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BLUE HILL --– The Marine Environmental Research Institute
(MERI) has launched a new summer cruise program for adults
and families called Island Excursion, allowing all
ages an opportunity to explore an island in Blue Hill Bay
and learn about Maine’s coastal habitats with MERI naturalists.
The four hour Island Excursion program, which will
be offered during July and August on Tuesdays at 1:00 pm and
Saturdays at 10:00 am, is based on MERI’s popular
Island Explorer cruises for kids and teens. Now parents
and adults will be able to join the kids in experiencing the
beauty of Blue Hill Bay onboard the R/V MERI, exploring intertidal
zones on an uninhabited island with MERI naturalists, and
observing marine wildlife in their natural habitats.
In addition to this exciting new program, MERI will continue
to offer the popular Eco-Cruise program for all ages,
a two hour cruise on the R/V MERI on Blue Hill Bay with a
MERI naturalist as your guide. Common sightings on the Eco-Cruises
include seals, seabirds, bald eagles and porpoises. Eco-Cruises
are offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
MERI’s summer cruise programs for children and teens
include three levels of the Island Explorer program,
allowing kids an opportunity to strap on a backpack and explore
an uninhabited island in Blue Hill Bay. Island Explorer
1, for ages 6 – 10 and offered Tuesday mornings,
focuses on marine ecology and wildlife observations in tidepools.
Island Explorer 2, for ages 8 – 12 and offered on
Wednesdays, uses field guides and discovery scopes to introduce
kids to the intricate food web of Blue Hill Bay. Island
Explorer 3, for ages 10-16 and offered on Thursdays, offers
a more detailed look at wildlife, island ecology, and marine
research methods, giving participants a glimpse at the life
of a marine scientist. All Island Explorer trips are
accompanied by MERI naturalists and Education Department staff.
For a more detailed schedule and prices for all of MERI’s
summer cruise programs, or to make reservations, call 374-2135
or drop by the MERI Center at 55 Main Street in Blue Hill.
Prices and schedules are also available on MERI’s website
at www.meriresearch.org
In addition to the cruise based programs, MERI also offers
a variety of programs at the MERI Center in Blue Hill throughout
the summer. Ocean Story Hour takes place on Friday mornings
at 10:00, with ocean-themed stories and crafts for pre-schoolers.
On rainy days this summer, be sure to call or stop by the
MERI Center to see what other activities for the kids might
be planned. Stop by any day, rain or shine, to enjoy MERI’s
Ocean Aquarium Room, Sea Lending Library, Eco-store and Marine
Art Gallery. Periodically during the summer, MERI offers evening
lecture programs featuring internationally known experts in
ocean pollution, endangered habitat, wildlife and human populations
at risk, and oceans management and conservation. This summer’s
lecture series schedule will be announced in early July.
The Marine Environmental Research Institute is a non-profit
organization founded in 1990 to protect the health of the
marine environment through research and education. For information
on MERI’s most recent research, or to learn about the
programs it offers through its Center for Marine Studies,
call 207-374-2135, email: meri@downeast.net,
or visit MERI online at www.meriresearch.org.
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