Friends and neighbors of the Darling Marine Center are invited to an Autumn Dessert Social on Wednesday, October 19, to learn about the developing plans for the future of University of Maine’s marine laboratory.
The social will take place in Brooke Hall on the DMC’s lower waterfront campus from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP by October 17 online at dmc.umaine.edu or by calling 207.563.3146.
“We have been hard at work since last spring, developing a strategic plan for the Darling Marine Center’s next decade,” said DMC Director Heather Leslie. “This draft plan will be publicly available soon. This event is an informal opportunity for our neighbors and local supporters to come together with good food and good company, and preview where we are headed, in terms of research, education, and community and industry engagement.”
Leslie, who began as DMC director in August 2015, has been working closely with the Steering Committee composed of UMaine faculty, staff, and students in Walpole and Orono on the draft plan. She emphasized that this and other listening sessions are an essential part of the plan development.
“We are eager to hear from our neighbors about how the Darling Center can have an even greater impact on the coastal communities and marine economy of Maine,” Leslie explained. “With our business incubation spaces and close partnerships with oyster growers and fishermen, the DMC has a long and deep track record of responsive, industry relevant research. We want to be sure that we build on that tradition and understand what Maine’s marine industries and local communities need in order to continue to thriving in this changing environment.”
High school students are particularly encouraged to attend. UMaine undergraduate marine science students, along with DMC-based faculty and staff, will be on hand to talk about their work at the marine lab. This fall, 25 students are in residence at the DMC, as part of Semester by the Sea, UMaine’s experiential program in marine sciences. Students enrolled in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences live at the DMC for the semester, taking ecology, oceanography, and biology classes and working directly with DMC researchers on projects related to Maine’s marine ecosystems and aquaculture and lobster industries, among other topics.
Located at 193 Clarks Cove Road in Walpole, the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center is an active center of marine research, education, and community engagement. We study coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as the human communities that are a part of them, in Maine and around the world. For directions or more information about the DMC please visit our website dmc.umaine.edu.