Changing Landscapes Exhibit to be Dedicated 6/25
Associated People Paul Dest Hannah Wilhelm
WELLS, Maine, June 6, 2011 — The Wells Reserve at Laudholm reopens its Visitor Center with a dedication ceremony for new Changing Landscapes exhibits on Saturday, June 25, from 10 am to noon. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which is free with site admission. For more information, visit wellsreserve.org or call 207-646-1555.
“These exhibits will inform visitors about the dynamic nature of coastal landscapes, and how the earth and its plants and animals change over time,” explained Paul Dest, director of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. “Just as importantly, the exhibits explore the human role in bringing about some of this change.”
Four windowlit rooms of the historic farmhouse reveal the region’s landscape at key moments in time. From the last ice age to the arrival of the Wabanaki, from European settlement to the industrial revolution, and from progressive agriculture to farm abandonment, visitors travel 14,000 years to arrive at today’s protected landscape and the achievements of the environmental movement.
“The exhibits emphasize that people are an integral part of the landscape,” said Dest. “Not only have we dramatically changed our surroundings in the past, but we also have the ability to shape our landscape’s future.”
Imparting a message of stewardship over land and water is a primary goal for Changing Landscapes, according to Dest. The exhibits focus on the Wells Reserve site, but their content extends generally across the region, just as the reserve’s outreach for conservation covers southern Maine.
The Changing Landscapes exhibits were designed by Main Street Design and built by Mystic Scenic Studios.
They will be open from 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Saturday and 12 to 4 pm on Sunday. Wells Reserve trails remain open from 7 am to sunset. A small admission fee applies.
A special preview of Changing Landscapes, along with a silent art auction, will be held on June 18 as a fundraiser for Laudholm Trust. The six participating artists are Anne Gable Allaire, DeWitt Hardy, Eric Hopkins, Stan Moeller, Lincoln Perry, and Beth Rundquist. Please call 207-646-4521 for ticket information.
The Changing Landscapes exhibits were funded by generous donations from Charles and Rebecca Richardson, the Virginia Hodgkins Somers Foundation, and Laudholm Trust, plus a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Maine Magazine is our media sponsor for both the exhibit preview and the dedication ceremony.
The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is a 2,250-acre National Estuarine Research Reserve with its headquarters listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wells Reserve’s goal is to protect and restore coastal ecosystems around the Gulf of Maine. Staff and volunteers expand knowledge about coasts and estuaries, engage people in environmental learning, and involve communities in conserving natural resources.
The work of the Wells Reserve and the care of its historic site are made possible by Laudholm Trust. Organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1982, member-supported Laudholm Trust provides vital monetary and in-kind support to the Wells Reserve. This local support enables the Wells Reserve to receive additional funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is located on Laudholm Farm Road, just off U.S. Route 1 near the Wells-Kennebunk line.
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