Event Details
Join us for a magical evening of celebrating Maine seaweed, delicious refreshments, a silent auction, and supporting natural science!
All proceeds will support the Seaweeds of Maine Project which will promote seaweed appreciation and stewardship by collecting baseline seaweed data and creating a user-friendly, photographic field guide to Maine seaweeds.
(Want to see the team’s visions for the project? A mini preview of the seaweed guide can be downloaded for free here.)
What to Expect at the Seaweed Social
- Learn about seaweed collecting, identification, pressing, and natural history with Jordan Chalfant and Glen Mittelhauser.
- Seaweed appetizers and drinks made with sustainably collected local seaweed and generously donated from local businesses.
- A silent auction of original seaweed art, books, classes, and much more!
The Impact of your Support
The Gulf of Maine is rapidly changing and Maine’s sea life, including seaweed, is being affected. Although numerous marine species depend on seaweed for food and shelter, very little is known about which species are in Maine, if any of them are endangered, and the distribution of invasive species.
As Maine adjusts to a changing climate, it is vital that biologists and policymakers have access to baseline data on seaweeds. Glen Mittelhauser & Jordan Chalfant of Maine Natural History Observatory and Amanda Savoie of The Canadian Museum of Nature are doing just that by creating a field guide to the seaweeds of Maine. A tremendous amount of groundwork has already been done on this project including organizing existing data, tracking and updating taxonomy, and building a prototype of the guide. However, if they are going to be able to get this book to publication, we need your help!
Maine Natural History Observatory’s mission to collect, interpret, and maintain datasets crucial for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and animal populations is exclusively funded through grants and donations. Please help increase knowledge and appreciation for Maine Seaweed and help us better understand Maine’s local marine environment in the context of climate change by sharing this event, attending the fundraiser, and donating today.
Seaweeds of Maine is a project of Maine Natural History Observatory.