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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Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions
May 1, 3:00pm – 4:00pm: The Long Road from Pollution to Protection: History in the Making Matt Scott, Aquatic Biologist Emeritus, will provide a living history of the state of water quality in Maine from the industrial revolution to today.
May 7-13: Maine Composts Week is a statewide event that looks to connect local communities, schools, businesses, residents, municipalities, and other institutions with the resources, service providers, and information to help facilitate improving resource management of organic materials in Maine. For more information, visit Maine Composts Week on Facebook or go to their website.
107 Norman Smith Hall, Mitchell Center – University of Maine
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Opening May 26: Real Pirates, a National Geographic Exhibition. Journey into the exciting world of Real Pirates, a National Geographic exhibition that brings you face-to-face with authentic pirate treasure, pistols and canons – last touched by real pirates! Experience the Wydah, an authenticated pirate ship that sank 300 years ago, off the coast of Massachusetts.
7 days per week. Entry times: Mon – Thurs 10:00am – 6:00pm; Fri & Sat 10:00am – 7:00pm; Sun 11:00am – 6:00pm. Exhibit closes 1-hour after last entry. Adults ($19.50), 65+/College/Military ($17.50), Child 3-12 ($14.50), Children under 3 (Free). Book as a group of 10 or more and save 20-50%. Group discounts only offered by calling 207-812-3848 or emailing groups@portlandsciencecenter.com.
Portland Science Center, 68 Commercial Street, Portland. 1 pier over from Casco Bay Lines.
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Regular public programs are available on Friday evenings at 7pm (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe) Sunday afternoons at 2pm (Earth, Moon and Sun). More information https://astro.umaine.edu/events/
May 4, 7:00pm: From Lightsabers to Tricorders: Harnessing Light for Biomedical Applications. Light surrounds us, but how often do we appreciate the power of light for use as a diagnostic tool? Join us as we explore the possibilities of using small alterations of light as captured by microscopes to aid our human eyes in detection of small alterations. We will discuss 2-photon microscopy techniques, an approach that enables high resolution, 3D data collection. Using the planetarium’s fulldome technology, we will explore and fly through 3-D images of human lung and ovarian tissues to investigate alterations in tissue organization of human disease. Presented by Dr. Karissa Tilbury, an assistant professor of Bioengineering in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
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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May 11, 5:30pm – 7:30pm: Curiosity Studies. Do you need time to create? Feeling frustrated with the same still life arrangement? Come be inspired by our most amazing specimens for artistic motivation – this time it’s our Tower Garden and House Plants. Bring your own supplies—paint, sewing needles, charcoal, pencils and we provide the inspiration. No admission charge for Curiosity Studies; please bring your own art supplies; ages 16+.
May 17, 5:30pm – 7:30pm: MDM After Dark. Create chemical concoctions, meet our leaping lizards, and rediscover MDM without the kids! Sip some free beer while enjoying programming specially designed for adults with MDM After Dark, a night at the museum for the 21+ crowd. MDM After Dark: Bees! will be the focus this month; suggested $10 donation.
May 25, 5:30pm – 7:30pm: Curiosity Studies. Do you need time to create? Feeling frustrated with the same still life arrangement? Come be inspired by our most amazing specimens for artistic motivation – this time it’s our Insects. Bring your own supplies—paint, sewing needles, charcoal, pencils and we provide the inspiration. No admission charge for Curiosity Studies; please bring your own art supplies; ages 16+.
Maine Discovery Museum, Main Street Gallery, 74 Main Street, Bangor
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May 6, 2:00pm – 5:00pm: Rockweed Rodeo. at Sullivan Falls, Hancock, ME. Get your feet wet! Intrigued? Join Schoodic Institute Education and Research Project Manager, Hannah Webber as she shares current rockweed research and protocol for collecting rockweed data. Learn how you can get involved! This free program is hosted by Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Frenchman Bay Partners, and Downeast Conservation Network.
May 9, 11, and 23, 8:00am – 10:00am: Schoodic’s Returning Songbirds. Schoodic’s songbirds are returning – three dates to choose from. Please specify when calling. May is the premier month to witness the return of warblers and other songbirds. Frazer Point in Acadia National Park will be the meeting place, and is often the best place for birds, whether they are passing through or settling in to nest. Schoodic Institute invites the public to join Bird Ecology Program Director, Seth Benz as he leads two hour outings focusing on identification of returning migrants. Learn to recognize songbirds by sight and song, and hear the latest conservation news about many of these species. Dress for the weather. Bring Binoculars. Group size is limited so please register in advance by calling Michelle at 288-1356.
May 11, 12:00pm-1:00pm: Brown Bag Lecture – The Wendell Gilley Museum: Where people, nature and art meet. Wendell Gilley Museum Director Sean Charette presents an interesting program on the history and work of the Southwest Harbor museum. This program will emphasize the connection between people, nature and art. No registration is required.
