Science doesn’t stop in Maine: MSF partners help us keep the focus on science year-round. See what’s happening near you this month and remember that #scienceiseverywhere!
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April 27-30 City Nature Challenge The Maine Science Festival, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Maine Discovery Museum and partners have entered our regions of Maine in this year’s “City” Nature Challenge (CNC) – an international competition and celebration of wildlife. How do you do it? Get outside, look for living things, and snap their pictures. Post your pictures and their locations to the iNaturalist website (or just use the app!) by May 3 for your observations to count towards our region’s tally of life. Our goal is to document and identify as many different species around us as we can, AND put Maine on the CNC map!
April 30, 4:30-5:30pm Exploring the Ocean in the 21st Century The Maine Science Festival is working with the University of Maine who is hosting legendary marine scientist Sylvia Earle for a free public lecture at the Collins Center for the Arts. Dr. Earle is literally a living legend (as declared by the Library of Congress in 2000), not just in the marine science world, but for all scientists and those who love how science helps us learn about the truths of our world. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and a short program of Maritime folk music about the sea will be provided by the New Brunswick folk duo “Frantically Atlantic” from 3:50-4:20 as the audience is being seated.
Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono
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April 6, 4:00-9:00pm University of New England Brain Fair. Join UNE for a family friendly (ages 7+) evening of STEM activities and learning about your brain! All events are free and open to the public. Additional information at https://www.facebook.com/UNECEN/.
University of New England, 630 Pool Street, Biddeford
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April 17, 10:00am-5:00pm 2018 UMaine Student Research Symposium. At the University of Maine, students inspire creativity and leadership in the discovery of new knowledge that makes a direct difference to the people of Maine. The 3rd annual UMaine Student Symposium will be held on April 17, 2018 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Come and meet student researchers and scholars, see their posters and exhibits, hear their presentations, view short performances, participate in arts and humanities round-tables and discover the value of Maine’s only public research university. Free and open to the public; all ages! Additional information on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/327971651058387/
Cross Insurance Center, 515 Main Street, Bangor
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April 21, 10:00am-3:00pm Green ME Up. Celebrate Earth Day with a free, fun-filled day, and learn how you can take action to keep Maine green today and in the future! Free and open to the public, all ages welcome. Additional information on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1978438575741074/
L.L. Bean Flagship Campus, 95 Main Street, Freeport
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April 19, 9:00am-12:00pm Techhire Maine hiring event at Eastern Maine Community College. Project>Login in collaboration with EMDC and TechHire Maine will be coordinating and hosting a Tech Hiring event at Eastern Maine Community College on April 19th. As part of EMCC’s Tech Day activities, the TechHire hiring event will gather employers and students in Rangeley Hall. This is an event which is also open to TechHire participants and the general public.
Eastern Maine Community College, 354 Hogan Road, Bangor
April 28, 8:00am-8:00pm Project>Login is sponsoring a Hackathon hosted by Falmouth High School. A hackathon is an event where like-minded computer enthusiasts meet to work together on computer programming. Teams collaborate to build and code something original in the form of websites/apps. Hackathons foster an environment for self-expression through technology. To register and learn more: https://goo.gl/Aikxtd.
Falmouth High School, 74 Woodville Road, Falmouth
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April 20, 1:00-5:00pm Sea Grant Research Symposium. The Maine Sea Grant Biennial Research Symposium serves as a forum for new and seasoned Sea Grant investigators and students to share their research plans and outcomes with Sea Grant staff and stakeholders, receive input from the community, and plan collaborative outreach activities.
Buchanan Alumni House, University of Maine, Orono
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April 21, 10:00am-2:00pm Healthy Kids Day. Activities for all ages that promote healthy living! Bike rodeo, Dead River Inflatable pool obstacle course, STEM station, escape room for older kids, family fitness fun, healthy snacks and more!
Bangor Region YMCA, 17 2nd Street, Bangor
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April 22, 9:30am – 4:30pm FREE Teacher Day. We are offering a free trip to explore and learn more about the programs we offer through the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. If you are a teacher or administrator who would like to learn more about our professional development programs, school programs, and summer programs, we want you to come visit for the day!
Summer Programs The Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership provides extraordinary opportunities to discover what it takes to make a difference in the world – as students, scientists, citizens, and leaders! Sitting 12 miles off the coast of Rockland, Maine, this beautiful off-the-grid community is an ideal setting for middle and high school programs in science, sustainability, and leadership. Our hands-on one or two week summer programs invite students to immerse themselves in the natural world, challenging them to explore and ask questions like trained naturalists in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Programs are small (with a maximum of 12 students) and are led by trained field scientists and educators, providing a level of instructor expertise and maturity you won’t find in other summer experiences. No day is complete without hiking, swimming, sailing, or rock climbing. Come participate in our field science and leadership programs and make memories and friendships that last a lifetime!Our Summer Middle School Programs for rising 7th and 8th grade students include Island Ecology and Marine Biology. Our Summer High School Programs for rising 9th-12th graders include one-week Marine Biology, Island Ecology, and Sustainability Leadership programs and a two-week Advanced Marine Biology program. We are also offering our Women Of The Sea program for Maine High School girls!! Contact programs@hurricaneisland.net for more info or call our office at 207-867-6050.
Hurricane Island, Rockland
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April 28, 8:30am-2:30pm Robot Track Meet Competition at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone. Open to teams of all sizes (registration required).
