Greek Mythology was So last week
I've returned to writing for local free magazine, and for July the page is about windmills. And just at the end of local research, I fell into a hole of #Women #Millers in Medieval times, and of course they did that, because they were the ones milling by hand before watermills got built... ( This along the same lines as #AleWives ) Why does history present women as doing nothing? Also I want to know even more about #windmills than my research time allowed.
Alewives (fish) migration is in full swing at the NewPort Maine fish ladder.
The dam is turning into a quite the local fight with the restaurants and some residents not wanting any changes but it's obsolete, blocks fish and needs maintenance.
I think a restoration of the original falls could be just as pretty.
Where I grew up (Mass) we had herring runs every spring. That could give downtown Camden a little tourism boost before the big summer crowds come.
Sinking in Saltwater: #Maine’s #coastal #marshes at risk as sea levels rise
Between 28 and 57 percent of the state’s coastal marshes could disappear by the end of the century, victims of a rising sea, coastal #development and #PollutedRunoff.
By
Kate Cough
July 28, 2024
PORTLAND — "It takes hundreds of years for a #SaltMarsh to form, for fine sediment brought in on the tides to settle in sections of shoreline sheltered from the worst of the wind and waves. As salt-tolerant plants — smooth #cordgrass, #SaltmarshHay, #saltgrass, #BlackRush — begin to grow, their dense stems and roots trap more sediment, and the marsh builds more rapidly, up and out.
"#Crabs, #shrimp and #worms arrive, drawn to the rich food of dying marsh grasses, followed by a variety of #fish — #alewives, #StripedBass, #smelt and Sea-run #BrookTrout among them — many of which eventually migrate between the marsh and the sea.
logo for the sinking in saltwater series
"Acre by acre, a healthy salt marsh anchors a #FoodWeb 'more productive than most midwestern #farmland,' according to a 2003 paper published by the University of Maine.
"The same dense grasses that are so good at trapping silt also excel at ensnaring pollutants, pulling out nitrogen and nutrients that cause #AlgalBlooms, and burying #toxic #contaminants in the peat.
"Once established, plants in salt marshes grow quickly, fed by the rich soil, and pull #carbon from the atmosphere. Salt marshes are ten times more effective at storing carbon than tropical forests, and, left undisturbed, can trap the gas in the ground for centuries, a phenomenon scientists refer to as 'blue carbon.'
"Maine has some of the most extensive blue carbon reservoirs in the northeast — second only to Massachusetts, according to a study published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2023.
"But as sea levels rise and development presses in, these reservoirs, and the habitats they create, are at risk of disappearing.
"An analysis by the University of Maine suggests that a significant portion of the Maine’s salt marshes — between 28 and 57 percent, depending on the sea level rise scenario — could be gone by the end of the century. They are also threatened by polluted runoff from #pesticides, #septic systems and #AgriculturalWaste.
"'The decisions Mainers make over the next 10 years are going to determine whether these important ecosystems persist,' said Bates professor Beverly Johnson, who has been studying blue carbon for years, speaking to The #MaineClimateCouncil in December.
"Over the past 25 years, nearly 300 acres of Maine’s wetlands — both fresh and saltwater — have been impacted by or lost to development, according to a Press Herald/Maine Monitor analysis of data from the state’s In Lieu Fee Compensation Program. The program allows developers to fill or convert certain #wetlands if they pay a fee, money that is used for conservation projects elsewhere."
Read more:
https://themainemonitor.org/sinking-in-saltwater/
#BlueCarbon #SeaLevelRise #SaveTheMarshes #SaveTheWetlands #SaveSearsIsland #ScarboroughMarsh #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #RedBrook #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #PesticideRunoff #SewageRunOff #Pollution #WebOfLife
When I was stopping by the Fish Ladder in town to check out the Alewife run (as one does....) 2 loons popped up not 15 feet away. They were hunting the area at the top of the ladder...
Absolutely stunning birds!
No pictures because in this case - experience over photos!
There was a school of alewives waiting to go up the ladder - first I've seen that!
#Nature #birds #birding #aleWives #Maine #Newport #sebasticook #fishing
It's almost time for the Maine Alewife herring run! This is when massive quantities of Alewives (an 8 to 10 inch fish) migrates upstream to spawn.
The river can be wall to wall fish.
Check out my latest blog entry about Clinch River Brewing and head brewer Alex Shirey! https://alewivesandbrewsters.com/ #WomenInBeer #WomenBrewers #AYearForArt #Alewives #OriginalBrewersWereWomen
An Osprey with snack, from last weekend. Liked the light in this one.
#osprey #birds #wildlife #birdphotography #nature #herringrun #alewives #wareham #massachusetts #wildmassachusetts #naturalmassachusetts #massachusettswildlife
Another shot of the Osprey feeding at the Agawam River herring ladder over the weekend.
#osprey #birds #wildlife #birdphotography #nature #herringrun #alewives #wareham #massachusetts #wildmassachusetts #naturalmassachusetts #massachusettswildlife
Been keeping an eye on the herring ladder over on the Agawam for the last few weekends. Last few weeks had lots of birds squabbling over perches, but no herring.
Got there today to find thousands of fish, but no Osprey.
Gave it about an hour, and then the show started. I'll probably share a few more over the next few days.
#osprey #birds #wildlife #birdphotography #nature #herringrun #alewives #wareham #massachusetts #wildmassachusetts #naturalmassachusetts #massachusettswildlife
History buffs! Can anyone recommend a good book about ale wives? Many thanks! 🙏 #historians #twitterstorians #history #AleWives
Oh good grief people are putting round that nonsense about alewives giving rise to witch stereotypes and being targeted as accused witches again. It got covered in two normally fairly reliable places which have failed to fact check it properly. Please don't circulate it. It's not the case.
#ScottishHistory #Scottishwitchcraft #witchcraft #witchhunts #alewives
