The Islesboro Forum

Peter Tirschwell: "The World of Ocean Shipping and Maritime Supply Chain Snafus During the Pandemic"
2023-07-16 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
Tirschwell is Vice President for Maritime & Trade at S&P Global Market Intelligence, a leading global provider of maritime data, analysis, consulting and media. With background as a career business journalist, he serves as a shipping and international trade reporter, bureau chief, assistant managing editor and editor in chief of the Journal of Commerce. Peter is a summer resident of Islesboro, raising his young son to be seaworthy with his wife Gretchen and his mother, Peggy Tirschwell.

Dr. David Reidmiller: “Climate Risks & Response Options in the Gulf of Maine”
2023-07-23 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
Through a range of physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic impacts, climate change poses an existential threat to Maine’s coastal communities as we know them. But it doesn’t have to. Dr. Dave Reidmiller, Director of the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute will provide an overview of observed and projected climate impacts in this region and what the state, municipalities, blue economy businesses, and coastal residents are doing to address climate-related risks—and capitalize upon emergent opportunities afforded by pro-actively responding to climate change.
Dr. Dave Reidmiller is the Director of the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). In that role, he leads a team of interdisciplinary experts developing and delivering climate services to coastal and marine stakeholders throughout the Gulf of Maine. Prior to joining GMRI, Dave served in a number of senior climate science policy positions with the federal government. Among those roles was serving as the Chief Climate Scientist for the State Department where he led U.S. engagement in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and served as the lead U.S. science & technology negotiator for the Paris Agreement). As part of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, he led the development of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which serves as the nation’s most authoritative source on how climate change affects the livelihoods and well-beings of Americans in every corner of the country. Dr. Reidmiller holds a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington and a BA in chemistry from Colgate University. He grew up in Rochester, NY and fulfilled a lifelong ambition of living in coastal Maine by moving to South Portland with his wife, Katie, and dog, Atticus, in 2020.

Local Growers: “The Challenges & Rewards of Growing Kelp, Vegetables, Oysters, Fruits, Goats and . . More!”
2023-07-30 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
The Forum is particularly proud to present a panel representing many local Islesboro farming gardeners dedicated to keeping their eyes, hands, and hours active for the nurture of fruits, flowers, vegetables, seeds and root-vegetable gluten-free products. Their long daylight work on the land produces verdant
growth and, often leads to the related production of syrups, honey, baked goods, unexpected items processed from individual expertise. All growers participate with island markets, some put out produce on an independent basis as well. When such busy lives can make time, several enjoy sharing their natural wizardry with visitors: a few offer recipes and/or how-to for those of us who tend our own porch plantings. You’ll enjoy hearing how our happy island lives are improved and made tastier with the easily-acquired fresh and healthy produce just picked or prepared down the road.
Participants, at this time, include…
Sandy Oliver – Pretty Good Farm. Sandy, a long-time-island resident who owns, plants and manages Islesboro’s Pretty Good Farm, has a deep interest in sustainable agriculture. A New England food historian she has written books on Colonial, Federal and current DownEast cooking. She writes regular articles on kitchen and garden matters for several regional publications, and speaks broadly on food and sustainability.
Pam Larson and Michael Hutcherson – Growing Things organic market garden. Growing healthy food for the island is central to our mission and we also strive to involve the community in our process. Our approach is informed by no-dig and regenerative practices, and our priority is growing nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. We do not use herbicides, pesticides or man-made chemical fertilizers. This is our fourth year of growing a diverse mix of vegetables, flowers and seedlings for the Islesboro community.
Kim Grindle – Islesboro Oyster Company. Long time Islesboro resident Kim, with the help of and a little shove from her kids, has established a thriving oyster farm in Gilkey Harbor.
Anna Zlotkowski – Anna is a rising Senior at ICS with an interest in agriculture and vet studies and is an avid animal lover. She rents out her small herd of goats on Islesboro, and the
surrounding islands, for land clearing.
Gaby Zlotkowski – on the growing business of kelp farming. Gaby was recently interviewed and featured in a Civil Eats article called, “A Young Oyster Farmer Carrying on the Family Business,” she talks about her kelp farming, how she was one of the forces in the development of an oyster farm, and how
being part of the working waterfront is continuing a family tradition.
Panel will be moderated by island resident John Rex-Waller.

