilitators. From one day corporate team-building and strategic planning retreats to week-long adventure programs including hiking, biking, climbing, paddling and high ropes – the camp will be able to offer a full spectrum of programs and services.

This summer, 250 campers, 60 percent local residents, were enrolled at Camp Beech Cliff each week. “Summer camp will always be our flagship program. It is the heart and soul of this nonprofit organization, said Deal. “With the gift of the new facilities in 2012 also came the responsibility to best utilize this amazing resource to help fund summer camp, fulfill our mission and make the greatest impact in our community. Under Camp Beech Cliff, the programs of the Acadia Leadership Institute will allow us to do just that. It’s an exciting time of growth.”

Through summer camps and year-round outdoor education, leadership and recreation programs, Camp Beech Cliff MDI seeks to enrich the lives of people of all ages. Our mission is to inspire personal growth, interpersonal connection, and a deep appreciation of the natural world.

For more information on Camp Beech Cliff and the Acadia Leadership Institute, contact Sarah Catanese, Director of Programs & Operations, 244-0365 or sarah@campbeechcliff.org.

Monarch Watch PreMigration Newsletter - July 2014

Monarch Watch PreMigration Newsletter - July 2014

by Chip Taylor, Director, Monarch Watch

Those of you who follow monarchs closely are aware that the monarch population has been declining for the last 10 years with significant drops in the population each of the last three years. The number of trees and total area occupied by monarchs in the oyamel fir forests in Mexico was at an all time low last winter - a mere 0.67 hectares. This decline has given rise to a great deal of concern about the future of the monarch migration. These concerns have resulted in many meetings and plans, and even a Presidential Memorandum directing federal agencies to devote resources to offset the decline in monarchs and pollinators. We have addressed this issue through our Monarch Waystation, Bring Back the Monarchs and Milkweed Market programs. These programs are growing but they need to become much, much larger to sustain the monarch migration. Large-scale habitat restoration, particularly in the upper Midwest, also needs to become a priority. In the meantime, we need to keep tagging monarchs as a way of monitoring their numbers and tracking any shifts in the origins of monarchs that reach

Mexico. If you are a long-term tagger, you know it has been increasingly difficult to find enough monarchs to tag, especially during the last two years. The totals tagged each year roughly parallel the numbers recorded in Mexico each winter, giving us an independent assessment of the numbers in the migration. Regional tagging success also helps in that it demonstrates how monarchs respond to the physical conditions and quality of the habitats in these areas. Thus, tagging is an important tool to help us understand the overall dynamics of the monarch population.

So what should we expect this year? I usually like to wait until August to make predictions about the numbers in the migration and avoid bold assertions about the size of the overwintering population until well into the migration. However, this year I’m on record as early as the 3rd of May on our discussion list Dplex-L as predicting that there will be a modest increase in the number of monarchs in the migration and at the overwintering sites this winter. "Modest increase" is a vague term and I can’t put a number to it; however, all of the factors I’ve researched indicate that there will be more monarchs migrating this fall and at the overwintering locations by mid December when the colonies are measured. All in all things are looking up for monarchs this year.

Good luck with your tagging and thanks to all of you for participating in our program.

Please visit our website for a more detailed account of the current monarch population and updates as the season progresses:

www.monarchwatch.org/blog

Recording Tagging Data

• It is very important that participants record their complete name and contact information on each an every sheet . If you anticipate tagging more than 25 monarchs, fill in your name and address on the datasheet first and then make photocopies.

• When you record your data, use the complete six-symbol tag code. Without the complete code, tracking is virtually impossible. DO NOT USE the page number tags ; these are only on the sheet as a printing reference. Pages numbers are repeated each year and are meaningless.

• Use the datasheet example as a guide for the information to include on your tagging records. Be sure to record the tag code, date, and location (city, state, zip) for each tag you use.

Returning Your Datasheets Please, please, return your datasheets as soon as you are finished tagging for the season . Believe it or not, many people receive tags, tag monarchs, record data and then never return their datasheets. Every year the Monarch Watch staff spends countless hours (and a lot of money) contacting people who have recoveries but did not return their data. The data for a recovery is useless if we are unable to verify when, where, and by whom the butterfly was tagged.

