Schoodic Institute

October Big Day! Bird Migration Celebration at Schoodic Point
2023-10-14 08:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Schoodic Point, Arey Cove Road, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Celebrate bird migration at Schoodic Point! Join us Saturday, October 14, 2023 at Schoodic Point in Winter Harbor, Maine. Drop in anytime between 8:00am – 12:00pm to meet Schoodic Institute’s Migration Monitoring Team and learn, observe, and count in celebration of bird migration.

Pints for a Purpose with Chris Nadeau
2023-10-19 18:00 | Terramor Outdoor Resort, 1453 ME-102, Bar Harbor, Maine, 04609
Join Friends of Acadia and Dr. Chris Nadeau, Schoodic Institute’s Climate Change Adaptation Scientist, at Terramor Outdoor Resort for the final installment of the 2023 Pints for a Purpose speaker series. During the talk, Chris will discuss decision-making tools that help resource managers in Acadia National Park make informed strategies for responding to ecological changes resulting from climate change.
The talk will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 19th at Terramor (1453 ME-102 in Bar Harbor, ME). All are welcome to attend, and $1 of every beer purchased benefits Friends of Acadia.
For more information, please visit the Friends of Acadia website here.

Eek of Ecology!
2023-10-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Eliot Hall, 14 Musetti Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Celebrate the season of scares with us! Dress up in a costume and meet rangers who will lead you through ecosystem based activities. Activities are appropriate for the whole family and provide a fun, safe, learning environment offered in a drop in format. Come for 20 minutes or for 3 hours, to Eliot Hall on the Schoodic Institute campus (Winter Harbor, ME) for “eek-citing” activities for everyone. This event runs from 1-4pm.

2024 Schoodic Winter Birding Adventure
2024-01-27 08:00 - 12:00 | Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Come one, come all! Join Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park on January 27, 2024 for a free, self-guided birding adventure along the Schoodic Peninsula. Our meeting spot will be the gatehouse at the entrance to Schoodic Institute (in Winter Harbor, ME). Drop by anytime between 8am and 12pm and enjoy warm refreshments, bird identification guides, binoculars and other equipment to try out, and fun games to help introduce new birders to the activity. Then, branch out on your own to explore the peninsula and find some cool winter birds. Games will be played, conversations will be had, and birds will (hopefully) be plentiful!
This event will engage birders of all ages and experience-levels to learn more about the birds of Acadia, and it is free of charge (registration required). Please sign up below.
Please note: heated and accessible bathrooms will be located at the gatehouse. Parking on the Schoodic Institute campus can be found near Rockefeller Hall and at the North Lot (there will be directional signs to help point you in the right direction). If you have mobility issues, there will be parking spots available near the gatehouse.
Questions? Please reach out to Zoë Kennedy at zkennedy@schoodicinstitute.org.

Birds Across New England: Audubon Regional Conservation Symposium
2024-02-04 08:30 - 16:00 | Newport, Rhode Island
Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s second annual conservation symposium on birds with scientists from across New England.
Join the Audubon Society of Rhode Island for the second annual Avian Research Symposium! Last year’s event featured researchers from across the northeast and provided attendees a broad understanding of the bird conservation work occurring across our region. During the symposium, Schoodic Institute’s Director of Bird Ecology Seth Benz will be presenting on coastal migration monitoring of hawks and waterbirds from Acadia National Park.
Additionally, the symposium will feature over 20 researchers presenting on topics ranging from birds and renewable energy to the impacts of climate change on bird populations, as well as a keynote address by Carl Safina.
Last year’s event sold out in a matter of days, so don’t miss your opportunity to attend. The registration fee covers attendance to the event, coffee and snacks throughout the day and lunch. An optional guided bird walk at 7am is also available to all participants.
For more information about the conference and to register to attend, please click here.

Hands-On Participatory Science Workshop
2024-03-04 - 2024-03-06 | ME
Participatory sciences are advancing research, learning, and action across science fields. Sometimes called citizen or community science, these practices can foster a shared understanding of a place or an issue, and can be a valuable way to cultivate a sense of stewardship and resilience. Schoodic Institute is partnering with the Citizen Science Association and UNH Cooperative Extension to offer a free multi-day practical, hands-on workshop for designing or refining your own project(s). Learn from experts and each other as you apply principles of good design to a project you bring to the workshop (if you don’t have a project, don’t worry, you’ll be helping someone else with theirs while still building your own skills). Walk away with an actionable framework for your participatory science project(s), participatory science project skills, and a network of practitioners to help you in the future.
Topics included in the workshop:

Defining project goals
Ten principles of participatory science
Identifying resources – what kind of support do you need and who can help? Will your project need buckets, butterfly nets, cameras, canoes, funding?
Data management – how do we align data collection with goals, and volunteers?
Volunteers – what are you asking volunteers to put in, what are they getting out, and how will you know if that’s what they really get out of your project?
Pitching your participatory science project – every project needs a pitch; we’ll help you refine yours

