I have found the perfect antidote to San Antonio’s incessant heat – a trip to a remote island in Maine! Thanks to the SeaWorld-Busch Gardens Conservation Fund I am able to blog to you from the beautiful, rocky and bird-abundant island of Matinicus Rock. I was selected to participate in “Project Puffin,” which is a long-running (started in 1973) conservation program headed by the Audubon Society to restore the Atlantic Puffin to the islands of Maine, from which they were nearly extinct.
Flying to Maine was simple enough, but getting to my island took a bit more effort. The first leg of my journey was to ride on a ferry boat to Vinalhaven, Maine, which is one of the 13 permanently inhabited islands off the coast of the state. From there we were greeted by John, a long-standing supporter of the Audubon Society, who transported us in his boat. Once he neared Matinicus Rock he then rowed us in his small dory, expertly reading the motion of the waves to avoid a capsize!
Matinicus Rock is home to an old, but still functioning lighthouse. Upon arrival I was given a room in the old lighthouse keeper’s house, which though rustic was quite comfortable. After briefly settling in and grabbing a bite to eat from the well-stocked pantry I joined in on the day’s task – “Puffin Grubbing!”
Puffin Grubbing involved squeezing into some very narrow, tight crevices in rocks to access puffin chicks, which are then removed, banded, weighed and measured. Over 100 puffin chicks have been banded so far, though many more nest in crevices that are inaccessible and therefore go unbanded. Watching Nathan and Caroline, the island supervisors, wriggle into incredible tight spots and emerge with adorable, fluffy puffin chicks was very exciting. They even let me “grub” my own chick from an easier burrow!
Puffin Grubbing is just one of the many conservation projects I will be involved in as part of Project Puffin. Stay tuned for tomorrow – “Blind Stints!”
