Ask anyone who frequents the forests of New England and they will likely speak of unwelcome companions — ticks. Blacklegged ticks are expanding their range and rising in numbers, infecting people with pathogens that cause conditions like Lyme disease and babesiosis. Climate change is frequently blamed, but researchers have noticed another man-made problem may be […]
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Conservation is a multi-dimensional issue that goes beyond preserving the environment. Conservationists not only need ecological expertise, but also have to understand the impact of conservation on the economics and culture of an area, be able to interact with the public about issues of conservation and so much more. Through a program funded by the […]
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The Maine Morning Star interviewed Theresa Burnham, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences, on how the fishery industry is changing and the broader impact of those changes on the economy. “There are fewer variable professional fishermen than there were 20 years ago, but there are more fishermen fishing […]
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The Portland Press Herald and WABI (Channel 5) interviewed Angela Mech, assistant professor of forest entomology at the University of Maine, on the possibility for Mainers to see smaller browntail moth populations this spring than in previous years. Mech said she is “cautiously optimistic,” and that a fungus devastated populations this past summer. She and […]
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Maine Public interviewed Griffin Dill, integrated pest management specialist who manages the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, on the midcoast is experiencing the highest rates of tick borne diseases in the state and how climate change is impacting tick populations. Dill said the deer tick is prone to drying out, so it seeks […]
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USA Today cited a data visualization from the University of Maine Climate Change Institute Climate Reanalyzer that showed how the temperature of air 6.5 feet above the sea surface has increased since 1979.
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The Bangor Daily News highlighted research from the University of Maine in 2024 that aided statewide efforts to research, inform and protect communities from a group of chemicals known as PFAS. UMaine efforts include research to develop coatings free of PFAS for food wrappers and other paper products by using seaweed and tree pulp; and […]
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The Kennebec Journal interviewed Maine state climatologist Sean Birkel on how extreme weather patterns, such as the December 2023 flooding along the Kennebec River, will affect Maine in the future. Birkel said events like the flooding last December will get more severe with climate change. “We’re much more uncertain about the frequency part,” Birkel said. […]
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The Portland Press Herald cited a data visualization on drug overdose deaths compiled with data from the Monthly Overdose Report from the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the University of Maine. The visualization showed a year-to-year decrease in overdose deaths starting in 2023 and the potential for the state to have the […]
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The Portland Press Herald highlighted a wreath making workshop hosted by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Falmouth on Dec. 2. Participants learned how to make balsam fir wreaths with locally harvested greenery and decorations. The Sun Journal shared the report.
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