Who are these workshops for?
Whether you’re a resource manager, a steward at a land trust, a researcher, or an interpreter or educator; whether you work for a park, a town, a tribe, or a non-profit; this workshop will help you increase your expertise with participatory science. This workshop is for teams of 2 to 5 people who have started to conduct, or want to conduct, participatory science projects. As a non-profit partner to Acadia National Park we are particularly interested in supporting projects that increase our scientific understanding of public and privately conserved lands and cultural resources, and the publics’ interest in them. And again – if you don’t have a project, don’t worry, you’ll be helping someone else with theirs while still building your own skills.
Our goals are to deepen understanding of participatory science and to broaden the community of people who consider themselves participatory science practitioners. Additionally, we want to encourage participatory science for natural and cultural resource conservation, while ensuring the highest quality projects, and building a community of people who learn from each other.
Where and when is this workshop?
March 4-6, 2024 at Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, New Hampshire.
The workshop will start in the early afternoon on Monday and conclude at lunchtime on Wednesday. The workshop is limited to 25 participants. Teams of two to five people are encouraged to apply, but individuals are welcome. Applications for the workshops will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants that are selected to participate will be notified well prior to the workshop so that they can make any necessary travel plans.
To apply, please visit:
https://forms.gle/mgSPsX6dR8mumycx7
For more information, please contact:
Hannah Webber | hwebber@schoodicinstitute.org | 207-412-8689
View workshop information as a PDF here.
Cost Information:

Schoodic Institute is offering this free workshop (½ day March 4, full day March 5, ½ day March 6) and will cover all expenses for room and board. Participants are responsible only for transportation costs.

Fish Tales Free Community Supper
2024-03-19 17:30 | ME
Are you reliant on the sea for your livelihood or recreation? Whether you’ve been fishing or working along the harbors of Tremont and Southwest Harbor for a few months, or your family has been here for generations, this free community supper is a chance to connect with friends and neighbors to share your memories, favorite fish stories, and talk about the future of our working waterfront.
Hosted by Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and Schoodic Institute, the evening’s goal will be to foster conversation among the island’s west-side fishing community and those businesses that rely on it, supporting your connection to each other, the waterfront, and our shared history. The MDI Historical Society will share historic photos from our collection of the working waterfront, fishing families, and businesses to inspire stories and memories, and we invite you to bring your own images to share with each other.
Historic storms, economic pressures, shifting regulations, and changes to the marine ecosystem are bringing new realities to our fishing community, and we invite you to share those experiences together.
Free dinner and drinks will be provided at the Legion Hall, 22 Village Green Way in Southwest Harbor, on March 19, 5:30pm. To reserve your spot, please email raney@mdihistory.org or call 207-276-9323.

History Lecture Series at Woodlawn: Historic Acadia National Park and the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations (FULL)
2024-04-01 18:00 - 19:00 | ME
Join the Woodlawn Museum and Catherine Schmitt, Science Communication Specialist at Schoodic Institute, for the story of how Acadia National Park came to be and the role played by the Hancock County Trustees.
Catherine Schmitt, author of Historic Acadia National Park, will present the story of how the forests and shorelines of Mount Desert Island inspired the creation of one of the world’s first land trusts, including the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations, which accepted the donations of land that eventually became Acadia National Park.
This event will take place on April 1, 2024 from 6:00pm – 7:00pm at the Woodlawn Museum (19 Black House Dr, Ellsworth, ME 04605). Space is limited. Light refreshments will be provided. Suggested donation of $5/person.
For more information and to RSVP, please click here.

Maine Land Conservation Conference
2024-04-13 | ME
Each year, Maine Coast Heritage Trust presents the annual Maine Land Conservation Conference for and with Maine’s robust land conservation community. This year, the event will be held in person at Mt. Ararat Middle School & Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham, ME and will feature a keynote address, Weaving Wisdoms: Introducing the New NSF Science Technology Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science, by Dr. Bonnie Newsom.
Catherine Schmitt, Science Communication Specialist at Schoodic Institute, and Suzanne Greenlaw, Postdoctoral Scientist – Indigenous Science at Schoodic Institute, will be featured presenters. Learn more below.
Together, let’s create a more inclusive language of conservation
Despite good intentions, land conservation professionals can still choose language that excludes people, inflicts harm, and can perpetuate some of the very systemic injustices they want to redress. In this workshop, participants will learn how the vocabulary, sentences, and framing of land conservation can perpetuate white supremacy, racism, classism, ableism, heteronormativity, ethnocentrism, etc., as well as ways to re-word and re-frame communications to be more welcoming and inclusive. After a brief presentation, participants will work collaboratively to identify jargon and exclusive or problematic language in their own work. Then, in small groups, participants will identify and present creative and original alternatives that better support their communication goals while contributing to conservation for all.
Presenter: Catherine Schmitt, Science Communication Specialist
Wabanaki Plant Gathering in Acadia National Park: Mobilizing Indigenous Knowledge to restore traditional sweet grass harvesting
Indigenous communities in North America are actively engaged in reestablishing plant gathering rights on federal landscapes, including those of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). Suzanne Greenlaw will present on the interdisciplinary work to restore Wabanaki sweetgrass gathering within Acadia National Park. She will report on a gather-led harvest study and stewardship approach, cultural protocol agreement, and Indigenous developed interpretation. This work is a collaborative effort to address NPS policy requirements and create an emergent shared governance approach within monitoring and management of a culturally important species.
Presented by Suzanne Greenlaw, Ph.D.

For more information and to register, click here.