Dr. Amanda Stent: "Being Human in the Age of Generative AI"
2023-08-06 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
Dr. Amanda Stent is inaugural director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby College. She previously held positions at Bloomberg, Yahoo, AT&T Labs – Research and Stony Brook University. She has a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Rochester. Dr. Stent has authored or co-authored over 100 papers on natural language processing and is co-inventor on over 35 patents. She is a fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics and a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and is board co-chair of the Computing Research Association Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research.

David Michaelis: “The Wyeths, Including Thoughts about Eleanor Roosevelt: A Biographer’s Notebook”
2023-08-13 17:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
David Michaelis, close friend and New York neighbor of Islesboro summer resident Francie Train, is a successful biographer of notable American figures whose interests varied widely. He wrote of the Wyeth family whose members lived and painted on our nearby coast of Maine, of Charles Schulz, creator of PEANUTS cartoons, and of Eleanor Roosevelt. The “stunning” volume on Mrs Roosevelt was reviewed as the “first major volume of biogaphy in half a century” and was nominated for the Los Angeles Book prize for Biography. His volume The Wyeths has been widely sought, and his N.C. Wyeth won an Ambassador Book Award. Beyond biography, Michaelis has written throughout his life: non-fiction, short stories, extensively about friendships with well-known figures of the 70’s & 80’s. During those years he planned a movie (un-produced), edited The Paris Review, wrote for Manhattan, Inc. and volunteered for the New York Police Department. His wisdom, humor, and wide interest in American lives is broadly admired. He will be accompanied by his wife, Nancy Steiner, documentary film producer.

Ian Toll: “The Economic War Machine Supporting WWII in the Pacific”
2023-08-20 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
How did the US so quickly produce such an enormous war machine during WW II, deploying huge military forces – men, weapons, and supplies efficiently across the expanse of the Pacific, an ocean that covers 30% of the earth’s surface, to win the largest naval battle in history?
We are pleased to welcome, and hope to hear some answers – financial and global – to that remarkable period pre-dating current time from military historian, Ian Toll. Regarded as a great story-teller. Toll has written The Pacific Trilogy, reported to be “military history at its best.” His highly praised three-volume history ot the War narrates combats on the sea, in the air, on beaches, a horrific time at sea, and major challenges to power in Washington and Tokyo. It has captivated readers of history and those of us who are ever-grateful for our American lives and developments of the late 20th Century. TWILIGHT OF THE GODS, War in the Western Pacific, 1944-45, is the final volume of the epic history. It covers the period led by Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines, featuring kamikaze attacks, B-29 bombers, the atomic blasts of that terrible defying, yet successful strategic and diplomatic time. A victory that won our US future for recent years.
Toll is a graduate of St. George’s School, Georgetown University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Kim Hamilton, "Coastal Forces, Community Responses: An Evening with Island Institute"
2024-07-14 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
The islands and communities along the coast of Maine are facing tremendous changes—more frequent storms, regulatory challenges to our iconic lobstering industry, housing pressures and more. For forty years, Island Institute has worked deeply with Maine’s coastal communities to build community resilience in the face of these tectonic forces. Join Dr. Kimberly Hamilton, president of Island Institute, for a discussion of the forces shaping Maine’s coastline today and Island Institute’s work to elevate community solutions as models of innovation.
Dr. Kimberly Hamilton joined Island Institute as its newest president in April 2023.. Prior to stepping into that role, she served as the Institute’s interim Chief Programs Officer, overseeing the Institute’s Climate, Economic Resilience, and Leadership programs and serving as a member of the senior leadership team.

Shey Conover, "The Narrows Flooding Adaptation Project: Planning for a Resilient Future on Islesboro"
2024-07-21 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
The Narrows Flooding Adaptation Project: Planning for a Resilient Future on Islesboro.
In this talk, Shey Conover and members of the Town’s Sea Level Rise Committee will discuss their work to address current and future flooding at the Narrows, including updates from the recent engineering report and early-stage alternative designs. Since 2022, the committee has hired a project manager, onboarded engineers, and engaged the community in robust conversation on how to adapt our island to rising seas and increasing storms due to climate change. Join us in a conversation on the projected effects of sea level rise on Islesboro and what our Town is currently doing to plan for a more resilient future!

