The closest I got to seeing a moose in Maine.

A few months ago, I was in Bar Harbor, Maine for the Northeast Region Stranding Conference.  (Great conference and awesome group of people, by the way!)  While there, I visited the Bar Harbor Whale Museum.  It’s a fabulous place with lots of hands-on displays, beautifully articulated skeletons, and information on marine mammals and whale research in Maine.  I highly recommend visiting.

No trip to a museum is complete without stopping in the museum’s gift shop, and the Whale Museum is no exception.  While browsing, the first thing that caught my eye were these really cool doormats.  My natural fiber doormats had all but disintegrated and I was in the market for new ones.  And these were something else – doormats made from recycled rope!

Made from recycled lobster trap float rope, Down East Doormats are now available in the National Marine Life Center's Gift Shop

Handwoven from recycled lobster trap float rope, these “Down East Doormats™” are truly unique.  They are colorful, sturdy, reversible, quick drying, mold-resistant, and easy to clean.  Best of all, they are a fantastic story of recycling and environmental responsibility.

You see, Maine (and Massachusetts) recently outlawed the floating rope that was used to tether lobster traps together on the ocean floor.  It turned out that endangered Right Whales were becoming entangled in the rope as they swam through the water.  New, non-floating rope rests on the bottom and is safer for whales while still allowing fishing folk to easily retrieve connected lines of lobster traps.

But what to do with all the leftover float rope?  The Maine Float-Rope Company™ had a solution.  They made them into doormats!  In a win-win-win solution, the float rope is removed from the environment and the whales are safer, the Maine lobstermen receive income from their old rope, AND the old rope is kept out of the landfill.  Additionally, the Maine Float-Rope Company™ gives a percentage of its sales to the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation and other non-profit environmental organizations.

But does it work?  After using the new doormat for several weeks, I LOVED IT!  It scraped clean my shoes, never got soggy, and continues to look new.  Plus, it’s just fun to walk on.  I decided to buy another mat for my back door.

Genuine recycled Down East Doormats™ are now available in the National Marine Life Center’s Gift Shop.  Stop by and check them out!

There’s a new tradition on Cape Cod – Quahog Day!

Following is the official announcement from the Cape Cod Chamber.  For additional information, visit www.quahogday.com.

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SPOTTED ON MAY 30th: Doug the Quahog celebrating the opening of the Cape Cod Melody Tent Box Office in Hyannis! Doug, a regular concertgoer at the Tent, was seen purchasing tickets to this weekend's Black Crowes concert and perusing the list of other shows for the 2010 summer season. This was one of many recent sightings of Doug since he went on the run Labor Day 2009. See him on June 21st at the Second Annual Cape Cod Quahog Day! Photo by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

Proving the groundhog has nothing over the quahog, Cape Cod will celebrate the First Day of Summer 2010 with the 2nd Annual Cape Cod Quahog Day on Monday, June 21st at Hemisphere Restaurant in Sandwich!

Once again, the Cape’s official Quahog (aptly named “Doug”) will come out of hiding for the official “Quahog Prognostication.” Speaking the secret bi-valve language, he will give word to the Secretary General of Quahog Republic on how many weeks of Cape Cod beach weather lie ahead. Last year, the little soothsayer predicted 11 ½ weeks of sunshine (although the jury remains out on his accuracy).

This year, we welcome FOX25 Meteorologist A.J. Burnett as the Master of Ceremonies at the Quahog Prognostication!

The ceremony, which will begin at 4 pm, will be followed by live music from Black Wampum, a local band which sings about Quahogs (yes, we kid you not!), free samples of Polar Cave Ice Cream‘s flavor “Doug’s Mud”(named in honor of Doug the Quahog), and a Quahog Day bash, co-sponsored with the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce. All proceeds of a 50-50 raffle at the event will benefit the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay.

The event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, but you must RSVP in advance! RSVP to kristen@capecodhamber.org.

Give us YOUR best guess at Facebook.com/CapeCodMassachusetts for what the Quahog will predict and the five people with the closest guess will receive a limited edition Quahog Day t-shirt!

The fun doesn’t end there! This year, Quahog Day will kick off a week’s worth of Quahog-related activities around Cape Cod.  Click Here for more information!

Here’s a video from the first annual Quahog Day in 2009.  Doug the Official Prognosticating Quahog predicted 11 1/2 weeks of sunshine.  Was he right?

Judy assists Joanne with an education program and beach cleanup.

In honor of mother’s day, we’d like to thank and recognize our own mothers.  They have taught us compassion towards animals and each other.  They have taught us to be curious about the world around us.  They have taught us the value of education.  They support us and celebrate us and our work.  Today, we celebrate them.

Judy, Joanne’s mom, is a music teacher who lives in Massachusetts.  She volunteers occasionally with education programs and volunteer cookouts!

Judy, Brian's mom, helping Dr. Michele prepare for a sea turtle medical exam.

Judy (different one!), Brian’s mom, is a retired nurse who lives in New Mexico.  When she visits, she loves to help with the turtles!