Schoodic Spring Birding Adventure (CANCELED due to rain)
2024-04-20 08:00 - 12:00 | Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Unfortunately, this event has been canceled due to forecasted rain. Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see you for another event at Schoodic Institute this season.
Come one, come all! Join Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park on Saturday, April 20, 2024 for a free, self-guided birding adventure along the Schoodic Peninsula. Our meeting spot will be the gatehouse at the entrance to Schoodic Institute (in Winter Harbor, ME). Drop by the gatehouse anytime between 8am and 12pm to enjoy refreshments, check out bird identification guides, binoculars and other equipment, and play some fun games to help introduce new birders to the activity. Then, branch out on your own to explore the peninsula and find some cool spring birds. Games will be played, conversations will be had, and birds will (hopefully) be plentiful!
This event will engage birders of all ages and experience-levels to learn more about the birds of Acadia, and it is free of charge.

Please note: heated and accessible bathrooms will be located at the gatehouse. Parking on the Schoodic Institute campus can be found near Rockefeller Hall and at the North Lot (there will be directional signs to help point you in the right direction. View and download a campus map here). If you have mobility issues, there will be parking spots available near the gatehouse.
Questions? Please reach out to Zoë Kennedy at zkennedy@schoodicinstitute.org.

Journeys in Listening: Birds and More from Acadia and Beyond
2024-04-25 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual Program on Zoom
Join Mid-Coast Audobon for a journey in listening to wildlife audio recordings from Acadia and beyond, and the stories of adventure and discovery behind them. Laura Sebastianelli is a naturalist with a passion for listening and sound recording. In 2017, she established “Schoodic Notes: Bird Sounds of Acadia,” a collaborative project with Schoodic Institute’s Bird Ecology program. Along with the help of a few other natural sound recordists, the project has archived over 1200 recordings of Acadia’s birds.
Laura is also a seasoned educator and wildlife technician. She has long sought opportunities to empower others to develop their knowledge, skills, and experience to understand, connect with, and serve the natural world. She holds a Master of Science in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She created and ran natural and cultural history programs for adults and families through University of Maine Cooperative Extension at Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, the National Park Service, and many other organizations. She has also conducted track surveys of Canada Lynx via snowmobile, and howling surveys in search of Gray Wolf, in Maine’s North Woods. Partially retired these days, she spends most of her free time exploring the natural world, and especially recording natural sounds.
This will be a free online presentation hosted by the Camden Public Library. For more information and to register, please click here.
Photo by Murray Carpenter, Maine Public

Landscape of Change: Exploring the Past to Build a Resilient Future
2024-04-29 19:00 - 20:00 | ME
Join Raney Bench, Executive Director of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, to learn how historical records can shed light on our changing climate.
To understand how climate change affects the landscape, we need to look to the past. Our ancestors documented the natural world around them in stories, reports, journals, diaries, and letters, which are cared for in the collections of history museums and libraries. Increasingly, scientists are pulling observations and data from historic records to get a clearer picture of the natural world of the past to understand how the present is changing.
This program is hosted by Ellsworth Historical Society, Ellsworth Public Library, Mount Desert Island Historical Society, and Green Ellsworth. To learn more, click here.

Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance Black Fly Writers Retreat
2024-05-03 - 2024-05-06 | ME
The Black Fly Writers Retreat is an inspiring four-day, three-night weekend of workshops, readings, and writing.
The 2024 Black Fly Writers Retreat will be held from Friday, May 3 through Monday, May 6 at Schoodic Institute in Winter Harbor, Maine.
Black Fly Writers Retreat attendees will spend Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings (8:30 AM to 12 PM) in workshops of no more than ten participants working with one instructor. Afternoons will be open for writing and an optional individual meetings with the instructor. There will be Friday and Saturday evening faculty readings and an optional Saturday evening open reading, giving attendees a chance to share their work with each other.
This year’s critically-acclaimed faculty include Gregory Brown (fiction), Phuc Tran (creative nonfiction), and Kristen Case (poetry). You will find this year’s workshop and faculty information here, and you can register online on each workshop page.
Photo by Joshua Bodwell

MDI Science Café presents Coast Lines: Sea Level Rise and Collaboration on MDI
2024-05-13 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual Program on Zoom
Part of the on-going “Landscape of Change” collaboration, join speakers Raney Bench, Catherine Schmitt, and others to share your observations of sea level rise and its impacts, and learn how to get involved.

A collaborative effort to document and understand sea level rise on MDI continues with new partners and new initiatives, as the island contends with the significant damage to coastal ecosystems and properties seen this winter.
This work inspired a series of art installations indicating where future sea levels will be and how they will impact the landscape and infrastructure. The Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Gulf of Maine Research Institute are new partners this year, bringing together new resources in a new effort to engage island communities in documenting and planning for sea level rise.
Mount Desert Island Historical Society Executive Director Raney Bench is passionate about the power of the past and how history impacts our daily lives. She has built a career in small museum work and loves to see people light up when they encounter an interesting or surprising object or artifact. Raney has worked in several small New England museums in education, exhibits, collections management, and as an Executive Director.
As Science Communication Specialist, Catherine Schmitt works with Schoodic Institute and National Park Service staff to write and share stories of science past and present, manage communications for Second Century Stewardship, and provide science communication training for researchers working in our national parks.
To learn more and register, please visit https://mdibl.org/event/coast-lines-mdi/.

