For the past two years NAE Academy (Nokomis Alternative Education) students have been designing, building, and operating their own Aquaponics systems. Aquaponics is the cultivation of fish and plants together in a recirculating system where fish waste provides a nutrient source for the plants and in turn the plants provide a natural filter for the Read More
Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine
Every day, Maine people and communities embrace better, more sustainable ways to inhabit our great state. Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine is devoted to gathering and sharing information about the people, places, and initiatives making a positive difference for Maine's environment. From fresh local foods to clean solar energy to turning trash into treasure, there are many ways to say “sustainable” in Maine.
If it is good news for our environment and involves Maine or Mainers, it belongs in the spotlight.
A Great Sustainability Effort Dawns in the Maine Town the Sun Touches First
Lubec, Maine, is an incredibly picturesque little town at the far eastern edge of Maine. Nestled at the end of Maine’s rugged, bold coastline, Lubec features many opportunities to engage locals and draw visitors. The quaint downtown contains a few dozen shops lining the main street, which leads to the foot of the bridge reaching Read More
Peaks Island Students Change Habits Beyond an Island in Maine
Students at Peaks Island Elementary School recently engaged in an endeavor created to align with their new, project-based learning program, RRR-Evolution. The idea is to help the youngsters understand the impacts of their decisions with hands-on (quite literally in this case) examples of how those decisions effect the world around us. Students spent one week Read More
Portland is “Connected By Nature”
The City of Portland is developing a well-deserved reputation as one of the most sustainable cities in the nation. This reputation hasn’t happened overnight, or without the help of many of the citizens, businesses, and progressive thinkers in and around Maine’s largest city. A few months ago, the Natural Resources Council of Maine released an Read More
Next Generation Takes Action to Help Ban Single-use Foam Containers in Brunswick
Last year as a junior in high school I took an environmental science course where I was asked to assess an environmental issue of importance to my town. I chose to look at plastics bags and the impact a five-cent fee would have on the residents and businesses in Brunswick. As part of my research Read More
Thirty Acre Farm; Farming and Fermenting to Make Maine More Sustainable
Jane and Simon Frost know full well how valuable old time traditions can be in our new, fast paced world. In addition to owning and operating Thirty Acre Farm in Whitefield, the Frosts are helping to preserve (excuse the pun) the ancient tradition of fermenting food for preservation and health. Fermentation is an amazing, and Read More
Teaching the Next Generation the Value of Composting and Reducing Waste
When I first started teaching at South Portland High School in 2000, one of the teachers was unable to incorporate the school’s fledgling recycling program into her classroom and asked if I wanted to take up the task. I was immediately interested because I had worked to implement recycling programs when I attended Stonehill College Read More
Teaching and Living Sustainability in Falmouth Elementary Schools
I am a first grade teacher in the largest K-5 elementary school in the state, Falmouth Elementary School. I have brought many sustainability efforts to the children and adults at the school. This endeavor began more than 10 years ago with the introduction by ecomaine of single-stream recycling in Falmouth. Once the program was available in Read More
Maine Farmers’ Markets: Not Just a Summer Thing!
Let’s be honest: The easiest time to fall in love with Maine farmers’ markets is amidst the luscious towers of tomatoes and melons in August, not the coolers of meats and crates of root vegetables in January. You might not have even realized that there IS a farmers’ market near you in January! But every Read More
