On Wednesday, May 27 the Blue Hill Heritage Trust (BHHT) hosted “Alewife Adventure Day!” for all PreK-8th grade students from Castine’s Adams School. Sarah O’Malley from Maine Maritime Academy, Mike Thalhauser from Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and BHHT staff led 44 students through various alewife-related activities at Pierce’s Pond in Penobscot.
Each spring, alewives move from the Atlantic Ocean to Maine lakes and ponds to spawn. Thousands of these fish will migrate up Mill Creek into Pierce’s Pond, just a few feet from the public boat launch, thus providing a unique opportunity to witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring natural events firsthand. Alewives are both ecologically and culturally significant and are at the center of a lengthy, complicated conservation story. To see a fish reach its destination feels like a shared accomplishment – it’s been a long journey, in more ways than one.
To learn more about these special fish, students rotated through 4 activity tables and spent 20 minutes at each station. At Station #1 students learned about beaver/alewife interactions, and they were tasked with building their own “beaver dams”. At Station #2 students observed alewife migration in real time and learned about the challenges alewives may face along the way. Students participated in a fish “printing” activity at Station #3, where they painted real alewives and pressed them onto fabric. Students collected aquatic invertebrates from the pond at Station #4, and learned how to use a microscope and dichotomous keys. Students were able to create, learn, and explore – all while experiencing fresh air and warm sunshine.
Heather Trainor, 3rd and 4th grade teacher from the Adams School, had this to say after the event:
“The Adams School staff and students had an amazing time at Alewife Adventure Day! We are so thankful to the staff at Blue Hill Heritage Trust and the volunteers from Maine Maritime Academy and Maine Coast Heritage Trust for organizing a fun and educational experience for our students to learn more about the alewives and their migration. Our students loved printing with alewives, building their own beaver dams, viewing aquatic bugs, and observing the alewives’ migration.”
It was the perfect day to celebrate spring, welcome alewives back to Pierce’s Pond, and wrap-up the school year!