Thinking in Place: Maps, Layered Landscapes, and Historical Time in the Schoodic Region with Dr. Libby Bischof
2024-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Thank you for your interest! This event has reached capacity for in-person attendance, but we encourage you to join us remotely via Zoom.

Join us in person at Schoodic Institute or online via Zoom on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00pm for Thinking in Place: Maps, Layered Landscapes, and Historical Time in the Schoodic Region, a special evening lecture with Dr. Libby Bischof.
Coast of Maine- From Frenchman’s Bay to Musketo Island including Mount Desart and Deer Islands, and Penobscot Bay, 1777.
How do we come to know a place? How do we come to call places by particular names? How do we come to know and understand those who have called a particular place, “home?” Join visual historian and Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, Dr. Libby Bischof, for an evening of close looking in community. In her richly illustrated lecture, Bischof will work with the audience to read maps, charts, photographs, postcards, and other visualizations of Downeast Maine and the Schoodic Region. Together we will unpack layers of historical time as we work towards acknowledging and understanding the complex pasts that inform our present.
Dr. Libby Bischof is Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education and Professor of History and University Historian at the University of Southern Maine. A visual and cultural historian of the 19th and 20th centuries, Bischof is interested in the ways in which friendship informs cultural production, especially in relation to landscape and place. A public historian, Bischof believes deeply in site-based, hands-on education, and the ways in which teaching local and regional history can lead to deeper civic engagement. She frequently lectures to public audiences throughout New England, and serves on the board of the New England Historical Association and as President of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium. She lives with her husband and children in Gorham, Maine, and when she’s not working, she’s either swimming, reading, or sending postcards.
Image courtesy of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, University of Southern Maine

Schoodic Institute’s 2024 Summer Lecture Series is made possible by our generous sponsor, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

2024 Finding Acadia’s Early Birds: A Special Maine Birding Excursion
2024-05-16 - 2024-05-19 | Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Schoodic Institute’s bird ecology director Seth Benz will lead this special tour designed to enhance your enjoyment of all birds, especially those that frequent Acadia National Park and its immediate surroundings.
Be among the first to see and hear colorful wood warblers returning to Acadia National Park, and enjoy a chartered boat trip to Petit Manan Island to see an active Atlantic puffin colony. We’ll visit area hotspots at a leisurely pace while learning about bird song and sight identification, bird habitats and behavior, and we’ll pay extra attention to enhancing your field birding skills and enjoyment of nature. The entire tour will be based out of Schoodic Institute which is ideally situated just a stone’s throw from Schoodic Point, a migration checkpoint that tallies tens of thousands of migratory birds annually. Lodging is in cozy cabins where you are often awakened by birdsong – Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, and Magnolia Warbler. Blue-headed vireos and Northern Parula warblers often serenade you as you walk to Schooner Commons, the Institute’s dining hall. Maine has a way of spoiling birders – and this spring tour is designed to do just that!
Registration is required. The program cost is $1,250.00 per participant. Space is limited so register quickly!
Day 1: Check-in is at 3pm. “Early Birds” begins on the Schoodic Institute campus at 4pm with introductions and a tour of the Institute campus. The late afternoon will feature the start of field birding with an excursion to a local hotspot or two. We’ll return to campus for an hour of relaxation before dinner. Dinner is from 6:00 to 7:00pm. An evening presentation on puffin restoration efforts will follow dinner in preparation for tomorrow’s special boat trip to an active seabird colony.
Day 2: An optional morning bird walk on campus – think warblers – before breakfast! Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 8:00am in Schooner Commons. We’ll then pack for a day afield and travel 40 minutes or so to the boat launch in Steuben for a 2-hour cruise to Petit Manan Island.
This is our best chance to see Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common murre, and several tern species as we circumnavigate the island, one of just 5 islands in Maine inhabited by Atlantic puffin, thanks to restoration efforts. Seals and other wildlife are also possible. After lunch, which will be a field lunch at a bird-rich picnic spot, we’ll then inspect some nearby blueberry barrens to look for an assortment of birds, including upland sandpiper, vesper sparrow, and American kestrel. Of course, there will be other birds to see along the way. An evening discussion on the day’s experience, identification tips and review, and how to get the most out of eBird use will follow dinner (6-7pm).
Day 3: Optional campus bird walk before breakfast. We’ll then spend the day investigating hotspots in Acadia National Park as well as the nearby villages of Prospect Harbor and Corea with good prospects for finding spruce grouse. Lunch will be in the field (carefully packed in a cooler along with water). We’ll return to campus by 5:00pm for leisure time before the 6:00pm dinner. Dinner this last night together is your choice of lobster or a delicious alternative. Afterward, we’ll sum up the day and complete a checklist review.
Day 4: Optional before breakfast bird walk. After breakfast, we’ll have the option of a culminating stroll to Schoodic Point. Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Price of $1,250.00 is based upon double occupancy. Lodging upgrade options possible while available. To register, contact Michelle Pinkham at 207-288-1356 or fill out the form below.
Price includes lodging and meals, van travel, boat fare, and guiding fees. Not included in price: airfare, trip insurance, alcohol beverages not offered by the host, gas stop snacks, and gratuities. An Acadia National Park pass may be necessary if you will be traveling in the park while not on this tour. These will be available to purchase at check-in or while on campus for $35.

