Who Is in the Landscape?

A Conservation Lecture Series

Blue Hill, Maine - The third annual spring lecture series sponsored by Downeast Audubon and Blue Hill Heritage Trust is focusing on “who is in the landscape” with presentations on beetles, birds and bees.  Come and learn something new!  The three-part series begins on April 14.  All lectures will be held in the Howard Room of the Blue Hill Public Library with a reception from 6:30-7 p.m. and presentation and Q&A from 7–8 p.m.

On Monday, April 14, Darren J. Ranco will present a talk on “The Emerald Ash Borer and Wabanaki Basketmakers: Building Resilience and Sustainability while Preparing for an Invasive Species.”  Jennifer Neptune, who has been working with the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance for over 20 years to preserve traditions of ash and sweetgrass basketry, will join Dr. Ranco for this program.  Ranco and Neptune will show the ways that University researchers and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance have facilitated a process to prevent, detect, and respond to the emerald ash borer, a potentially devastating invasive threat to basket resources in the state of Maine.

Dr. Ranco, a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine.  He has a Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a PhD in Social Anthropology from Harvard University.  Dr. Ranco’s research focuses on the ways in which indigenous communities in the United States, particularly Maine, resist environmental destruction by using indigenous diplomacies to protect cultural resources.  He teaches classes on indigenous intellectual property rights, research ethics, environmental justice and tribal governance.

An artist, writer, and herbalist, Jennifer Neptune is also a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation and has worked in the field of cultural preservation for over 25 years.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Maine.  Jennifer has won national awards for her artwork, specializing in ash and sweetgrass baskets, beadwork, and porcupine quill jewelry.   She has recently collaborated with the University of Maine Sustainability Solutions Initiative to help prepare for the arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer.

A nationally accredited, member-supported local nonprofit, Blue Hill Heritage Trust has worked with landowners to conserve over 6,600 acres on the Blue Hill Peninsula since 1985.  BHHT maintains over 18 miles of public access hiking trails and organizes an annual series of educational programs which highlight the Peninsula’s special character.

This lecture series is free and open to the public.  For more information, visit their website at bluehillheritagetrust.org, or contact BHHT’s office at 374-5118 or info@bluehillheritagetrust.org.