Audubon Naturalist Cruise
Natural History Cruises aboard a Maine Windjammer
Keepers of the Light
June 9-14, 2008
By the end of the 19th century there were only a handful of puffins breeding south of the Maine/Canada border. Terns, greater black back gulls, eiders, and other pelagic seabirds had been hunted to the brink of extinction and extirpated from their original breeding habitat in the Penobscot Bay region. The newly formed Audubon Society turned to the lighthouse keepers of Matinicus Rock and keepers at other lighthouses stretching from Maine to the Florida Keys to act as wardens protecting numerous endangered species and recording their observations. Those wardens changed the course of the natural and cultural history of Maine. Grab your binoculars and join Audubon naturalists Mike and Margi Shannon and lighthouse expert Ted Panayotoff as we devote this week to doing some observing of our own as well as raising funds for both Maine Audubon and the Maine lighthouse Museum. This cruise will be a rich and rare chance to hear the stories of the wildlife and people that define the uniqueness of the Maine coast and a great way to support two great causes.
This all-inclusive 6 day sailing adventure boards June 8 in Camden. Cost $900/person. Reservations can be made through the Mary Day office, 800-992-2218.
Coastal Focus!
Nature and Photography
June 23-28, 2008
Learn to capture the joy of nature and enjoy the thrill of sailing through Maine's pristine island archipelago rich with wildlife (magnificent megafauna!) and textured by dramatic island geology. Grab your camera and binoculars for this 6-day sailing adventure with expert naturalist Erika Rhile, and award winning photographer and Registered Maine Guide Jim Dugan. Erika is a high school natural sciences teacher, intertidal field researcher, and marine mammal rescuer. Jim has taught photography at the world renowned Maine Photographic Workshops and makes his living as a professional photographer shooting everything from celebrities to celery. Jim will show us what is possible with a very modest digital camera including presentations of his own work as well as a fun-filled evening of work created by participants aboard. Celebrate the longest days of the year exploring island and intertidal ecology ashore and experience great sailing with the crew of the legendary windjammer Mary Day.
This all-inclusive, 6-day sailing adventure boards June 22 in Camden. Cost $915/person. Reservations can be made through the Mary Day office, 800-992-2218.