Coastal Conversations 11/26/21: From the Sea Up #1

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel

Maine coastal and ocean issues: From the Sea Up #1

With the holiday season upon us, it is time to talk seafood. Fresh, sustainable, Maine seafood that is!

For the next three episodes of Coastal Conversations, we are featuring a series of stories produced by The First Coast and the Island Institute. The series, called From the Sea Up, introduces the people and species that make Maine seafood so incredible, both for our taste buds and for our coastal economy. It’s perfect listening to inspire your holiday feasts!

First up today, we hear how Luke’s Lobster and the Island Institute formed a creative partnership to build resilience in the seafood supply chain in the wake of the pandemic’s early shut down of traditional seafood markets.

Our second story today explores the freshness and flavor of Maine dayboat scallops that have been caught, sold, and eaten or frozen in less than 24 hours. These are inspiring stories about people in the Gulf of Maine who are finding ways to ensure the future of our oceans while diversifying our seafood economy.

Both of our stories today on Coastal Conversations were produced by Galen Koch of The First Coast as part of an Island Institute podcast called “From the Sea Up.” And we are thrilled to announce that we’ll be featuring more of these great stories in upcoming episodes of Coastal Conversations.

I mentioned at the top of the hour that a lot of folks were involved in producing these stories and we wanted to make sure to thank them here. Ok, here goes. First, From the Sea Up is presented by the Island Institute and produced by Galen Koch of The First Coast. The stories are made possible by the Fund for Maine Islands and a partnership between the Island Institute, College of the Atlantic, Luke’s Lobster, Maine Sea Grant, and The First Coast.

For our first story today, thanks go to Rob Snyder, Luke Holden, Ben Conniff, Merritt Carey, and Sam Belknap. For the second story, thanks go to Togue Brawn, Dan Miller, Tad Miller, Merritt Carey, Raymie Upham, and Silas Miller.

If you are interested in learning more about how to purchase local sustainable seafood for the holidays, you can check out the online markets LukesLobster.com and at DowneastDayboat.com that were talked about in today’s stories.

And finally, extra gratitude goes to Galen Koch, the producer of these stories, for helping us get them on the air on Coastal Conversations, here at WERU community radio.

About the host:
Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation’s since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland’s Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio.

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Awanadjo Almanack 11/26/21: “Rock of Ages”

Producer/Host: Rob McCall
Production Assistance: Rebecca McCall

About the host, Rob McCall:

Born in the Black Hills of South Dakota, grew up in Oregon and Illinois. Father was a Scots-Irish preacher, mother a Yankee Congregationalist tracing her ancestry back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Father taught him about Scripture, mother taught him about Nature.

Bachelor of arts in philosophy, bachelor of divinity in American religious history, graduate studies in education, doctor of ministry in congregational studies, certified in elementary education, tree fruits and entomology.

Worked as an elementary school teacher, tree and landscape contractor, church sexton, orchard manager, chimney sweep, ambulance driver, musician. Began second career as a preacher at age 40. Served as minister of the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, Maine 1986 – 2014. He is currently chaplain of the Brooklin Fire Department.

Since 1992 has published the weekly Awanadjo Almanack which is broadcast to midcoast Maine and on the web at WERU-FM and appears in a number of publications. His writing has also appeared in Yankee, Down East, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, Island Journal and elsewhere.

His first book, Small Misty Mountain, was published in 2006 by Pushcart Press and distributed by W.W. Norton. Publisher’s Weekly called it “by turns inspiring and infuriating.” His second book, Great Speckled Bird, followed in 2012. His third book, Some Glad Morning, was released in October 2020.

Passions include wild plants and animals, and traditional fiddle tunes. Married for 53 years to Rebecca Haley, artist and singer. Father of two, grandfather of two.

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Dawnland Signals SPECIAL 11/25/21: If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Engineer: Jeffrey Hotchkiss

Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland: If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving— New children’s book teaches the truth

-How the author came to write this book
-Resources for teaching truth about history
-The importance of teaching from an indigenous worldview

Guest: Chris Newell, Passamaquoddy from Motahkmihkuk, author and Co-founder/Director of Education for Akomawt Educational Initiative

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 11/25/21: Computing, digital tech and climate change

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Does computing and digital technology have any serious impact on energy use, carbon emissions, and Climate Change? The largest society of computer professionals in the world says Yes! Here’s why.

Here is the link to the paper discussed today.

About the host:
Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon’s words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station’s sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage.

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Wabanaki Windows 11/23/21: ‘Unpacking Sovereignty’ (8th in a series)

Producer/Host: Donna Loring
Production assistance: Jessica Lockart, WMPG

-Rise of the Timber Industry
-Rising power of Indian Agents
-State’s effort to replace sovereignty with Guardianship

Guests:

Professor Harald Prins Historian and expert on Wabanaki History Emeritus at Kansas State University.
Associate Professor of Anthropology Darren Ranco, Penobscot Nation Tribal Member, Chair of Native American Studies University of Maine Orono.

About the host:

Donna M Loring is a Penobscot Indian Nation Tribal Elder, and former Council Member. She represented the Penobscot Nation in the State Legislature for over a decade. She is a former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs to Governor Mills. She is the author of “In The Shadow of The Eagle A Tribal Representative In Maine”. Donna has an Annual lecture series in her name at the University of New England that addresses Social Justice and Human Rights issues. In 2017 She received an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humane Letters from the University of Maine Orono and was given the Alumni Service Award. It is the most prestigious recognition given by the University of Maine Alumni Association. It is presented Annually to a University of Maine graduate whose life’s work is marked by outstanding achievements in professional, business, civic and/or Public service areas

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Outside the Box 11/23/21: “Mismatch”

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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