The Wrack: ecosystem services

wells national estuarine research reserve

Associated People Chris Feurt

Project Goals

  • Understand and measure the value of services and benefits provided by waterfront buffer lands and wetlands
  • Provide place-based economic information to support decisions that reflect the true consequences of land use, restoration, and conservation practices in southern Maine

Project Period

October 2010 to October 2013

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What is your ecological footprint?

May 12, 2006 By Katherine Cyr Filed under Article Tags: ecosystem services

At the Reserve's Earth Day Celebration, the Kittery Trading Post Outdoor Academy allowed visitors to input their living styles into a computer program that would then give them their "ecological footprint." An ecological footprint is the amount of land and water a person uses to support his or her daily lifestyle. This includes what types of food a person eats, vehicle gas consumption, and size of his or her household among other things. The point of an ecological footprint is to make a person aware of the impact he or she has on the environment.

In my case, 12 acres of land and water are needed to sustain my consumption habits. The average American uses 24 acres of land.

Want to find out what your ecological footprint is? Take the quiz.

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