Monarch Tag Recoveries

Most of the tagged monarchs recovered within the United States and Canada are found by people who know nothing about Monarch Watch or our tagging program. Email or voice communications about recovered tags usually include information on the location, date and circumstance of the recovery. If this information does not arrive with the tag report, we do our best to collect it. Once we have the tag code for a recovery, we search the tag database for that particular tag. If a record has not been returned, we must contact the person who received the tag. When we locate the datasheet for the recovered monarch, we record the participant’s name, along with the tagging location, date, monarch gender, etc., in the recovery database. We calculate distance according to latitude and longitude to obtain information for the straight-line course (a minimal estimate for the distance the monarch traveled).

Email us your data!

You now have the option of downloading a Monarch Watch Tagging Datasheet in spreadsheet format - to be filled out using Excel, Numbers, or another spreadsheet application. Once you have typed in your tagging data and saved the file, you can send it to us as an email attachment. Datasheets and complete instructions are available online at www.monarchwatch.org/tagging The majority of the recovered tags are obtained in Mexico. Early each year we visit the overwintering sites, particularly El Rosario and Sierra Chincua, where we purchase tags from the guides and ejido members. The ratio of untagged to tagged monarchs is quite high and it takes most residents several hours to find each tag among the butterflies visiting sites along streams or dead butterflies on the trails and under the monarch covered trees. We pay 50 pesos (about $5US) for each tag - reasonable compensation for the time and energy spent locating each tag. Part of the cost of the tagging kits covers these recoveries. However, in years in which there is high mortality at the overwintering sites the number of recoveries is high and exceeds the funds available to purchase tags. The Monarch Watch Tag Recovery Fund has been established to address the costs associated with tag recovery incurred by us each year. Contributions to this fund and to Monarch Watch in general are always welcome and appreciated: www.MonarchWatch.org/donate

What do we do with the data?

The recovery data is posted on our website and is analyzed to test hypotheses concerning monarch orientationand navigation. The data are also used to determine mortality during the migration and estimate the number of monarchs in the overwintering population. These analyses will be summarized on our website after the publication of articles.

When Does Tagging Begin?

As the length of daylight shortens in mid-August, monarchs in northern latitudes (i.e., near the Canadian border) begin to migrate. Monarchs farther south will begin their journey a few weeks later. Tagging and monitoring should begin in early to mid August north of 45N (Minneapolis) and late August at other locations north of 35N (Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, Memphis, Charlotte) and in September and early October in areas south of this latitude. For estimated peak monarch migration dates in your area please visit: www.monarchwatch.org/tagging

Capturing a Monarch

When in flight, monarchs are wary, elusive and difficult to catch. To maximize the number of monarchs collected for tagging, it's best to locate monarchs feeding on flowers or in roosts late in the day or early in the morning. With a butterfly net in hand, approach each butterfly slowly (from behind if possible), as sudden movement will startle it into flight. Sweep the net forward quickly and flip the end of the net bag over the net handle. You want the butterfly in the deep end of the net. With one hand holding the handle, use the other hand to collapse the end of the net bag. Flatten the net bag so the wings of the butterfly are closed over its back (thorax) and place thumb and forefinger over the leading edge of the wings (from outside of the net). Next, with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, reach into the net and firmly grasp the thorax. Remove the butterfly for tagging.

Butterfly Nets

You can purchase a good butterfly net directly from the Monarch Watch Shop (item# 120003; 1-800-780-9986 or Shop.MonarchWatch.org) or make one. The opening of the net should be 12” or more in diameter and the net bag should be at least 24” deep, allowing you to trap the butterflies in the end of the net without harming them. Net bags can be made from a variety of materials but it is advisable to choose see-through materials that won't rip easily as the net is swept over vegetation. The mesh should also be small enough thatthe monarchs aren’t able to wiggle free. Landing nets used by fisherman (available at most discount stores) can usually be converted to butterfly nets.

Storing Live Monarchs

If you collect more monarchs than you can tag immediately, you canstore them in paper triangles or glassine (#3 stamp) envelopes overnight or for a few days (no more than three). Simply place the envelopes in a plastic box or zip-lock bag in a refrigerator. A moist paper towel should be included to keep the butterflies from becoming dehydrated.

Sexing Monarchs

Once you become familiar with monarch adults, sexing is relatively easy. Males have an enlarged pouch midway along a vein that is directly below the discal cell on the hindwing see below). In species closely related to the monarch, this is a source of pheromones used in courtship. The pouches do not appear to be functional on the monarch. Females lack these pouches and appear to have thicker veins than males - this is actually only a difference in pigmentation. Upon close examination, you will also notice that males and females differ significantly in the anatomy at the tip of their abdomen.