Once Again

Every January for the past couple years I've found myself, in some capacity, back at the ocean. In 2012, it was a month spent a mile from the Atlantic, followed by 2 months sailing the Pacific. In 2013, it was crossing the Atlantic to travel Europe, from the coast of Ireland to the coast of Italy. 2014 will find me, once again, down to the seas (I've changed the name of my blog from 'Swallowed in the Sea' to this).

In mid-January, I'll make the 17 hour drive to Mount Desert Island, Maine, where I'll be residing in a little cottage a few blocks from the ocean. I've accepted a position with the Maine Conservation Corps, a division of AmeriCorps, which is a service program geared toward helping communities around the country in a myriad of ways, from environmental stewardship to providing economic opportunities. My position, as part of the Maine Conservation Corps, has me working at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory restoring eelgrass. This will involve community outreach, education in local schools, collaborating with a coalition of stakeholders working towards a sustainable future for Frenchman Bay, and literally getting my feet (and legs and hands) wet by replanting eelgrass in the water.

Okay, but what is eelgrass? Well! It's a seagrass (but not a seaweed) with long, bright-green, ribbon-like leaves. Eelgrass is important for a variety of reasons, among them sediment deposition and as a nursery for economically important fish and shellfish. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zostera]

Mount Desert Island (MDI) is about 2/3 up the coast of Maine. It's apparently called "Downeast" by the locals. I predict a lot of comments about my Ohio accent when I get there... The most well-known town on the island is probably Bar Harbor; I'll be living in a small village of Bar Harbor. Acadia National Park is the other big attraction on MDI. The guidebooks I've been reading claim if you drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain before sunrise, you will be the first person to see the sun come up in the United States. Adding that to my bucket list of things to do while I'm there.


I'm planning on a photo-a-day type of documentation, so follow if you want! That might be overly ambitious...