Students place in Northeast Region Dairy Challenge

November 12th, 2009

Seven UMaine Animal and Veterinary Sciences students competed Nov. 6-7 in the annual Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge in Glens Falls, N.Y. with and against more than 120 students from 13 colleges, and brought home several awards. The two-day competition featured five-person teams of students who used their expertise to analyze a working dairy farm and make recommendations about nutrition, reproduction, animal health, housing, labor and financial management. The top team for each of the three farms in the competition received the Don Rogers Platinum Award, named for a well-known farm financial consultant and founder of the competition. Abby Arena from Stetson, Maine, and Michael MacPhail of Minnetonka, Minn., were members of teams receiving the highest award. Brittany Brackett from Greenbush also received a platinum award. The students now prepare for the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge this spring in Visalia, Calif.

Posted in College News | Comments Off

Forestry Seminars in November

October 30th, 2009

The  School of Forest Resources presents its Fall Seminar Series at noon on Fridays in Room 2o4 Nutting Hall. The following talks will be presented in November:

• November 6: “Fire Management in New England Forests”– Rick Vollick
• November 13: “An Ecological Observatory in a Climate of Change: Bear Brook at 20 Years”– Ivan Fernandez
• November 20: “Forest Management and Ecosystem Carbon Cycling”– Mike Lavigne

Posted in College News | Comments Off

Marine Sciences Lectures in November/December

October 30th, 2009

The following lectures will be presented in November and December as part of the School of Marine Sciences Seminar Series. All seminars will be presented in Room 354, Aubert Hall at 11:30 on Fridays. Refreshments will be served at 11:15.

• November 6: “The Spatial and Temporal Scales of Adaptive Divergence in the Ocean: Do Fishery Harvests Cause Evolutionary Changes?”–David Conover, Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC)/SUNY
• November 13: “A 20-yr Perspective of Groundfish, Area Closures, and Lobsters in the Gulf of Maine”–Jon Grabowski, Research Scientist, Gulf of Marine Research Institute (GMRI).
• November 20: ” What’s Fishy in Gulf of Maine Salt Marshes? Overview of Research on Fish Ecology in Marsh-Estuarine Ecosystems at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve”–Michele Dionne, Wells NERR.
• December 4: “Models of North Atlantic Right Whale Habitat”–Dan Pendleton, Research Assistant, UM/GMRI Cornell.
• December 11: TBA

Posted in College News | Comments Off

Wildlife Ecology Seminars for November & December

October 28th, 2009

The Department of Wildlife Ecology hosts its Monday noon-time seminar series this fall. Seminars will take place in Room 204 Nutting Hall (unless otherwise noted) from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

• November 6 (Friday): “The Spatial and Temporal Scales of Adaptive Divergence in the Ocean: Do Fishery Harvests Cause Evolutionary Changes?”–David Conover, Marine Sciences Research Center, SUNY Stony Brook– 11:00 a.m. in 354 Aubert Hall.
• November 9: “Conservation Planning for Sustainable Biodiversity in the 21st Century: New Tools from The Nature Conservancy”– Joshua Royte, Conservation Planner for The Nature Conservancy in Maine.
• November 16: “The Ecology and Conservation of the Eastern Spadefoot Toad at Cape Cod National Seashore”– Brad Timm, Department of Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• November 23: “TBA”–Catherine Schmitt, Maine Sea Grant.
• November 30: “Amphibians, Disease, and Multiple Stressors in NortheasternNorth America”–Megan Gahl, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John.
• December 11 (Friday): “Meeting the Challenge of Turning Research-Based Information into Societal Action: Accumulating Evidence—Old and New”– Jack Kartez, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, 3:10 p.m. 102 Murray Hall.

Posted in College News | Comments Off

Ocean Classroom Foundation Announces Partnership with UMaine

October 27th, 2009

Ocean Classroom Foundation (OCF) and the University of Maine will collaborate to offer a Spring 2010 semester at sea experience for students aboard a 19th century-style schooner.

Known as SEAmester, the program is managed by the Ocean Classroom Foundation, a leader in experiential education at sea.  UMaine has approved the curriculum through its Division of Lifelong Learning and will grant credits to students who successfully complete the courses.

SEAmester will feature a four-course, 12-credit science and humanities curriculum integrated with the journey and ports of call throughout the Eastern Seaboard, Caribbean Islands and Central America.  Students will also stand watches and assume increasing responsibilities in sailing the traditionally rigged schooner, acquiring skills and confidence along the way.

UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences (SMS), one of the top programs of its kind in the U.S., is involved in developing the program.  Marine science studies on the SEAmester voyage will include lab work in oceanography and marine biology, species surveys, environmental impact studies and marine weather observations. Other coursework will feature maritime history, literature, geocultural studies and creative writing.  Students will also benefit from leadership training, cultural immersion and a service project in the Dominican Republic.

“We are excited by the synergy between the SMS and SEAmester curricula. Students within the University of Maine system, and from other colleges around the country, will have an opportunity to expand their knowledge beyond the classroom”, says William Ellis, associate director of UMaine’s School of Marine Science. “Any student who is interested in exploring the natural world, who is excited by physical or mental challenges, or who is looking to take their education to the next level, should look seriously at the SEAmester program.”

According to Peter Neill, executive director of Ocean Classroom Foundation, the sea demands decisiveness, independence, cooperation, and communication.

“At sea, leadership is developed through working side by side with a knowledgeable captain and crew, learning through observation and
emulation, and then being accountable for their successful application,” Neill says. “Lessons are unforgettable when taught from within in a self-reliant community, in a dynamic natural environment.”

SEAmester was first offered by Ocean Classroom in 1997, originally accredited by Long Island University and later by the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. An alternative to the traditional college academic semester abroad it is next available to qualified college students in spring 2010. SEAmester may be of particular interest to students majoring in any aspect of marine science, environmental or ecological studies, oceanography, geocultural studies, history, or literature.

The Ocean Classroom Foundation is a non-profit educational organization with a mission to build the next generation of ocean stewards through education under sail. Accredited and non-traditional programs vary from days, to weeks, to semester long voyages for high school and college students; custom programs for middle and high schools, youth and community organizations; and continuing education for humanities and science teachers. Programs are offered aboard three USCG certified schooners: Harvey Gamage, Westward, and Spirit of Massachusetts; sailing along the Atlantic seaboard from the Canadian Maritimes to the Caribbean.

Ocean Classroom Foundation is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization whose programs are offered without regard to race, gender, religion, or national origin. For more information, visit www.oceanclassroom.org.

Posted in College News | Comments Off