Most people experience declining health as they age but how much of that is due to normal aging processes, and how much is attributable to environmental exposures to toxic contaminants? MDI Biological Laboratory’s Community Environmental Health Lab and University of New England’s Center for Excellence in Aging and Health are collaborating to understand the relationship between exposure to arsenic and other toxic metals in well water and self-reported health and well-being metrics for Mainers age 55+. We will share emerging results from a project called “Healthy Water, Healthy Aging”. There are many environmental toxins that we all encounter every day, but arsenic is the focus of our study because here in Maine, people rely on private wells that are often contaminated with geogenic arsenic from surrounding bedrock. As part of our study, interested participants complete a drinking water survey and submit a well water sample for analysis of arsenic and other heavy metals. Upon receiving their well water test results, they are then invited to participate in a health and well-being survey. We are looking at associations between well water quality and self-reported health and well-being metrics in older adults to help improve health and inform public policy in Maine. Are you interested in participating? Start with the drinking water survey at www.allaboutarsenic.org.

South Africa, with almost 60 million people, is a country of extremes – from desert to snowcapped mountains. There is glitz, poverty and wonderful wildlife as well as 10 World Heritage Sites.

This recorded lecture is from part 2 of Elizabeth’s 2021 lecture on South Africa and includes everything from geography, history, and flora & fauna to the country’s politics and people learning to live together.

Imagining an Archipelago (working title) will present modern and contemporary works by artists with cultural heritage ties to these islands, examining the long legacies of colonization. This lecture and audience engagement session will invite attendees to recall what they learned in school about U.S. imperialism, not as a test but to inform how the exhibition will be presented at the museum. Attendees will also gain a sneak peek into the emergent themes and artists under consideration for the exhibition.

The Washburn family left a legacy that helped to shape the 19th century here and around the world. And yet most Mainers don’t know their story. From Livermore to Paris and from Augusta to La Crosse…this family accomplished great things and did so with honor and integrity.

Since ancient times humanity has known the power and healing property of plants. It has only been a handful of decades since this knowledge has been lost to the general public. Join Natalie Angela in this fascinating workshop and let us begin to reclaim our Ancient Knowledge of Plants and Their Healing Abilities from Physical, Mental and Emotional perspectives.  We will delve into the nature of the plant kingdom and how, through the integrative process we call digestion, healing occurs.

The Workshop covers the following topics:

• An Overview of the Body’s Systems
• The Symbiotic Relationship Between Plants & Humans
• Digestion & Its Purpose at Each Level
• Integration of Plant Essence (active ingredients) into Our Own
• Example of Plants & Their Healing Properties

Ellen Campbell will share photos, videos, and intriguing tales of her adventures and misadventures as a member of the statewide volunteer “animal ambulance” network for Avian Haven. Ellen picks up birds in distress that have been rescued, and occasionally has to figure out how to safely capture a bird herself, in order to drive them to Avian Haven’s wildlife rehabilitation facility in Freedom, Maine. She says that it’s an honor to participate in Avian Haven’s mission, “…dedicated to the return of injured and orphaned wild birds of all species to their natural roles in the wild.” There will be time at the end of the lecture to discuss appropriate measures to take if you encounter a wild bird in need of rescue, and how to volunteer for Avian Haven yourself if you are so inclined.

Uncommon is the story beckoning each reader to discover who they are and how they arose. Educator, system engineer, and wildlife rehabilitator Bill Portela invites readers to consider the role of evolution in their personal, spiritual framework. This stirring journal takes us back five billion years to study the emergence of entangled organic entities, why they fail, and how they flourish.

The friendship is intense, the connection is unparalleled, but the future relationship cannot be taken for granted. It helps if Americans develop a true empathy and understanding of what Canada is all about. This two part lecture/discussion will take a look at Canada that has evolved into a proud liberal democracy. The US and Canada have basic similarities, but at the same time the differences are quite profound. The reality is that we still have so much to learn from each other.

The friendship is intense, the connection is unparalleled, but the future relationship cannot be taken for granted. It helps if Americans develop a true empathy and understanding of what Canada is all about. This two part lecture/discussion will take a look at Canada that has evolved into a proud liberal democracy. The US and Canada have basic similarities, but at the same time the differences are quite profound. The reality is that we still have so much to learn from each other.