J. Craig Venter, World Renowned Biologist "Human Genome Sequencing and Unlocking the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome"
2024-07-28 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
J. CRAIG VENTER, Ph.D., Founder, CEO and Chairman, the J. Craig Venter Institute, is a biologist renowned for his contributions in genomics including sequencing the first draft human genome, the first complete diploid human genome and construction of the first synthetic bacterial cell.
He and his teams’ current research programs include continued analysis of the human genome with a focus on the intersection of the genome and all physical characteristics and how this relates to disease and health; the human microbiome; synthetic biology advances; infectious diseases; and discovering and understanding genetic diversity in the world’s oceans.
Venter is a recipient of the 2008 National Medal of Science and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of The Voyage of Sorcerer II: The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome (Harvard University Press, 2023), Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life (Viking, 2013) and A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Viking, 2007).

Here is a link to his new book: THE VOYAGE of SORCERER II

Hunter Stires, "Countering China's Maritime Insurgency in the South China Sea"
2024-08-04 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
Hunter Stires, who serves as Maritime Strategist on the personal staff of the Secretary of the Navy, will share insights on China’s maritime insurgency against the freedom of the sea and the rule of international law in the South China Sea, and will discuss strategies for how the United States and its allies can effectively push back short of war. Disclaimer: The views voiced here will be his alone and do not necessarily represent the official positions of the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

The Maine Monitor, "Tackling News Deserts: Bringing In-Depth Journalism to Maine’s Rural Communities"
2024-08-11 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
Many of Maine’s rural communities see little to no journalism coverage. Maine’s daily newspapers are based in Maine’s urban centers and have few regional reporters covering limited portions of Maine’s rural communities, where 40% of Mainers live. In August 2022, The Maine Monitor launched a reporting initiative to dedicate coverage to rural communities, collaborating with hyperlocal independent news outlets to identify issues that would benefit from The Maine Monitor’s investigative and enterprise reporting. The Maine Monitor now dedicates reporting to Maine’s Downeast and Western Mountain regions, empowering residents there with information on matters of public interest. Join Executive Director Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm and Local Government Reporter Emmett Gartner to learn more about this initiative, the impactful and informative reporting resulting from it, and how The Maine Monitor is delivering news, for free, to all of Maine’s communities.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm is the Executive Director of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which publishes The Maine Monitor. Micaela joined MCPIR/The Maine Monitor after retiring as a Senior Foreign Service officer. Micaela represented the United States around the world for 26 years, leading U.S. diplomatic teams, and advancing U.S. principles of democratic governance, most importantly, the importance of a free and vibrant press. Micaela spent most of her career in the Middle East and Southeast Europe and served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia. Micaela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies from the National War College. A native of southern New England, Micaela, her husband Todd, and three children have called Maine home since 2017.

Emmett Gartner covers accountability and Maine’s rural communities as a Roy W. Howard Fellow through the Scripps Howard Fund. Emmett earned his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Vermont. While working as a reporter at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, he helped produce two award-winning investigations: “Printing Hate,” which documented the historic role of newspapers inciting racial lynchings, and “Mega Billions,” which investigated state lottery operations. Most recently, Emmett reported on health and environment for The Frederick News-Post in Maryland. He previously worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon and interned for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Kate Cough is editor of The Maine Monitor. She previously served as enterprise editor for The Monitor while also covering energy and the environment and writing the weekly Climate Monitor newsletter.
Before joining The Monitor, Kate was a beat reporter for The Ellsworth American and digital media strategist for The Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander.
Kate graduated with honors from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Magna Cum Laude from Bryn Mawr College.
Kate is an eighth generation Mainer, who lives on Mount Desert Island with her husband, daughter, and dogs.

Nick Mills

Board Director
Nick Mills teaches journalism at Boston University and is a columnist for the Maine Outdoor Journal and Huffington Post. He has traveled the globe in his 45-year career reporting from Iraq, Kosovo, Beirut, Tajikistan, Portugal, Vietnam and other hot spots.
A primary focus for Nick is helping the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting explore non-newspaper markets for its stories and provide counsel on the center’s educational programs.

