The Friends of Scarborough Marsh (FOSM) is pleased to launch its 2018 – 2019 Scarborough Marsh Lecture Series. In its second year, the monthly series has been crafted to deliver a range of interesting lectures on topics that pertain to the Scarborough Marsh and its environs—ecology, geology, function (e.g., in art, ecology, economy, natural resource infrastructure, recreation), history, vulnerability. This season’s lectures cover subjects ranging from plants, insects, birds, shellfish and other marsh creatures to human history. You will come away from each lecture with greater appreciation for Maine’s largest salt marsh and its vital place in our society and ecosystem.
FOSM is very grateful to Bessey Commons for hosting this season’s lectures at One Bessey Commons Drive, Scarborough, Maine in the Theater on the lower level. Parking for the lectures will be on the grass behind the Bessey Commons and signs will be posted showing the entrance door to the lectures. Please visit our website for lecture updates: www.scarboroughmarsh.org
2018 Fall Schedule (Lectures 7:00 – 8:00 PM)
2018
September 25 Brad Zitske, Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: Returning New England Cottontails to Scarborough
New England cottontail are a state-endangered species numbering fewer than 300 individuals in Maine. Join a regional wildlife biologist to learn how the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is managing this species from the brink of extinction in the region with habitat management and a translocation effort to increase the population of this once-ubiquitous species.
October 23 Paula Work, Ph.D., Maine State Museum: The Giants of Maine: The Scarborough Mammoth and Other Ice Age Finds
Bring the family for a friendly romp through Maine’s last Ice Age and the important discoveries that help us unravel this history.
November 27 Jason Goldstein, Ph.D., Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve: DNA and Invasive Fish
Learn how aquatic scientists in Maine, New Hampshire and Oregon are using advancements in DNA technology (eDNA) to identify organisms living in estuarine ecosystems by the matter they leave behind. eDNA avoids the capture of live animals or plants and the logistical challenges associated with traditional monitoring approaches.