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Maine Stories

Mainers confronting climate change threats

Mainers from every corner of the state are stepping up to the climate challenge. Practical, creative and trailblazing teachers, bus drivers, students, communities, recent graduates and professional athletes alike are taking action to get ahead of the climate curve. Read their stories.

Climate and Maple Syrup's Microseasons Scott Dunn Family Farm

Climate and Maple Syrup's Microseasons: Scott Dunn

Many people mark Maine Maple Sunday on their calendars to focus on the sweetest product of spring, but for fifth-generation maple syrup producer Scott Dunn, the weeks leading up to the festivities are changing and challenging. 

Changes to the climate are shortening the sap season, bumping up production timelines, and tightening the bottom line at his 1,600-tap family-run operation in Buxton. He describes his approach now as adapting to Maine’s volatile “microseasons.” 

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Screengrab of a food data mapping platform created by Courtney Baker

Reducing Carbon Emissions by Mapping Food Data: Courtney Baker

Data shows that about 40% of food produced goes uneaten, making it the single largest category of Maine’s waste stream.

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Photo of Max Burtis on his oyster farm in Brunswick, Maine

Oyster Farming with a Focus on Climate: Max Burtis

It’s quiet out on the New Meadows River oyster farm where 24-year-old Max Burtis is looking down over this year’s oyster crop. The water silently reflects his orange overalls and the silhouette of his solar-powered oyster float. 

“I like being on the water, it’s generational,” he said. 

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Kate Flynn cuts a red ribbon on a new community fridge at the University of Maine Orono.

Fighting Climate Change with Food: Kate Flynn

Thanks to UMaine senior Kate Flynn, 22, and the work going on at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, there’s a popular new hangout on campus that’s created a tasty way for students and staff to help mitigate climate change.

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Bates College Professor Bev Johnson Blue Carbon

Blue Carbon in Maine: Q & A with Bates College Professor Beverly Johnson

Maine's coastal environment plays an important role in carbon sequestration. We sat down with Bates College Professor Beverly Johnson to learn more about her research on blue carbon ecosystems, and how they can help mitigate climate change.

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