2024 Spring Birds of Acadia with Puffin Cruise (FULL)
2024-05-21 - 2024-05-24 | Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Thank you for your interest. We are currently at capacity for this event, but good news – we have more birding excursions available!
For more information on our 2024 bird tours, please click here. If you would like to be placed on a waitlist for this tour, please contact Michelle Pinkham at 207-288-1356 or mpinkham@schoodicinstitute.org.

Schoodic Institute’s Seth Benz is joined by Holly Merker, author of Ornitherapy, to lead this leisurely tour designed to enhance your enjoyment of all birds, especially those that frequent or pass through Acadia National Park and its immediate surroundings.
Be among the first to see and hear colorful wood warblers returning to Maine’s Acadia National Park, and enjoy a chartered boat trip to Petit Manan Island to see an active Atlantic puffin colony. We’ll visit area hotspots at a leisurely pace while learning about bird song and sight identification, bird habitats and behavior, and we’ll pay extra attention to enhancing your field birding skills and enjoyment of nature. The entire tour will be based out of Schoodic Institute, a research and learning center, ideally situated just a stone’s throw from Schoodic Point, a migration checkpoint that tallies tens of thousands of passing birds annually. Lodging is in cozy cabins where you will be awakened by birdsong – Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, and Magnolia Warbler. Blue-headed vireos and Northern Parula warblers often serenade you as you walk to Schooner Commons, the Institute’s dining hall. Maine has a way of spoiling birders – and this spring tour is designed to do just that!
Registration is required. The program cost is $1,250.00 per participant. Space is limited so register quickly!
Day 1: Check-in is at 3pm. “Spring Birds” begins on the Schoodic Institute campus at 4 PM with introductions and a tour of the Institute campus. The late afternoon will feature the start of field birding with an excursion to a local hotspot or two. We’ll return to campus for an hour of relaxation before dinner. Dinner is from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. An evening presentation on puffin restoration efforts will follow dinner in preparation for tomorrow’s special boat trip to an active seabird colony.
Day 2: An optional morning bird walk on campus – think warblers – before breakfast! Breakfast is served from 7:00am to 8:00am in Schooner Commons. We’ll then pack for a day afield and travel 40 minutes or so to the boat launch in Steuben for a 2-hour cruise to Petit Manan Island. This is our best chance to see Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common murre, and several tern species as we circumnavigate the island, one of just 5 islands in Maine inhabited by Atlantic puffin, thanks to restoration efforts. Seals and other wildlife are also possible. After lunch, which will be a field lunch at a bird-rich picnic spot, we’ll then inspect some nearby Blueberry barrens habitat to look for an assortment of birds, including upland sandpiper, vesper sparrow, and American kestrel. Of course, there will be other birds to see along the way. An evening discussion on the day’s experience, identification tips and review, and how to get the most out of eBird use will follow dinner (6:00pm – 7:00pm).
Day 3: Optional campus bird walk before breakfast. We’ll then spend the day investigating hotspots on the Schoodic Peninsula section of Acadia National Park as well as the nearby villages of Prospect Harbor and Corea with good prospects for finding spruce grouse. Lunch will be in the field (carefully packed in a cooler along with water). We’ll return to campus by 5:00pm for leisure time before the 6:00pm dinner. Dinner this last night together is your choice of lobster or a delicious alternative. Afterward, we’ll sum up the day and complete a checklist review.
Day 4: Optional before-breakfast bird walk. After breakfast, we’ll have the option of a culminating stroll to Schoodic Point. Checkout is at 10:00am.
Price of $1,250.00 is based upon double occupancy. Lodging upgrade options possible while available. To register, contact Michelle Pinkham at 207-288-1356 or fill out the form below (coming soon!).
Price includes lodging and meals, van travel, boat fare, and guiding fees. Not included in price: airfare, trip insurance, alcohol beverages not offered by host, gas stop snacks, and gratuities. An Acadia National Park pass may be necessary if you will be traveling in the park while not on this tour. These will be available to purchase at check-in or while on campus for $35.
For more information on our 2024 bird tours, please click here.

Schoodic Institute Bird Monitor Volunteer Training
2024-05-28 08:00 - 09:30 | Wright Hall at Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Do you have an interest in the birds of Acadia National Park? Do you want to take your interest to the next level? Join us on Tuesday, May 28 at Schoodic Institute’s Wright Hall from 8:00am – 9:30am for a bird monitoring training session! This will be a great opportunity to join our team of bird monitors. Bring a sense of curiosity and binoculars (if you have them). We’ll cover the history of bird observation in Acadia and our current monitoring methods, including the use of Merlin (a bird identification app), as well as trails and hotspots to be monitored. Beginners are welcome!
Can’t make it to this session? Don’t worry – you can join us in the next session, taking place on June 11th. Find more details here.
Questions? Please email Seth Benz at sbenz@schoodicinstitute.

