This morning we went hiking around the northern coast of the island. We traveled with Lab Coordinator Bonnie Clarke and External Relations Coordinator Alexa Hilmer as they guided us on a two-hour tour. Bonnie focused specifically on the geology of the island, highlighting the fact that the island is mostly granite with portions of other strikingly visible igneous and metamorphic features (e.g. dikes).

Standing in the same spot as Childe Hassam, overlooking Broad Cove. You might notice that the tide during our visit today was higher than in the painting.

In part two of the hike, Alexa continued our discussion of the American impressionist painter Childe Hassam. She brought prints of some of his paintings from Appledore and we had fun trying to find the specific location and the exact vantage points (lines of sight) where he sat to create his masterpieces. Even today, almost a hundred years later, we continue to be inspired by the same, ever-changing views of light on rocks and water.

One of our animal observations from the hike was that the gulls on the northern cliffs definitely seemed more anxious of humans than those nesting around the dorms and labs. We got to witness two gulls locking beaks in a heated battle for territory and dominance. It was neat to see up close some of the behaviors we had learned about the day before!

When hiking through the gull colony it is best to heed President Theodore Roosevelt’s policy — “speak softly and carry a big stick.”

As the morning continued, we hiked south towards Smith’s Cove. This southernmost tip of the island contained some phenomenal evidence of both glacial movement as well as metamorphism within the granite. And (perhaps most importantly?), since the southern end of the island is not a nesting area for gulls, our team got to enjoy a momentary respite from the attack birds as we examined and discussed the rock formations.

A peaceful image of our group on the rocky southern coast of Appledore Island.

The group captures our best interpretation of “attack gulls.”

After our great morning walk, we had the opportunity to hear from the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduate) student interns. In addition to two-week course offerings, undergraduate students also have the opportunity to apply for research intern positions that allow them to research for 10 weeks on the island. Some of the topics the 2018 interns are researching include: sea animals eating plastics; parasites that possibly influence green crab behavior; the effects of sound vibrations on hermit crabs; and seal populations and entanglements. We hope our students back home will have such amazing opportunities for themselves in the future!

After lunch and a seal identification crash course from Alexa, we were able to put our skills in identification to the test with a boat tour of neighboring Duck Island. Staying a safe (and federally-mandated) distance away we were able to practice distinguishing the different characteristics of the Harbor Seal and Gray Seal as we viewed them “hauled out” on the rocks and bobbing in the water near our boat!

The highlight of the day was our attempted visit to the tern colony on White Island. Last night, Dr. Liz Craig taught us about the Common, Roseate, and Arctic Terns; These three tern species are the subjects of conservation and restoration programs on the Isles of Shoals. We were prepared to visit the island via small inflatable rafts that required a water landing (our feet would get wet) and then we were going to explore what promised to be a loud and messy tern colony. Some of us were dressed better for this adventure than others.

Compactor bags make great ponchos, protecting against not only rain but also lots of bird poop from angry terns.

Alas, It was not meant to be. We learned first hand what Eisenhower knew when he said: “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” The weather was not cooperating, so we did what teachers do best and improvised our plans. Liz (who is now everyone’s rockstar role model) captured a few baby terns and brought them to us on the boat, which was securely moored just off shore!* Can you imagine?! We got to participate in taking measurements and banding baby terns aboard the boat. We learned the importance of banding to help scientists follow bird flight patterns and better understand their nesting behaviors. Everyone had a “tern” to hold a baby chick and we all hope to “retern” again someday!

Josh holds a newly hatched Common Tern chick in his hands. If you look closely you can still see the tiny white “egg tooth” on the end of its bill. This helps the chick peck a hole into its eggshell from the inside so it can hatch!

*Please note — no chicks were harmed during this quick, educational adventure. After being measured and banded, they were safely transported back to their nests on land.

We all gathered at Broad Cove this morning to view a beautiful Appledore sunrise at 5:01am. It was a peaceful morning to pause and also channel our inner impressionist and use watercolors to create seaside postcards. We learned that Childe Hassam, an influential American impressionist, spent 30 years using Appledore Island, Maine as the inspiration for his art. Impressionist artists focus on light and colors and Hassam often went straight to nature for his inspiration.

Sunrise at Broad Cove. Photo: Renee Pagoota-Wight.

Later this morning, the group prepared for our whale watch experience by learning about the two types of cetaceans. We were most impressed with the beautiful baleen samples we were able to examine and touch.