Trudy (rhymes with Judy), Rogers’ mom, is a retired educator, nonprofit administrator, and business woman who lives in New Jersey.  She was most recently seen disguised as a seahorse at NMLC’s 2009 Mermaid Ball!

Judy, Rogers' mom, with her husband Dick and their family at the Mermaid Ball.

Ann Marie (who has a sister named Judy), Kathy’s mom, is a retired aide for disabled students who lives in Wisconsin.  Her visits are volunteer vacations and she helps out with everything from animal care to education to facilities to the gift shop.

Ann Marie, Kathy's mom, weighs out squid to feed the sea turtles.

Thanks, Mom!

Sponsored by local artist Grace Morrison, the concert also features Matt Borrello, The Carl Wood Band, and others.

There’ll be arts and crafts, massages, henna tattoos, great giveaways, and lots more.

Saturday, June 12*, noon to 5 pm
Gazebo in the Park, Buzzards Bay

*Rain Date is scheduled for June 13th.

Please help by spreading the word!
Click here for a flyer you can download and post.
Click here for the event group on Facebook, then share with your friends.
Other suggestions?  Please let us know!

We are looking for gift certificates and other items for our Giveaways.  To donate, please contact Kathy at 508-743-9888 x301.

Grace is having recycling drives to raise money for event expenses.  If you have cans to drop off in the Wareham area, please contact Grace via the event Facebook Page.

Many thanks to Grace Morrison, Christian Fernandez, and all the participating artists and vendors for caring about marine animals and for your hard work in organizing this event.  Rock on!

Planting bulbs is an act of faith.  You select the bulbs, prepare the ground, dig a hole, place the bulb into the hole, and cover it up.  And wait.  And wait.  And wait.  The bulb itself is a misshapen brownish mass that in no way suggests the splendid bloom it will become.  It’s a lot of work to prepare and plant the bulb.  And you have no guarantee whatsoever that your efforts will pay off.

When springtime comes… magic.  Almost overnight a glory of colors brighten an otherwise brown landscape.  And one’s faith is renewed.

Thank you, Lauren, for your vision of a beautiful street scape and for donating time, labor, plants, and equipment to make it happen.  Thank you Sagamore Tree and Landscape for donating chip and labor.  Thank you Olson’s Garden Center for donating flowering bushes.  Thank you White Flower Farm for donating 1,000 daffodil and tulip bulbs.  Because of you, Main Street, Buzzards Bay is a more beautiful place!

Jan Maliszewski & Michael Andrus filming in the animal clinic. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

The National Marine Life Center was a film set today as DGA Productions from Watertown, MA filmed a promotional video for us.  Interesting lighting transformed ordinary spaces into brilliant backdrops for interviews of NMLC volunteers and staff.  Thank you to Jan Maliszewski, Michael Andrus, and Aaron Frutman for your expert videography and for making the day FUN!

Lighting the interview with NMLC Trustee Barb Schneider. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

DGA Productions is donating the video, including filming, editing, and production pro-bono.  Says Jan, who visited NMLC with his kids over the summer, “this is an important project and we want to do what we can to help.”  Thank you!

Jan Maliszewski discusses the next shot with Kathy Zagzebski. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

Jan Maliszewski and Michael Andrus filming Kathy Zagzebski on the mezzanine of NMLC's new marine animal hospital. Photo by Aaron Frutman, DGA Productions.

Zig (left) and Harry (right) touch up the surface around one of the sea turtle tanks.

With a degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Harry loves to figure out the perfect product for the situation at hand.  He has patented at least one mixture, and has come up with innovative applications for many others.  At first, most of his work was in industry – waste water, paper mills, utility companies.  One day he was asked to consult on a zoo application, and suddenly a sideline in the zoo and aquarium industry was born.  Harry says he enjoyed working on the National Marine Life Center job because he is excited to use his experience to help the animals.

A job well done! Harry (left) and Zig (right) of Specialty Coating Solutions.

Siegfried (Seig) Fritz helped Harry with the job at NMLC.  With a degree in Art from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Sieg finds he can apply some of the skills and principles of floor sealing to his art.  He also enjoyed visiting several of the art galleries in Falmouth while here.  (Like Harry, Sieg currently lives in North Carolina.)  Sieg said he looks forward to returning to NMLC once we open for patients!

Thank you Harry and Sieg of Specialty Coating Solutions for your stories, your good humor in cold weather, and your excellent workmanship!

All of us have some one or ones we think of in particular on Veteran’s Day.  We’d like to recognize the following National Marine Life Center team members who have served our country.

Brian Moore is NMLC’s Animal Care and Facilities Coordinator, and the primary staff liaison for NMLC’s hospital construction project.  He served in the U.S. Navy from 1992 to 1996.

The metal stud walls in NMLC's new marine animal hospital receive Brian's seal of approval!

Jeff Luce is a volunteer member of NMLC’s Board of Trustees and holds the office of Treasurer.  He served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972.

Jeff's alter ego, Captain Morgan, greets visitors at NMLC's Mermaid Ball.

Thank you.