2024 Katahdin Splendor: Birds and Wildlife in the Shadow of Maine’s Highest Peak
2024-06-04 - 2024-06-07 | ME
Registration is open! Please scroll down to register.
The combined scenic expanse of Baxter State Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is the stage for this extraordinary tour. Here, the history of nature exploration and birding is as rich and captivating as the landscape itself. We’ll search for boreal birds – Spruce Grouse, Black-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee and Gray Jay – as well as a variety of warblers, and moose! Lodging and dining will be at Big Moose Inn, a charming oasis featuring Fredericka’s restaurant and the Loose Moose Bar Camp & Grille.
This 4-day, 3-night tour begins in Bangor and travels by van immediately to the Maine Highlands in and around Baxter State Park, where we will search for the elusive boreal birds, and witness Fox and Lincoln’s sparrows singing on their territories. We’ll have a great chance for the tougher-to-find warblers, such as Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Tennessee and Mourning, and northern forest flycatchers such as Alder, Least, Yellow-bellied and Olive-sided.
Sample itinerary:
Day One: The tour starts at 8am in the morning in Bangor. We’ll pick you up at your place of lodging if you come in the day before or at the Odlin Road Parking Lot (free parking) and head directly north to one of the best boreal birding spots deep in the Maine forest. Each night will be spent at the Big Moose Inn, between two quiet lakes.
Day Two: We’ll rise with the sun and head up the west side of Baxter State Park, enjoying the abundance of warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and finches that breed in the northern forest. This will also be a chance to locate any rare woodpeckers or grouse that might be missed on the first day.
Day Three: We will start the day with an early breakfast before heading east to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, where we’ll investigate a trail or two leading off the primary Park Tote Road.
Day Four: Starting early in the morning, we will head up the east side of the Baxter State Park to Roaring Brook. At Sandy Stream Pond, we’ll enjoy close-ups of moose, listen for Philadelphia Vireos, and search out a few other elusive species. By lunch time, we’ll have finished up with the mountains and will make our way back to Bangor for the tour’s end by 2pm.
Price of $1,280.00 is based upon double occupancy. To register, please fill out the form below or contact Seth Benz at sbenz@schoodicinstitute.org.
2024 Katahdin Splendor Bird Tour

Dispatches from the Intertidal Ribbon of Rockweed
2024-06-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Lamoine Consolidated School
Join the Lamoine Conservation Commission at 7:00pm on Wednesday, June 5th at the Lamoine Consolidated School (view on Google Maps below) for Dispatches from the Intertidal Ribbon of Rockweed, featuring Schoodic Institute’s Marine Ecology Director Dr. Hannah Webber.
Hannah will discuss her research on rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum, or “Asco”), which is the dominant species in most of the rocky intertidal zone of Maine and provides habitat for other species living in and visiting the intertidal zone. Hannah will also discuss Project ASCO, a participatory science initiative through which participants help answer the question, ”how much rockweed is there?” The data collected by Project ASCO participants is analyzed and shared by scientists to inform resource management. Along with rockweed, this project allows for learning more about other seaweeds, periwinkles, mussels, crabs, birds, and the occasional seal or whale. During her presentation, Hannah will also discuss her experience working with partners and other scientists to use remote sensing tools to measure rockweed using drone technology.

All are welcome to this event, and there is no fee to attend the presentation.

2024 Coastal Splendor: Puffins, Warblers, Lobster and Lodging by the Edge of the Sea (FULL)
2024-06-08 - 2024-06-10 | Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Thank you for your interest. We are currently at capacity for this event, but good news – we have more birding excursions available!
For more information on our 2024 bird tours, please click here. If you would like to be placed on a waitlist for this tour, please contact Michelle Pinkham at 207-288-1356 or mpinkham@schoodicinstitute.org.
Petit Manan Island is home to an active seabird breeding colony. Schoodic Institute staff will take you there on a boat trip to observe nesting Atlantic Puffin, Common Eider, Razorbill, and Arctic and Common terns. We will also search coastal waters and ledges for Gray and Harbor seals, Bald Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon. Back at Schoodic Institute, we will enjoy locally-sourced foods, including fresh-caught lobster. Birding highlights include nesting warblers, bobolinks, and a field trip to nearby Blueberry Barrens in search of Upland Sandpiper. Participant lodging is nestled within earshot of pulsing ocean waves on the campus of Schoodic Institute. This promises to be an exciting 3-day experience!
Acadia National Park and the Downeast Maine region feature world class glacially-sculpted volcanic mountain-top balds, as well as nearshore ledges bathed by impressive tidal fluctuations. Treeless offshore islands are home to iconic breeding birds as are the spruce-dominated peninsulas that reach out into the cold coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine. Join us for a brief and exciting journey through this scenic landscape in search of its fascinating birdlife.
Day 1: Begins on the campus of Schoodic Institute with check-in at 3:00pm. We’ll gather at 4:00pm for introductions and an introduction to the ecology of the Gulf of Maine from the vantage of Schoodic Point. We’ll enjoy an opening reception prior to dinner, and evening presentation on puffin restoration efforts and preparation for the upcoming puffin cruise.
Day 2: An optional morning bird walk on campus – think warblers – before breakfast! Breakfast is served from 7:00am to 8:00am in Schooner Commons. We’ll then pack for a day afield and travel 40 minutes or so to the boat launch in Steuben for a 2-hour cruise to Petit Manan Island. This is our best chance to see Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common murre, and several tern species as we circumnavigate the island, one of just 5 islands in Maine inhabited by Atlantic puffin, thanks to restoration efforts. Seals and other wildlife are also possible. After lunch, which will be a field lunch at a bird-rich picnic spot, we’ll then inspect some nearby blueberry barrens to look for an assortment of birds, including upland sandpiper, vesper sparrow, and American kestrel. Of course, there will be other birds to see along the way. An evening discussion on the day’s experience, identification tips and review, and how to get the most out of eBird use will follow a scrumptious lobster dinner (6:00pm – 7:00pm).
Day 3: Optional before-breakfast bird walk. After breakfast, we’ll have the option of a culminating stroll to Schoodic Point. Checkout is at 10:00am.
Price of $785.00 is based upon double occupancy. Lodging upgrade options possible while available. To register, please fill out the form below or contact Michelle Pinkham at 207-288-1356.
For more information on our 2024 bird tours, please click here.

