Now that the snow has been cleared from the big storm we had a week ago, the crews are back at work in the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden.  We are very pleased to welcome Emily Ellingson, who has joined our staff as an environmental educator focused on the Children’s Garden.  Emily comes to us by way of the Maine Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps, and she will be working here through mid November.  She hails from Mankato, Minnesota and graduated this spring from St. Olaf College with a BS in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies.  She is already busy at work on many of the details that will make this garden truly unique, and will work with our new Education Director, Greg Lowenberg to develop children’s classes and programs.  She will also get a chance to help the Horticulture crew plant and care for the gardens this spring and summer.  Emily will be seeking volunteers to work with her in the children’s garden, so if you are interested, please contact Amanda Russell, our Volunteer Coordinator. Bill Cullina

Mark Becker continues on the detailing of the activity shelter, which he has tarped and heated to make the work easier. The blue glow of the tarps mixed with the orange from the portable heater gave the space an eerie glow.

Lee Dunning continues work on the paving, and as of today he had begun work on the area outside the activity shelter.

Work on the greenhouse foundation wall is progressing inside the hooch.

Carole Hanson has begun carving the first of the three dragon heads that will rise out of the stone wall outside the activity shelter. The wall and heads were inspired by the book The Stone Wall Dragon by Rochelle Draper, which involves a boy who falls on a stone wall on his family farm in Maine. When he wakes up, the wall has become a dragon that he rides over the coastal Maine countryside. This is just one of many children’s books by Maine authors that will be referenced in the gardens.

Peter from Becker Construction placed the first of our three weathervanes on the barn this week – a fanciful pig we have nicknamed Wilbur who will watch over the barn.

The whales look resolute and maybe a bit relieved after being shoveled out from the 16 inches of snow that fell here last week.