Schmitt’s stories included in Press Herald roundup of new Acadia books, exhibit
A recently released title by Catherine Schmitt, communications director for Maine Sea Grant College Program at the University of Maine, was included in a Portland Press Herald roundup of new books and an exhibit that highlight Acadia National Park’s 100th anniversary. “Historic Acadia National Park: The Stories Behind One of America’s Great Treasures,” includes 12 tales on various aspects of the park’s natural and human history, according to the article. Schmitt said she tried to find stories and facts that weren’t well-known, including some in her own area of expertise — science writing. Through her research, she found scientists had a role in creating the park. Beginning in the 1800s, scientists came to Mount Desert Island to study nature in its pristine form and realized that as more visitors came, opportunities for study could be destroyed, the article states. “If you look at the founding legislation, it makes it clear how important it was to keep the land protected as a place for science,” Schmitt said.