Digital Commons Network^™

Wabanaki Access To Sweetgrass (Hierochloe Odorata) Within Coastal Maine's Diminishing Open Land Tradition, Amanda Marie Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nontimber forest products (NTFPs), refer to a class of resources (i.e. moss, fungi, mushrooms, plants, etc.) gathered in both rural and urban landscapes. NTFPs are utilized by a variety of cultures all over the world and are a critical part of medicinal, spiritual, dietary, and economic practices. In fact, some NTFP species are so critical to people that they are considered ‘cultural keystone species’ (Garibaldi and Turner 2004). This designation means that without access to the NTFP, cultural survival is at risk. This is the case in Maine where the Wabanaki, a confederacy of four tribes (Passamaqouddy, Penobscot, Mikmaq, and …

Exploring The Liminal Space: Dual Enrollment At Maine's Community Colleges, Amy Lynn Hubbard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exploring the Liminal Space: Dual Enrollment at Maine's Community Colleges

Only 39% of matriculated students will earn a college degree or certificate in six years due to inadequate preparation in high school (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2016). Dual enrollment (DE) courses have been touted as one way to bridge the gap between high school and college (Hanson, Prusha, & Iverson, 2015; Harnish & Lynch, 2005; Johnson & Brophy, 2006; Karp, Calcagno, Hughes, Jeong, & Bailey, 2007; Morrison, 2008; Smith, 2007; Swanson, 2008). Dual enrollment is broadly defined as any course in which a high school student earns college …

Understanding The Impact Of Commercial Harvest On White Suckers (Catostomus Commersonii) In Maine, Megan A. Begley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The State of Maine issues an unlimited number of commercial permits for the harvest of White Suckers Catostomus commersonii in Maine’s inland waters. The fishery provides a necessary source of fresh lobster Homarus americanus bait to coastal communities at a time when other bait sources are scarce. The impacts of the increasing number of permits and subsequent numbers of fishermen on the white sucker population is unknown. The Maine Department on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has closed a number of waters due to concerns that overfishing and incidental catch of other fish species may occur.

In Chapter 1, we …

Social And Ecological Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Aquaculture, Karen Pianka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Commercial fishermen in Maine are increasingly dependent upon the American lobster fishery, and this reliance on a single species poses a threat to working waterfronts. Aquaculture represents a potential opportunity for commercial fishermen to diversify their income. Literature on the adoption of innovation suggests that factors such as age, education level, fishing experience, diversification, and leadership are important predictors of early adoption of innovation. However, few studies have examined whether such factors affect the adoption of aquaculture by commercial fishermen. Our marine policy research studied fishermen enrolled in two pilot shellfish and seaweed aquaculture classes held in 2013 in Harpswell …

The Human Dimensions Of Pollinator Conservation : Perception, Practice, And Policy In The Lowbush Blueberry Industry, Kourtney K. Collum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents comparative research of diverse agricultural actors involved in lowbush blueberry productions in Maine, USA and Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, in order to explore the factors that influence on-farm pollinator conservation. The research is presented through three distinct projects. In the first project, my collaborators and I ask: how do growers perceive and understand pollination in agricultural systems, and how do growers’ perceptions influence their willingness and ability to enact on-farm bee conservation? Drawing on semi-structured interviews with conventional growers, we present growers’ cultural models of pollination management and pollinator conservation. Our analysis reveals that the messages …