May 18, 7:00pm – 8:00pm: The Making of ‘The Narrow Edge’. Schoodic Institute invites the public to a presentation by Author Deborah Cramer. In Deborah Cramer’s highly acclaimed book, The Narrow Edge: A Tiny Bird, An Ancient Crab, and An Epic Journey, she accompanies small sandpipers along their extraordinary migration from one end of the earth to the other—from windswept beaches along the Strait of Magellan at the tip of South America, up into the icy Arctic where the birds nest.
May 20, 1:00pm – 4:00pm: National Junior Ranger Day. Celebrate spring with a field day full of family activities and events on the Schoodic Institute campus. National Jr. Ranger & International Migratory Bird Day are geared towards children ages 12 and under, accompanied by an adult. No registration required! Rain or Shine! Start at Eliot Hall, on the Schoodic Institute Campus. Free drop-in programs, games, art, and activities!
Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor unless otherwise noted
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May 16, 5:00pm – 7:00pm: Maine Bioscience Spring Networking Event. Join us at the magnificent Customs House in Portland. This event is a great opportunity to catch up with bioscience professionals in Maine, meet new contacts, learn what’s new with BAM and celebrate Spring over delicious hors d’hoeuvres, beer and wine.
This event is free; please RSVP to info@mainebioscience.org.
Customs House, 312 Fore St, Portland
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May 13-14: Introduction to Permaculture. Join us this Spring for an Introduction to Permaculture on Hurricane Island! Spend two days on beautiful Hurricane Island gaining first-hand understanding of Permaculture design with Jesse Watson of Midcoast Permaculture Design. Participants will learn how to design their home gardens for resilience and sustainability. Permaculture is a design method and set of techniques for creating resilient human habitats while increasing ecosystem health.
$375 for the weekend (includes all transportation, food, housing, and instructional costs); 18+
Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership, Rockland
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Begins May 3, 3:30 – 4:30pm: Afterschool Design Squad Global. In Design Squad Global (DSG), students explore engineering through fun-packed, high energy, hands-on activities, such as designing and building an emergency shelter or a structure that can withstand an earthquake. $60 for the six week session, grades 3-6.
Challenger Learning Center of Maine, 30 Venture Way, Bangor
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May 20, 10:00am – 4:00pm: Birds on a (Telephone) Wire. Bring back the blues! Build a bluebird nesting box and get a free tour of The Telephone Museum. Our bluebirds need new accommodations. These cheery birds have been kind enough to adorn our wires and amaze our visitors for several years, so now we must return the favor: oOur bluebird nesting boxes are in poor shape and we would like to replace them this spring with new nesting boxes mounted on our “telephone” poles. Building plans and instructions for bluebird nesting boxes can be found at: www.nabluebirdsociety.org. Bring your bluebird box to the museum on Saturday, May 20 between 10:00am and 4:00pm and we will give you a pass to tour the museum at a later date. This is our first Work Day of 2017 at the museum. Many other volunteer opportunities can be found on the museum website: www.thetelephonemuseum.org, so if you’re interested, please stop in: it’s not a fly-by!
166 Winkumpaugh Road, Ellsworth
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Applications are now being accepted: Engineering camp (Maine Summer Transportation Institute), run from July 10-21 (9am-4pm weekdays). Full Scholarship (Free) 2 Weeks Summer Camp in Engineering funded by Federal Highway Administration for Greater Bangor Area Middle School students. UMaine College of Engineering is offering educational opportunities for 20 middle school students to learn about engineering and transportation related careers. Students are exposed to university life, leadership and team-building activities, and a series of lectures, workshops, hands-on laboratories, and field trips. Participants explore all aspects of engineering. The day camp is from 9am to 4pm weekdays from July 10-21 in Foster Student Innovation Center. Lunch will be in the Maine dining hall and Swimming, basketball and other sport activities will be in the Student Recreation Center. Online application is at www.umaine.edu/msti. For more information, email Sheila.pendse@maine.edu.
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Applications are now being accepted: Forays into the Maine Coast a unique workshop combining Marine Field Science and Art! Monday to Fridays, 2 weeks, July 24 – August 4; start and finish times are somewhat tide dependent but approximately 9 AM to 3 PM. The class will be co-taught by International Enviornmental Artist and explorer Mara G. Haseltine and Molecular Biologist and Sea Captain Bradford Haskell. We will be partnering with MDI Biological Laboratories and the Ocean Foundation for this workshop which is sure to be an adventure in learning not to be missed. This workshop is open to all ages and perfect for entire families to enjoy the Maine Coastline and learning together. $600/person; we ask that students nine under nine years old be accompanied by an adult.
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Applications are now being accepted: Special Aquaculture Exhibit and Curriculum Workshop for K-5 Teachers. June 20, 9:00am – 12:00pm. Hands-on workshop: come preview the new Aquaculture Exhibit, learn about just released K-5 Ocean and Seaweed Curriculum and get your hands wet in the UMaine Aquaculture Research Institute’s touch tank. Every teacher who attends will receive free books for their classroom and a $50 stipend.
Registration is limited. Sign up here: https://goo.gl/forms/H0kibgNhsX0n1WOq2
Maine Discovery Museum, Main Street Gallery, 74 Main Street, Bangor