Schoodic Institute Bird Monitor Volunteer Training II
2024-06-11 07:00 - 09:30 | Frazer Point Picnic Area, Moore Rd., Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Do you have an interest in the birds of Acadia National Park? Do you want to take your interest to the next level? Join us on Tuesday, June 11 at the Frazer Point Picnic Area (in Winter Harbor) from 7:00am – 9:30am for a bird monitoring training session! This will be a great opportunity to join our team of bird monitors. Bring a sense of curiosity and binoculars (if you have them). We’ll cover the history of bird observation in Acadia and our current monitoring methods, including the use of Merlin (a bird identification app), as well as trails and hotspots to be monitored. Beginners are welcome!
Questions? Please email Seth Benz at sbenz@schoodicinstitute.

Inspiring - and Surprising - Schoodic Science for a Changing World
2024-06-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Moore Auditorium, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Acadia Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Schoodic Institute scientists measure, map, and monitor environmental change at Schoodic Point, throughout Acadia, and beyond. On Tuesday, June 11, at 7:00pm, join us for an evening of short stories about how we study the rapidly changing world around us, what we are learning, and the chances we all have to contribute. There will be a few surprises along the way, and opportunities to test your own knowledge of local ecology.
The evening’s itinerary includes:

“The community of research in Acadia National Park,” Science Information Specialist Emma Albee

“An experimental approach to the future,” Climate Change Adaptation Scientist Chris Nadeau

“A coastwide perspective of the changing intertidal zone,” Marine Ecology Director Hannah Webber

“A bird’s eye view of Schoodic Point,” Bird Ecology Director Seth Benz

“Preparing the next generation of ecologists,” Science Engagement Coordinator Shannon O’Brien

“The community of scientists in Acadia – including you,” Data Analyst Kyle Lima

Attend in person at Schoodic Institute’s Moore Auditorium (in Winter Harbor, ME) or online via Zoom. Registration is required – please sign up below.

Schoodic Institute’s 2024 Summer Lecture Series is made possible by our generous sponsor, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.

Meet the Artist: Emilio Sweet-Coll
2024-06-15 14:00 - 17:00 | ME
Emilio Sweet-Coll, an animator and musician based in Los Angeles who uses drawings and animation to interpret birdsong, is visiting Acadia National Park this week as an artist-in-residence. You have two chances this week to meet them, see their work, and contribute to their work in progress.
The first is a talk at 10am Thursday at the Sieur de Monts Nature Center. The artist will be joined by Laura Sebastianelli, a sound recordist specializing in bird vocalization. Together, they will share examples of creative and scientific visualization of bird sounds and then lead a workshop for visitors on surrounding trails. Bring a camp chair or blanket for seating.
The second event – a pop-up activity from 2pm to 5pm Saturday at Frazer Point on Schoodic Peninsula – offers visitors the opportunity to contribute to an animation in progress by drawing and painting a sequence of images of a Great Blue Heron.
Both events are free and family friendly for ages 8 and above.
More at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/acadia-air_sweet-coll.htm
go.nps.gov/AcadiaArt

The Unforeseen Wilderness: Nature, Bookbinding, and Photography with Eliot Dudik (Registration CLOSED)
2024-06-23 - 2024-06-30 | Schoodic Institute, 9 Atterbury Circle, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Registration has closed for this workshop.
Join a small group of folks for a seven-day intensive workshop exploring an unusual confluence of interests: bookbinding, photography, and nature walks in one of the most profound places on Earth, Acadia National Park. Tranquility and focus will be our guide as we lodge and work on the Schoodic Peninsula, often referred to as the “quiet side” of Acadia, dividing our time between classroom bookbinding sessions and stepping out into a wonderland of spruce, granite, and sea.
The workshop is directed by bookmaker, photographer, and educator Eliot Dudik, who directs the photography program at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He has spent every summer and winter in Maine for the past nine years working on his own long-form photography projects, teaching photography and bookbinding workshops, and exploring the coast of Maine, especially the dreamscape of Acadia National Park. He has been visualizing this unique workshop for years and is excited to offer it for the first time this summer!
The structure of the course: Throughout our week together, we will meet in our workspace to explore bookbinding basics including methods, materials, and book structures. All bookbinding tools and materials will be provided. We will practice four different bindings over the course of the week, each building on skills learned in the previous lesson. These books will be blank and can be used as journals or sketchbooks.
Throughout the week, we will leave the classroom to explore the surrounding national park. Excursions will include morning or afternoon walks, as well as full day trips to the busier and more popular/populated parts of Acadia on Mount Desert Island. On these nature walks, we will attempt to take in the famously breathtaking beauty while using cameras and Wendel Berry’s essay: The Unforeseen Wildness to inspire individualized experience.

