Kim Hamilton, "Coastal Forces, Community Responses: An Evening with Island Institute"
2024-07-14 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | 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.
