Blogs

2017 Vital Signs Freshwater Investigation Mini-Grant

Submitted by gmri on Thu, 2017-07-20 11:42
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We rely on our ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams for drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunities. With 5,700 water bodies and countless waterways, Maine’s freshwater resource managers need Maine students to be citizen scientists in their local freshwater ecosystems, and to help raise awareness in their communities. Freshwater investigations can be challenging - special equipment may be required and field sites may not be accessible from the school campus.

Vital Signs goes Downeast

Submitted by vitalteach on Thu, 2017-06-01 15:38
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On Friday April 28th, at the University of Maine in Machias, 12 classroom educators, 1 employee from the Department of Marine Resources, and 1 educator from the Downeast Institute, joined together for the Washington County STEM Improvement Institute with Vital Signs; a full day of work around dealing with data in the context of an authentic investigation. Teachers represented grades 5-12 and the towns of Machias, Perry, Pembroke, Harrington, Jonesport, and Beals.

Hot Topic! New England Cottontail

Submitted by vitalteach on Wed, 2017-03-15 17:11
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Many of you may be familiar with the New England Cottontail from a past Hot Topic! we posted here a little over a year ago now. Didn't see that post? Check it out HERE.

Fall 2016 Field Season

Submitted by HeronThere on Mon, 2017-02-13 15:36
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On this snowy day in February, we thought it would be a great chance to reflect on the amazing Fall 2016 field season that the Vital Signs Community had. This was an exciting fall, with new community members from all across the state and into NH participating and gathering data!

Deer Isle Students Reopen School Nature Trail

Submitted by vitalteach on Thu, 2017-01-05 15:09
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Guest blog post by: Mickie Flores, Deer Isle Stonington Elementary School

The seventh and eighth graders at Deer Isle Stonington Elementary School took science out of the classroom this Fall, collecting and analyzing data on the school's old nature trail, and now the students are ready to reopen the trail to the public this upcoming spring. Everyone has been hard at work identifying native species and learning about the relationships between the living and nonliving components of the site as they cleared the trail, which now extends from the elementary school playground toward the high school.

Portland student working on an invasive species cookbook

Submitted by HeronThere on Tue, 2017-01-03 15:26
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Have you ever wondered what you can do with invasive species? One high school student, Oliver Curtis, started a project with the Telling Room (a non-profit writing center in Portland, ME) that will end in him publishing a book, an invasive species cookbook!

Read more about this story HERE.

Spring 2016 Fieldwork Activity

Submitted by HeronThere on Mon, 2016-07-11 13:36
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From coastal to upland, and into freshwater habitats, the Vital Signs community has had a productive spring. We had participation from grades 3-12 and also had some amazing work done by citizen scientists/students in their spare time!

Teachers Inspire Our Future Scientists

Submitted by gmri on Tue, 2016-06-14 15:03
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Pat Parent, an amazing teacher from Massabesic Middle School, works each year to engage his students in authentic science that is relevant to their lives and their community. A piece of that work is doing citizen science with Vital Signs throughout the year.

Vital Signs Citizen Scientists - Future Maine Conservation Leaders

Submitted by mmeserve on Wed, 2016-05-25 16:11
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It's easy to get discouraged in the face of the many challenges we observe in the Gulf of Maine and beyond. Whether it's a warming Gulf of Maine, or the spread of invasive species throughout our watershed, I'm thinking about these challenges on a daily basis.

Hot Topic! Emerald ash borer – Invasives on Maine’s doorstep

Submitted by HeronThere on Thu, 2016-04-21 10:16
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Picasa, DAB3218

First detected in Michigan in 2002, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has now spread to at least 24 states and two Canadian provinces. EAB infestations have been reported in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. So, although Maine has not had any recorded infestations, EAB is only 20-30 miles away and the Maine Forest Service says they are preparing for the inevitable. Maine citizen scientists can help by monitoring with Mission: Emerald ash borer.

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