At the conclusion of our week together, we will each create a short edit and sequence of photographs made in Acadia and produce small books of the work. These books might also incorporate additional media, including drawings, collage, writing, etc. The photographs can be made with cell phones or more sophisticated digital cameras. Participants will bring their own cameras and ideally a laptop with Adobe Photoshop installed.
The lodging and meal plan complete this unique and immersive experience, allowing us to disconnect from our everyday lives and truly experience something special. This workshop is intentionally limited to a small group of participants to enhance the individualized experience; don’t delay signing up as this workshop will fill quickly!
For any questions regarding the workshop, please contact Eliot directly at eliot@eliotdudik.com.

Path to Pen: Nature Journaling
2024-06-23 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-06-30 09:00 - 11:00 | Eliot Hall, 14 Musetti Drive, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, United States
Practice putting pen to path in this introduction to nature journaling. Take a leisurely walk on the paved paths through the woods of the Schoodic Institute’s campus and on a level segment of the Sundew Trail. Fine tune your senses to the quiet natural beauty around you and see what you can discover! We will practive simple writing exercises to record and deepen your connection to Acadia’s story.
Our meeting location will be next to the wayside sign by Elliot Hall near the South Parking lot on Schoodic Intitute’s campus (view campus map here). We will end at the Picnic Pavilion on Jacobson Drive.
We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and dressing in layers to accommodate changes in temperate. Please feel free to bring a favorite pen or pencil (optional), sunblock, insect spray, and a water bottle.
This event is free (supplies included!) and family friendly for ages 10 and above.

Fire and Ice: Geology Walk
2024-06-25 11:00 - 12:30 | ME
Enjoy a guided hike on the Sundew Trail in the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park. Travel through a trail of time, witnessing evidence of the geologic processes that shaped Acadia’s landscape. Learn how this land has indeed been formed by fire and shaped by ice.
Our meeting location will be the Sundew Trailhead near the water tower at the South Parking (near Elliot Hall) on Schoodic Intitute’s campus (view campus map here). We will end at the Picnic Pavilion on Jacobson Drive. The total distance of the walk will be one mile with slight elevation changes on uneven terrain.
We recommend bringing sunblock, insect spray, and a water bottle. We suggest wearing comfortable, sturdy shoes and dressing in layers to accommodate changes in temperate.
This event is free and family friendly for ages 10 and above.

Project ASCO at Frazer Point
2024-07-01 11:30 - 13:30 | Frazer Point, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693
Please join Schoodic Institute’s Project ASCO research team on July 1, 2024 from 11:30am – 1:30pm at Frazer Point (Winter Harbor, Maine) as we head into Maine’s rocky intertidal to collect data on rockweed, a foundational seaweed. Please register for this volunteer event below.
We will begin the field day with a refresher training and then work together to collect along the shore at each site. To find our training videos, please visit our Project ASCO page.
Participation in this event includes working with Schoodic Institute researchers in the rocky intertidal, a place where slips, trips, and falls can be a concern due to wet or unsteady rocks and seaweed. Please come prepared with weather appropriate field gear, long pants, close toed shoes, and enthusiasm for learning about Maine’s rocky intertidal ecosystem!
Project ASCO is a participatory science research initiative designed to get interested participants out into the intertidal zone to collect data about rockweed while exploring the beauty of the rocky coast between the tides. Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum, or “Asco”) is the dominant species in most of the rocky intertidal zone of Maine and provides habitat for other species living in and visiting the intertidal zone. Rockweed is currently harvested in Maine and sustainable management requires knowledge of the total amount of rockweed throughout the state. Participants in Project ASCO can help answer the question, “How much rockweed is there?” The data collected by Project ASCO participants will be analyzed and shared by scientists at Schoodic Institute to inform resource management.
If you have any questions about Project ASCO or this in-person volunteer event, please email projectasco@schoodicinstitute.org.

Downeast Maine Puffins and Seabirds with Caretta Inspired Journeys
2024-07-03 - 2024-07-08 | ME
Join Caretta Inspired Journeys for a taste of summer in Downeast Maine and experience the unique coastal islands of the North Atlantic!
This five-day excursion starts at the Bangor Maine Airport. From there we will travel to Rockland, Maine for early afternoon briefings about about the Atlantic Puffins recovery at the Audubon Society’s Project Puffin. We will also learn about the protection and management of all the breeding seabirds on remote islands via an interactive zoom discussion with island researchers at the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (MCINWR). Accommodations for all five nights are provided at Schoodic Institute. We are fortunate to be able to provide private room accommodations in 2 and 4 bedroom apartments at Schoodic Institute. Each apartment is equipped with a full kitchen and we will stop for grocery shopping on the way to Schoodic Institute that evening.
The trip includes a guided kayaking tour of Frenchman’s Bay on the 4th of July (weather-permitting, fireworks from Bar Harbor and other coastal communities should be visible in the evening from where we’re staying). A MCINWR representative will guide a nature walk and beach clean-up activities on Petit Manan Point that is adjacent to a Puffin nesting colony. You’ll also have some time to make your own plans to take a group tour of Acadia National Park, dine/shop in Bar Harbor, or rent bikes/hike on the Schoodic Peninsula. Information on these DIY options will be sent when you register online. On Sunday, July 7, we will go on a two-hour Puffin Cruise out of Bar Harbor to benefit MCINWR through their Friends group. There will be staff on board who can communicate with island researchers to answer your questions.
To register, click here.