Maine School of Science and Mathematics, 95 High Street, Limestone
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April 26, 4:00-7:00pm Spring Networking Reception & MDIBL Tour. Please join us for a tour of one of Maine’s premier biomedical research laboratories followed by our annual Spring Networking Reception. Come learn about the groundbreaking research happening in Maine and connect with the bioscience community in the state over delicious food and drinks.
MDI Biological Laboratories|159 Old Bar Harbor Rd, Bar Harbor
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April 5, 7:00pm Aquatic chemical signaling: How understanding signals in the sea helps us address interdisciplinary challenges. Science Lecture Series with Dr. Jennifer Page from Hurricane Island. The chemical signals exchanged by aquatic organisms influence a wide variety of behaviors from predator-prey interactions to mating and habitat choice. Understanding chemical signaling can help us more deeply understand the ecology and evolution of biological systems and can also help us address a variety of challenges from environmental management and conservation to human health issues. Come explore how discoveries in aquatic chemical signaling are helping us engineer solutions to interdisciplinary problems using everything from the chemicals themselves to chemical-sensing robots.
Regular public programs are available on Friday evenings at 7pm (Mayan Archaeo-astronomy: Observers of the Universe) and Sunday afternoons at 2pm (Secret of the Cardboard Rocket). More information about all programming can be found at https://astro.umaine.edu/events/. Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12.
Emera Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Road, University of Maine
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April 5, 11:30am-1:00pm Lunch and Learn. Curious about what happens at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute? Each month we host a Lunch & Learn tour of our facility on the Portland waterfront. This informal session — geared toward community leaders, supporters, and friends of GMRI — provides an introduction to our work and an opportunity to better understand GMRI’s role in the community. Join us to hear the latest news about the Gulf of Maine, meet GMRI staff, and enjoy casual conversation over lunch. Please reserve your spot by registering.
April 11, 6:30-8:00pm Preparing for Sea Level Rise. Our sea level rise program brings local relevancy to global scientific data through local history, maps, and case studies. Join us for a 90 minute interactive experience to explore the impacts of sea level rise and weather events on community resources, and examine potential resiliency measures. The space for this program is limited. If you would like to reserve a spot, please register.
April 12, 7:00-8:00pm Scaling Local Fish: The Hidden Power of Institutional Dining Services. The latest in our Winter/Spring 2018 Joan M. Kelly Sea State Lecture Series, “Six Women Changing Seafood.” Kyle Foley, Sustainable Seafood Program Manager with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Register early; seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30 pm; free parking is available.
April 26, 5:30-7:30pm Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration. Join us on April 26th for our fifth annual Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration — featuring local chefs, live music, and best of all, Gulf of Maine seafood! Sample delectable seafood dishes prepared by our Culinary Partners while enjoying spring views of Casco Bay and supporting GMRI’s work. Admission: $60 in advance, $75 at the door; a portion of proceeds directly support our sustainable seafood work.
Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial Street, Portland
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April 6, 7:00- 8:00pm The ABC’s of Birding – The Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao Author Jeffrey V. Wells, Ph.D., is one of the nation’s leading bird experts and conservation biologists and author of “Birder’s Conservation Handbook.” He is a Fellow of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Co-author Allison Childs Wells is Senior Director of Public Affairs at the Natural Resources Council of Maine and coauthor, with Jeff, of the book, “Maine’s Favorite Birds,” and the newly published “Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao” from Cornell Press. Moore Auditorium
April 10, 10:00am- 12:00pm Tuesday Morning Birding. Join Seth Benz for the Tuesday Morning Birding program and find birds along the Schoodic auto loop. Observe winter birds and learn how to use and extract information from eBird. Free; registration is required; call 207-288-1356 to reserve a seat. Meet at Schoodic Point.
Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor
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Tuesdays, April 3, 10 & 24; 11:00-11:30am Science Detectives. Science for preschoolers, recommended for ages 3+.
April 16 – 20, 8:00am-4:00pm April Vacation Camp. Five different days of science fun, ages 5-12. More details about each day can be found at https://goo.gl/xGUCeY.
April 17, 2:00-2:30pm All Ears on Science – The Science of Sounds. Join us for a fun, fascinating presentation of the science we can hear! Recommended family activity for children ages 6+
Admission: FREE for members! $7.50 general admission
Maine Discovery Museum, 74 Main Street, Bangor
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April 16 – 20, 8:00am-4:00pm April Vacation Camp. Five different days of science fun, for grades K-5. More details about each day can be found at https://www.astronaut.org/parents-public/camps/april-camp/ $55/day
Challenger Learning Center of Maine, 30 Venture Way, Bangor
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April 17, 2:00pm Up, Up and Away Show! Ricker Memorial Library in Poland, FREE
April 17 – 20, 9:00am-3:00pm April Vacation Camps. Take Home projects, interactive games and lots of fun! There are 2 exciting themes to choose from. Brixology & Engineering ($200.00 for all 4 days or $54/day for 1-3 days of camp; grades K-5th); Robot Recruit ($225.00 for all 4 days. 4 day option only for this camp; grades 1st-5th)! Register at www.maine.madscience.org or 207-878-2222.
Reiche School, 166 Brackett Street, Portland
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Planet Shark, Predator or Prey Trace millions of years of evolution, come face-to-face with the Great White shark, learn the true impact of the shark fin trade and gain a whole new level of respect for the ocean’s oldest and most effective predator. Wednesday – Sunday, $14.50 – $18.50. Group rates are also available.
68 Commercial Street, Maine Wharf, Portland (1 pier over from Casco Bay Lines)