CAMDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS, MARCH 21 thru APRIL 4

Thursday, March 21

The Midcoast Audubon hosts Dr. Barney Balch on “The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification: A Brief Introduction,” with a short video, “The Acid Test,” 7:00 pm at the Camden Public Library. Balch is Senior Research Scientist at the Ocean Observing and Optics Laboratory at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay.

Tuesday, March 26

Songwriters Session, 6:30 pm in the second floor meeting room at the Camden Public Library. Camden’s well-known songster David Dodson will lead the session. Bring your latest song and try it out for an appreciative audience. The group will meet once a month through the winter, and perform at the June Songwriters’ Coffeehouse. Call 236-3440 for more info.

Tuesday, March 26

Panel discussion, “Specifically for Maine Authors” on writing/publishing/getting published, 7:00 pm at the Camden Public Library, featuring authors Lynn Fernands (Noble House), Steve Powell (Patch Scratching), and Jane Karker of Maine Authors Publishing in Rockland.

Thursday, March 28

Mark Berry of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust presents the story of community-led conservation of the forest landscape around Grand Lake Stream, Maine, including a 15-minute documentary film with a slide talk and discussion, 7:00 pm at the Camden Public Library. Learn about conservation of 370,000 acres as a local economic strategy; community forests; wildlife habitat projects; public recreation opportunities; and a sustainable forest economy.

Tuesday, April 2

Exhibit opening and Maritime Month kickoff at the Camden Public Library, 7:00 pm. Dave Jackson, former publisher of The National Fisherman, will present “A Photo History of Our Oldest Industry,” with photos from the National Fisherman collection of the Penobscot Marine Museum. Favorite photos of the fisheries, from the schooners off the Grand Banks to the stern-trawlers on the Alaskan coast.

Wednesday, April 3

Midcoast Stroke Support Group meets at 10:00 am at the Camden Public Library. All are welcome.

Thursday, April 4

Camden Library Coffeehouse features Ed Geis & Friends, 7:00 pm. The evening’s music will include a mix of original compositions, western folk tunes, and more. Will Brown and David Foley join Ed Geis to create a dynamic trio playing a host of stringed instruments including guitar, laud, and baritone guitar. Admission is $7.

Preserving Grand Lake Stream

Preserving Grand Lake Stream March 28

Mark Berry, Executive Director of the Downeast Lakes Land Trust, will give a presentation at the Camden Public Library on Grand Lake Stream and the efforts of the land trust to conserve 370,000 acres, centered on a  “community forest” around the village. The talk will be on Thursday, March 28, at 7:00 pm, and will include a 15-minute documentary film made for public television by Visionaries and hosted by Sam Waterston, which will air on MPBN and PBS stations around the country. The presentation will continue with a slide talk and discussion led by Mark Berry.

The “community forest” concept includes conservation of the forest as a local economic strategy, including wildlife habitat projects, public recreation opportunities, and a sustainable forest economy. “We have led an effort that has already permanently conserved 350,000 acres of forests and wetlands, and hundreds of miles of lake front,” said Berry. “We manage a 33,700 acre Community Forest for wildlife habitat, public recreation, and a sustainable timber harvest. Our forest management is FSC certified. We are currently working to conserve 22,000 acres around the village of Grand Lake Stream – the West Grand Lake Community Forest Project.”
Downeast Lakes Land Trust (DLLT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by local residents in Grand Lake Stream, Maine. As their website states, “We contribute to the long-term economic and environmental well-being of the Downeast Lakes region through the conservation and exemplary management of its forests and waters. The forests, lakes, streams, rivers, and wildlife that surround Grand Lake Stream are truly exceptional. The economic future of Grand Lake Stream – and Maine – depends on ensuring that these natural resources are always available. People in Downeast Maine depend on these natural resources for their livelihoods and their quality of life.

“The Downeast Lakes region is the inland portion of the eastern corner of Maine. Our fisheries, including native landlocked salmon and brook trout, as well as smallmouth bass, are world-renowned. The area is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including moose, white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, and at least 180 species of birds. The economy is highly dependent upon natural resources, which provide livelihoods for local craftsmen, guides, sporting camp owners and employees, and forest industry workers. The village of Grand Lake Stream is in the heart of the region, and has long been a destination for outdoor recreation.”

The evening’s speaker, Mark Berry, has served as Executive Director since January 2007. His previous position was manager of the 34,000-acre Pine Creek Conservation Area in north central Oregon for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. He has taught and researched in the outdoors from Antarctica to Wyoming. Mark holds a Master’s degree in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado. He completed his thesis on the effects of habitat and landscape context on songbird breeding habitat in the Colorado foothills. Mark received a degree in Environmental & Evolutionary Biology from Dartmouth College. Mark enjoys many outdoor activities including kayaking, canoeing, and skiing.