The Wrack: wellness

wells national estuarine research reserve

Brad Edmondson and Jim Kersting at the end of their bicycle trekCongratulations to Brad Edmondson and Jim Kersting, who completed their Coast To Coast for Conservation bicycle trek in Wells on Wednesday afternoon, day 73 of their travels.

Jim, Brad, and their logistics coordinator Sara stopped by the Laudholm farmhouse to visit and get a brief tour before making the final leg of their journey to the beach for a ceremonial "tire dip." Thirty-seven hundred miles in 73 days, all in the name of environmental stewardship—now that's dedication!

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Doing the tick tuck

June 13, 2008 By Scott Richardson Filed under Article Tags: faunatickswellness

In today’s Portland Press Herald, Josie Huang reports in Lyme disease threat comes back strong that winter went easy on deer ticks and the little critters are especially abundant this spring.

Tucked and untucked pantsRegulars at the Wells Reserve know it’s a hot spot for Ixodes scapularis and most plan their trail walks accordingly. In this image, the hiker on the left demonstrates a couple of key ways to minimize the chance that a tick will get under her skin. The hiker on the right is poorly prepared for prevention.

  1. Tuck pant legs into socks, so ticks climb up your legs outside instead of inside, and
  2. Wear light-colored clothing, so the dark ticks are easier to spot and remove.

It’s the deer tick nymph, mainly active now through July, that imposes the greatest risk of passing Lyme disease, so take precautions and you can still enjoy the beauty of Wells Reserve trails with a bit less worry.

For more facts on ticks in Maine, we recommend the Maine Medical Center Research Institute website.

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