Given the Champlain Society’s contributions to Acadia National Park and the broader worlds of science and conservation, its no wonder these Harvard men are in the spotlight in this centennial year.
Mount Desert Island Historical Society‘s Somesville Museum features an exhibit on the young naturalists, including maps of their explorations, a replica of their parlor tent, and photographs of members and campsites.
The story of the Champlain Society and excerpts from their logbooks are featured in Coastal Conversations in Acadia, a series of radio shorts produced in partnership with Maine Sea Grant and WERU-FM Community Radio. Listen to the archives online:
- #1, July 4: The first Coastal Conversation in Acadia introduces the Champlain Society.
- #2, July 11: Camp life, and their contributions to scientific knowledge.
- #3, July 18: Connections to land conservation.
Finally, as part of the Acadia Centennial Lecture Series, I’ll be speaking about the roots of the Champlain Society’s scientific commitment and conservation ethos. The event is at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor at 5 p.m. on August 18, in partnership with Mount Desert Island Historical Society and Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
Catherine Schmitt 