Hancock-Pickled Wrinkles, Clams, Mighty Mice and Lobsters

Some of us were lucky enough to arrive at the Schoodic Peninsula in time to catch sunset before dinner.  

We headed to dinner at the Pickled Wrinkle in Birch Harbor.  Fortunately, Dolly Sullivan from Educate Maine, was back in her old stomping grounds in Hancock County.  She had a friend come by the restaurant with a jar of pickled wrinkles (snails) so the brave members of our group could try them.

Later in the evening Dolly had a few additional wrinkles which just confirmed that she was a local in case any group members had doubts! We had a fabulous dinner and were happy to be with the rest of the group again.  That night we were staying in apartments at the Schoodic Institute later and had fun discovering who are apartment mates were for the evening.

We spent our Friday at the gorgeous Schoodic Institute.  The first session covered a long standing partnership with the Institute, the Town of Gouldsboro and Sumner Memorial high School (RSU 24) to reseed the clam flats in Gouldsboro.  The Alternative Pathways teacher Susan Walsh spoke about the project, this link has photos and additional details about the project:   Shellfish Resilience Partnership  We watched a video that featured some of the students that have been involved in the work.

There was a panel discussion that allowed participants to reflect on the lessons learned from the project and answered all of our questions.  What really was striking was the long standing commitment from all involved and what a difference it has made for the students that have gotten to be a part of it and the value it has added to the shellfish industry in the area.

One good takeaway for our group was that even in an established partnership like this one they only recently made more of an effort to raise the level of community awareness about all the wonderful work that they have been doing.  

Our next speaker was from Jackson Labs and we were given an overview of what they do and how it impacts the local Maine economy.  They also covered some of the more exciting projects that are currently underway at Jackson Labs,  like the Mighty Mice. They are mice with a gene that produces muscle and the exciting implications for astronauts (who struggle to keep muscle in space). About Might Mice for Kids 

They even brought in lab equipment and had all of us take a turn at micro pipetting.  Some of us remembered why Chemistry class might have been challenging back in the day, others (like our Science teachers in the group) were right at home! We were excited to learn about the programs that Jackson Labs offer for educators.

We then had some group time to reflect on what we have seen and learned so far, it was fascinating to see what observations the entire group had made to date.

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We ended our day with a panel discussion from three veteran lobstermen.  They talked about the challenges of the lobstering industry as it has evolved in their time on the water.  We enjoyed their stories and getting their perspective on all issues facing the lobster industry today.  We were a little disappointed that they told us about the great chowder made at the Co-op store, especially when they told us the store was closed for the day!