A few weeks ago, we introduced you to BirdSafe Maine, a collaboration between Maine Audubon, the Portland Society for Architecture, and the University of Southern Maine to address bird-glass collisions across the state. Birds hold significance in our ecosystems by dispersing seeds and acting as pollinators, controlling bug, insect, and rodent populations, and helping to […]

We often say, “History is all around us,” but sometimes history is underneath us. Last week, we talked about the history of the vast sewer system that lies beneath South Portland. We continue this week with a look at how sewage was treated by our community in the past, and the changes that came about […]

The South Portland Office of Sustainability is hiring. We’re seeking an energetic and environmentally conscious waste reduction intern to assist the sustainability program manager with the launch of our new South Portland Electric Tool Library and to help manage the city’s Swap Shop. The electric tool library is a new edition to South Portland’s sustainability […]

When you live in a city, sewers are a critical need which is often taken for granted. I’ve always wondered what the sewers were like under the streets of South Portland, and how the system works in conjunction with the sewage treatment plant. I thought it would be interesting to document the history of sewage […]

This week, we’re introducing you to BirdSafe Maine, a collaboration between Maine Audubon, the Portland Society for Architecture, and the University of Southern Maine. Through volunteer work and advocacy, this collaboration addresses the issue of bird glass strikes here in Maine, contributing to an international community of nonprofit organizations working to protect the lives of […]

It has been a little over a year since I began writing weekly sustainability columns in the Sentry. My position in the South Portland Sustainability Office was my first introduction into sustainability and climate work outside of academia, and I was eager to learn more in the context and comfort of something I already loved: […]

We take a look this week at two more seafood companies that operated in the former West Yard of the South Portland shipyard after the end of World War II. We’ve written previously about the first three seafood companies that arrived in 1947: Quality House Specialties sardine cannery, George J. Kern’s seafood company, and LobLure, […]

How many of us can say, “My father was born in a lighthouse?” Longtime historical society volunteer, Judith Kelley, told me just that one recent afternoon as we sat chatting at the Cushing’s Point Museum. It happened to be Judy’s last day of volunteering as a docent after 11 years. I thought it would be […]

A King Tide is the highest predicted ocean tide, occurring at new and full moons when the gravitational pull of both the sun and moon is at its highest. If you’ve heard of a spring tide or sunny day flooding, you’ve also heard of a King Tide. I sat down with Gayle Bowness, Municipal Climate […]