Jonathan Becker, "A Lifetime of Editorial Photography Across the Globe"
2024-08-18 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
The work of editorial photographer Jonathan Becker is—quite simply—sublime, offering private glimpses inside the remarkable lives of royalty, celebrities, artists, writers, activists, and scores of fascinating people around the globe. In capturing their pain, their ennui, their anguish, and their joy, Becker humanizes his subjects, revealing the curiously ordinary side of the extraordinary. Becker’s inclusive eye frames cultural history. His portraits for Vanity Fair—a magazine he has contributed to for more than three decades—tell the haunting, personal stories of loss, memory, and contemplation. The expansive breadth of Becker’s photography chronicles a world in transition, a view of society that is seldom seen. His ability to seize the authenticity of a moment is reflected by his life spent delivering unforgettable, lasting images.

Nirval Dinesh Shah, Former Acting Director of CDC "Lessons Learned from Covid and other Epidemics; Are we ready for the Next One?"
2025-07-13 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
“Lessons Learned from Covid and other Epidemics; Are we ready for the Next One?”
Have you ever wondered “What did we learn from the Covid pandemic and how ready are we for the next one?” Who better to tell us than Maine’s former CDC director, Dr. Nirav Shah, who led the state of Maine’s response to Covid 19. Many might remember his daily TV updates that were both informative and reassuring to a nervous public. Because of his proven leadership during this difficult time, Dr. Shah became the Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC in 2023. Among other things, he was responsible for leading our nation’s effort to be prepared for the next pandemic. Dr Shah stepped down from that position earlier this year and has returned to his home in Maine. He was recently named a Visiting Professor at Colby College where he will teach courses in public health, policy, and communications. In his remarks, Dr Shah will highlight lessons learned from Covid and other epidemics and also take questions from the audience.

William B. Taylor, Former US Ambassador to Ukraine "Russia’s War on Ukraine: An Update"
2025-07-20 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
“Russia’s War on Ukraine: An Update”
After defending their country and its continued existence for over three years, the Ukrainians continue to deserve our support. They are fighting for their homeland, but they are at the same time defending the rest of Europe and American values.
From the Atlantic Council website:
Ambassador William B. Taylor is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Prior to the Atlantic Council, Taylor was vice president, Europe and Russia at the US Institute of Peace. From 2006 to 2009, Taylor served as the US ambassador to Ukraine and as the chargé d’affaires ad interim from 2019 to 2020 at the US embassy in Kyiv.
Beyond Ukraine, Taylor served as the special coordinator for Middle East Transitions at the US Department of State from 2011 to 2013, where he oversaw assistance and support to the Middle East during the Arab Spring—including support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria. Prior to his tenure in the Middle East Transitions Team and Kyiv, Taylor served as the US government’s representative to the Mideast Quartet from Jerusalem. From 2004 to 2005, Taylor served in Baghdad as director of the Iraq Reconstruction Office; from 2002 to 2003 he served in Kabul as coordinator of US government and international assistance to Afghanistan; and from 1992 to 2002, he served in Washington as coordinator of US government assistance to former Soviet Union countries and Eastern Europe.
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Taylor also served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the US Army in Vietnam and Germany.

Dr. Alexa Dayton and Robin Alden from Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, with McArthur Genius Award recipient Ted Ames discuss potential impacts on the Gulf of Maine from proposed changes to Federal funding and science and management processes at NOAA, and Maine’s Department of Marine Resources
2025-07-27 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
Join Dr. Alexa Dayton, Executive Director of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (MCCF), Robin Alden, former Executive Director and Founder of MCCF, and Ted Ames, former groundfisherman and McArthur Genius Award recipient, on Sunday July 27, 2025, for a lively discussion of the potential impacts on Gulf of Maine fisheries resulting from proposed changes to Federal funding and science and management processes at NOAA, and Maine’s Department of Marine Resources.

We will explore the historical context of the decline of groundfish and how Maine got to a largely lobster dominated Maine fishery over a 40-year period, which has created perilous dependence upon a single species fishery that supports 4,500 individual businesses and generates more than $1 billion in economic return to the State of Maine. We will examine the opportunities and risks associated with a future Federal regulatory and funding landscape that must reply upon a data poor scientific process and de-regulated management, and discuss how this might help or hinder objectives to restore a more diversified, healthy, thriving marine economy that can sustain the test of time.
Dr. Dayton’s work has been focused on the complex interplay of species conservation balanced with economic returns for natural resource such as fisheries, which plays out in the allocation of harvest privileges through co-management and trade-off decisions at the community scale. Alexa also serves as President Ex-Officio of Fishing into the Future, a U.K. based charity that was catalyzed by King Charles’s charitable foundation to build co-management of UK fisheries. Before joining MCCF, Alexa held senior positions at Gulf of Maine Research Institute, University Maine, L.L. Bean and Maine Huts and Trails.

Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, Kate Coug and Rose Lundy "Local journalism that matters: how The Maine Monitor is keeping Mainers informed and meeting the moment"
2025-08-03 08:00 - 17:00 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
“Local journalism that matters: how The Maine Monitor is keeping Mainers informed and meeting the moment”
Learn how The Maine Monitor is helping readers make sense of developments – state and federal – that impact their lives.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm is the Executive Director of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which publishes The Maine Monitor. Micaela joined MCPIR after retiring as a Senior Foreign Service officer. She represented the United States around the world for 26 years, leading U.S. diplomatic teams, and advancing U.S. principles of democratic governance, most importantly, the importance of a free and vibrant press. Micaela is on the board of the Maine Press Association and the board of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition. She lives in Belfast with her family.
Kate Cough is the editor of The Maine Monitor, previously serving as environmental reporter and enterprise editor for the newsroom. As an eighth generation Mainer, Kate believes her responsibility as editor is deeply personal — shaping and implementing The Monitor’s coverage of the issues that matter to people, the place she calls home and where she is raising her family, is about serving her community and our future Maine. She lives in Bar Harbor. She has received recognition from the National Headliner Awards, Maine Press Association and National Newspaper Association, among others.Rose Lundy is a senior public health reporter for The Maine Monitor, with a focus on Maine’s aging care system. She is passionate about stories that highlight systemic problems affecting the most vulnerable in our community. Rose was previously a 2022 ProPublica Local Reporting Network fellow and a 2020 Report for America corps member. Before that, she was a reporter for three years at a daily newspaper in southwest Washington state. She now lives in Portland, Maine. Her work has been recognized by the New England Newspaper & Press Association, Maine Public Health Association, National Newspaper Association Foundation, Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers and Maine Press Association.

Dr. Michael E. Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania "Science Under Siege"
2025-08-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Islesboro Community Center, 103 Pendleton Point Road, Islesboro, ME, United States
“Science Under Siege”
Dr. Michael E. Mann is a Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Mann is also a recipient of the “Tyler Prize” which is sometimes called the Nobel Prize for the Environment.

From pandemics to the climate crisis, humanity faces tougher challenges than ever. Whether it’s the health of our people or the health of our planet, we know we are on an unsustainable path. But our efforts to effectively tackle these existential crises are now hampered by a common threat: politically and ideologically motivated opposition to science. I discuss my collaboration with public health scientist Peter Hotez examining the five forces behind the modern-day anti-science movement, informed by our decades of experience on the front lines of the battle to convey accurate, reliable, and trustworthy information about science in the face of determined and nihilistic opposition. I reveal the five main forces threatening science: plutocrats, pros, petrostates, phonies, and the press. It is a call to arms and a road map for dismantling the forces of anti-science, empowering ourselves to promote scientific truths, and shining light on channels of dark money, dismantle the corporations poisoning the planet, and ultimately avert disaster.
*Release Date: September 9, 2025

Kate Zernike, Author and Reporter for the New York Times "The Exceptions: The Fight for Women in Science"
2025-08-17 17:30 - 18:30 | ME
Photo: Harry Zernike
“The Exceptions: The Fight for Women in Science”
Kate Zernike has been a reporter for The New York Times since 2000. She began as an education reporter and has worked in a wide range of positions across the newsroom, including on the investigations desk, in the Washington Bureau, as a campaign reporter and a health care reporter. She was most recently the Times’ lead reporter covering the abortion debate leading up to and after the repeal of Roe v. Wade. She was a member of the team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for stories about al-Qaeda before and after the 9/11 terror attacks. She was previously a reporter for The Boston Globe, where she broke the story of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s admission that it had discriminated against women on its faculty, on which The Exceptions is based.

Nancy Hopkins, a protege of the legendary scientist James Watson, entered science in the 1960s believing it was a meritocracy for women who worked hard enough. Thirty years later, she led a group of accomplished female scientists who prompted MIT to admit it had discriminated against them. The story of these trailblazing women, and how it resonates today, in science and beyond.
