Gulf of Maine Day in Bar Harbor July 3rd!

For Immediate Release

Contact: Bob DeForrest, Outreach and Education Coordinator, (207) 288-4205, gomex@earthlink.net. For a full schedule of the days events go to the Bar Harbor page.

June 21, 2002, Bar Harbor, Maine -- Everyone is invited to attend the Bar Harbor Gulf Of Maine Day. Join us for a full day of events at the College of the Atlantic on Wednesday, July 3rd for Gulf of Maine Day. The day starts at 8:30 AM with a bird walk and tide pool exploration along the shores of Frenchman's Bay. Learn more about the Gulf of Maine throughout the day with exhibits and presentations by the Gulf of Maine Expedition, MDI Water Quality Coalition, Allied Whale, and other organizations. Expedition members will team up with Acadia National Park and MDI Paddlers to teach low-impact coastal recreation practices, and sea kayak safety skills through Leave No Trace, navigation, and trip planning workshops, as well as a 5 PM safety demo off the campus beach The George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History will be open between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM (admission). At 7:30 Gulf of Maine Expedition Team kicks off the Natural History Museum's Summer Lecture Series with a slideshow presentation about the Gulf of Maine and their 1000 mile journey.

All of the Gulf Of Maine Expedition's events are fortuitously scheduled in this, the International Year of Ecotourism. Team leader and Maine Sea Grant Extension Agent Natalie Springuel, Science and Technology Coordinator Richard MacDonald, Canadian team members Dan Earle and Sue Hutchins, and Outreach and Education Coordinator Bob DeForrest will all be available to discuss their journey, findings and mission.

Partners for the event include College of the Atlantic, Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia, Maine Coastal Program, MDI Water Quality Coalition, MDI Paddlers, Maine Islands Trail Association, Marine Environmental Research Institute, Coast Guard Auxiliary, University of Maine Cooperative Extension/Maine Sea Grant, Gulf of Maine Council, Gulf Of Maine Marine Educators Association and others.

The Gulf Of Maine Expedition was organized to raise awareness and caring about the ecology and culture of the Gulf of Maine. The team hopes to hear your concerns regarding the health of the Gulf and will be available personally for discussions. Their records will capture a snapshot of the Gulf as it is today, and provide a unique perspective for monitoring in the future. They are eager to share information, observations and scientific results they have gathered along the way. Their website, www.gomexpedition.org, is updated several times a week to provide an evolving virtual documentary with an active route map, images from the Gulf, observations, journal entries and details about specific events.

The Gulf of Maine Expedition was made possible by the generous financial support of Maine Sea Grant, Maine Coastal Program, Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, and the New England Biolabs Foundation. Additional equipment and financial support has come from Necky Kayaks, Kokatat, U. Maine Cooperative Extension, and many other businesses and individuals.

For more information, please visit www.gomexpedition.org. If you would like a copy of the Gulf Of Maine Expedition Newsletter which includes the Expedition itinerary, please email Bob DeForrest, Outreach and Educational Coordinator at gomex@earthlink.net.

***if you would like to receive this document as an attachment, please request from: amy.minarik@state.me.us ***

Amy Minarik
Maine Conservation Corps/Americorps
Maine Coastal Program/Maine State Planning Office
38 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
amy.minarik@state.me.us