Donate to WERU Today!Host/Producer: Amy Browne
The Wilson Museum in Castine opens May 27th with an exhibit in honor of the United States’ Semiquincentennial, that looks at historic events connected to Penobscot river and bay around the time of the revolution. Executive Director Julia Gray joins us with the details.
NOTE: Around Town will be away next week. Be sure to list your events on our groovy new community calendar!
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Election Security Forum in Blue Hill on 5/15/26
May 15th forum on election security. The event, sponsored by the Blue Hill Constitution Committee and WERU Community Radio, was held at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill.
Moderator: Ann Luther of the League of Women Voters
Panelists:
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Cindy Reilly, Sedgwick town clerk from 1995 to 2024
Holly Idelson, Policy Strategist with Protect Democracy, and former Senior Counsel for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
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Around Town 5/21/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Tonight in Searsport, Friends of Sears Island and Carver Memorial Library will be hosting a presentation by Julia Hiltonsmith titled “Historical Memory of Land Use Proposals at Sears Island”. This program will be held at Carver Memorial Library at 12 Union Street in Searsport, Maine, at 6:30 tonight. It’s free and open to the public. Advance registration is not required.
A few more events coming up on Saturday in honor of World Fish Migration Day. See the archives for Tuesday’s AT for others.
Maine Coast Heritage Trust let us know about 3 more events on Saturday, on the Orange, Narraquaugus and Bagaduce rivers – that will focus on sharing fish passage plans and restoration updates “Two of these rivers are preparing for major 2026 fishway construction projects, and partners will be publicly walking through the plans, renderings, and ecological significance. These are community?driven efforts to reopen habitat for alewives, shad, salmon, eels, and other migratory species.”
Orange River — Whiting
May 23, 9–11 a.m. | MCHT Office, Route 1
A community gathering to share 2026 construction plans for the Orange River Millpond Dam fishway — a key barrier on one of the largest freshwater sources flowing into Cobscook Bay.
Narraguagus River — Cherryfield
May 23, 1–3 p.m. | Below the dam, downtown Cherryfield
Partners will present plans and renderings for a 2026 nature?like fishway to replace a dam that has blocked fish passage for more than 65 years.
Bagaduce River — Penobscot/Brooksville/Sedgwick
May 23, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Pierce Pond boat ramp
Part of Alewife Day, celebrating Maine’s first fully restored watershed for fish passage after installation of five nature?like fishways.
Orland will celebrate Migratory Fish Day on Saturday with a festival celebrating the return of alewives and Blueback herring on the Orland/Narramissic river.
The day will feature viewing of the fish weir, led by Orland Fish Commissioner Peter Robshaw, cheering herring as they migrated up the fish ladder at the Orland dam, speakers in the main tent, a special activity area for kids, booths and snacks. The Festival is free and open to all, Saturday from 10am – 2pm in Orland Village Click here for more information
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Around Town 5/20/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District is partnering with the Maine Natural Areas Program, UMaine Cooperative Extension and Native Gardens of Blue Hill to cohost the 2026 Invasive Plant Educational Workshop on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at Emerson Hall in Castine.
Mary Thibodeau, District Manager, Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District joins us today to let listeners know about this annual series that trains home gardeners and industry professionals to identify invasive plants and manage them across forest, farm, and garden systems. The morning session is indoors, and the afternoon moves into the field for hands-on identification (rain or shine, so dress for the weather).
For more information and to register
Study cited in intro today: Non-native Plants and Animals Expanding Ranges 100 Times Faster than Native Species, Finds New Research Led by UMass Amherst, Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 2024
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Outside the Box 5/19/26: “Yes to New Art and Culture”
Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger
About the host:
Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation.
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Around Town 5/19/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Today’s Fish News was hosted by Bea Alsop-Cheeney in Milbridge with assistance from youth from the Independent Downeast Association for Homeschoolers. It was produced by Kate Blofson from WRUJ-LP in Richmond VT and made possible with support from Greenhorns and Eat Downeast
Upcoming fish-tivals and fish-tivities:
Fifth Annual Pennamaquan Alewife Festival — Free, family-friendly fun with the fish. Saturday, May 23, 2026, 10am–5pm, 12 Little Falls Road, Pembroke
The For All the Fish conference and concert in Machias on May 31 is organized by the Greenhorns and Downeast Salmon Federation The free concert will feature The Mallett Brothers Band, The Midnight Riders, and The Milk & Honey Rebellion,
May 31, 2026, 4–9pm, Bad Little Falls Park, Machias
More info on upcoming fish/alewife festivals around the state
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Around Town 5/18/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Berit Becker, Communications and Development Director at the Ellsworth Public Library, is here today to let listeners know about the final event in their Indie Lens series, coming up this weekend: Community Screening of The Grocery List Show
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Nature Notes: A Maine Naturalist Afield 5/17/26: A hike down the Hemlock Trail, Part 5
Host/Producer: Glen Mittelhauser
In this episode, Glen concludes his conversation with Rich MacDonald of the Natural History Center during a winter walk in Acadia National Park, reflecting on forest structure, succession, and the complexity of ecological systems. The discussion broadens to observations of ravens and Bald Eagles.
More information about Maine Natural History can be found at mainenaturalhistory.org.
About the hosts:
Glen Mittelhauser founded Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) in 2003 to fill the need for an organization that specializes in collecting, interpreting, and maintaining datasets for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and wildlife populations. Glen received his Bachelor’s in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 1989 with a focus in the biological sciences and received his Master of Science degree in Zoology (with a focus on ornithology and statistics) from the University of Maine in 2000. Glen was the Managing Editor for Northeastern Naturalist and Southeastern Naturalist for 18 years and has served as external graduate faculty for 3 graduate student committees at the University of Maine. Glen currently serves on the Baxter State Park Research Committee.
Logan Parker is an Ecologist residing in Waldo County, Maine. Logan started the Maine Nightjar Monitoring Project in 2017 and brought the project (and his passion for bird conservation) to MNHO when he joined the team in 2018. Logan is heavily involved in the ongoing Maine Bird Atlas where he both coordinates and participates in the project’s special species surveys. When “off the clock”, Logan enjoys birding, writing, gardening, and working alongside his wife, Hallee, on their off-grid home in the Maine woods. Logan is also a wildlife photographer and shares photos and field notes through his project, Here In The Wild.
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