Dr. Hal Weeks demonstrating the filter feeding powers of baleen. Photo by Renee Pagoota-Wight.

We departed Appledore Island shortly thereafter on the University of New Hampshire marine and ocean research ship, the Challenger R/V. Our group paired with a class of undergraduate students, growing the number of passengers onboard to 38 people.

Is that a whale over there?

Good weather and calm seas were expected for the journey and we eagerly anticipated observing a variety of whales and sea life. We were not disappointed! We saw several Fin and Minke whales, White-sided dolphins, and even spotted an enormous Basking Shark lurking right below the surface.

Poets in action.

Once back onshore, Naila Moreira, a poet and faculty member from Smith College, met us on the Laighton building porch overlooking the dock and beautiful ocean cove. We interpreted environmental poetry, and even tested our creative writing skills by writing marine-focused poems. Naila then joined us on a walking tour of the gull colony with Dr. Liz Craig, academic coordinator from Seavey and White Islands, where she serves as the caretaker and researcher during the summer for the tern conservation colony. She was able to help us understand the behaviors of the Great Black-Backed and Herring Gulls.

Approaching the gull colony, defense sticks at the ready to prevent a possible attack.

After our visit to the full colony, we returned for a delicious dinner. One of the most outstanding parts of our trip has been the meals served to us on the island. Each meal consists of a variety of healthy, nutrient-rich options, all of which are filled with fresh vegetables and fruits. In addition, the chefs have done an amazing job creating vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free options. Tonight we even had flourless chocolate cake for dessert!

With full bellies and happy hearts we will fall asleep to the sound of gulls guarding their nests as we reflect on a quote Renee shared with us:

“The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available for anyone who will place themselves under the influence of earth, sea, and sky and their amazing life.”
~ Rachel Carson

Sunset across Babb’s Cove. Photo: Renee Pagoota-Wight.

We had an extra early morning today for our first island sunrise from Broad Cove. We watched the colors spread across the sky in the company of gulls sitting, flying and calling from the surrounding rocks. We returned to the observatory deck of the central Commons building to pause and re-adjust our senses: shifting from a mainland mentality to an island one. We are still coming to terms with a new place that can seem both big and small at the same time.

After a delicious breakfast, we left dry land to fish for mackerel.

Fishing for mackerel.

On the way to our fishing spot, the ocean was still and flat on the surface, but there was wildlife everywhere! We passed a grey seal along with plenty of cormorants, gulls and terns. The boat captain anchored us near an area of upwelling, where warm water currents bring nutrients from below up towards the surface. Within 15 minutes, fishing lines were reeled in with 4-5 mackerel per pole (some even had 6 fish at a time!), faster than we could get them off the hooks!

Cheryl hauls in a big catch — five at a time!

We motored back to the island to squeeze in our next exploration of the area’s tide pools. Intertidal zones are a harsh environment with drastic changes in temperatures and water levels, and we had an opportunity to find and observe the organisms that are adapted to survive in these conditions. Our wading was paused by the excited discoveries of hermit crabs, a Gunnell fish (it looked like a small eel), periwinkles, barnacles, small sea urchins, and a variety of algae (what we might call “seaweed” in the South). There is great joy to be found in taking the time to search for life that is often hidden just beyond our sight.

The intertidal zone.

“Signals for Survival” was our after dinner movie treat. We learned about the behaviors of the herring and Great Black-backed gulls that we have observed while staying on the island. Effective communication between gulls is essential for their survival, and we reflected how true this is for humans too.

Dissecting dogfish to learn about fish anatomy.

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

—Excerpt from “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish,” by Dr. Seuss

These wise words by Dr. Seuss seem fitting on this last day of school for many of our NC educators. Today was good. Today was fun … and for our Educators of Excellence, tomorrow is another (fun) one!

Tomorrow the summer officially starts and preparations for our New England Institute can begin in earnest! With their classroom doors closed, our phenomenal group of teachers can begin to shift gears — away from grading papers and staff meetings to dipping their toes in the chilly waters of the Gulf of Maine and being “blown away” by the winds on Mount Washington, NH.

Our next week and a half will be full of wrapping up last minute tasks and packing, but then we will leave North Carolina to begin a grand adventure to New England! We can’t wait! There’s so much to do and see and learn!

Preparations are under way- a pile of gear and resources is almost ready to be packed, Photo: M. Davis