Life Sciences Commons^™

S8e3: How Can Athletic Trainers Help People Live More Healthy, Active Lives?, Ron Lisnet, Christopher Nightingale

The Maine Question

Athletic trainers help both athletes and non-athletes recover from injuries and get back in the game, and their services are in high demand. Job opportunities in athletic training have been growing rapidly in recent years, and so too have the places in which athletic trainers work.

The University of Maine has long offered a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, and alumni from it have found careers at high schools, major league sports like the National Hockey League, rehabilitation facilities and in other settings. This year, however, UMaine has reincorporated its program as a master’s degree, which prepares students to join …

S7e7: How Can Business Savvy Help Maine Farmers Succeed?, Ron Lisnet, Erin Percival Carter

The Maine Question

Like opening any business, starting and operating a farm can be challenging without any in-depth entrepreneurial knowledge or skills. To help strengthen support for farmers’ business skills, University of Maine faculty members Erin Percival Carter and Stephanie Welcomer established the Business, Agriculture, and Rural Development (BARD) technical assistance training program in the Maine Business School.

The BARD program trains UMaine students to serve as consultants for farmers and operators of other small-scale and sustainable agricultural businesses. These students can assist agribusinesses with various aspects of commerce, such as data-management, price-setting, marketing, financial and strategic forecasting, market segmentation, product development, market …

S6e5: Who Doesn’T Love Maine Maple Syrup?, Ron Lisnet, Jason Lilley

The Maine Question

Maple syrup is a staple product in Maine, and many rejoice when the sugaring season returns each year. At the end of winter when the temperatures are just right, producers harvest gallons of sap to transform into sweet syrup inside their sugar shacks.

In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, Jason Lilley, a sustainable agriculture professional with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, describes how the producers make maple syrup from sap. He also discusses the future of the maple industry in Maine and shares a few tips and recipes.

S6e4: What Does The Future Hold For Maine Aquaculture?, Ron Lisnet, Heather Sadusky, Deborah Bouchard

The Maine Question

Aquaculture is a growing industry in Maine. It yields more than $100 million in overall economic impact each year, nearly three times as much as the $50 million it contributed in 2007. Farmers and businesses in working waterfronts support themselves and the economy by cultivating Atlantic salmon, oysters, seaweed and many other aquatic flora and fauna. Despite the increased consumption of seafood harvested from Maine waters, the industry faces several hurdles to further expansion. Most Americans consume fish from overseas, and many wild-caught populations are in severe decline and danger of collapse.

The Maine Aquaculture Roadmap, 2022–2032 was created to …

S5e11: Why Might Maine Lose Two Species Of Songbirds?, Ron Lisnet, Katherine Ruskin, Brian Olsen

The Maine Question

Maine may lose two tidal marsh songbird species in the next few decades. Saltmarsh sparrows face extinction, while Acadian Nelson’s sparrows are threatened with extirpation — localized eradication with the possibility of survival elsewhere. Their populations along the Eastern Seaboard have been declining as sea level rise destroys their habitats and, according to a new University of Maine-led study, mercury exposure inhibits their reproduction.

In the final episode of Season 5 of “The Maine Question,” Kate Ruskin, a lecturer in ecology and environmental science at UMaine who spearheaded the recent mercury exposure study, and Brian Olsen, who is now an …

S5e8: How Are Ticks Threatening Maine’S Moose?, Ron Lisnet, Pauline L. Kamath

The Maine Question

The moose has become so synonymous with Maine that it serves as the state animal. Residents and tourists alike scout the forests and mountains to catch at least a glimpse of this majestic mammal, and their odds aren’t too slim. Maine has the highest wild moose population in the lower 48 states, with 60,000–80,000 roaming the woods. Their population is considered stable, but it faces a tiny, yet lethal, threat: winter ticks.

Moose populations along the southern edge of their range in the U.S. have been declining due to winter ticks, or moose ticks, and other parasites. Some moose carry …

S5e1: How Do We Protect Our Forests From Invasive Species?, Ron Lisnet, Angela Mech

The Maine Question

The invasive brown-tail moth exploded in Maine this summer. It damages and kills trees and causes rashes and respiratory problems in humans.

The moth, however, is only one of many invasive species that plague Maine forests. University of Maine entomologist Angela Mech helps combat these unwanted visitors from the front lines, and she and her team may have a solution for dealing with brown-tail moths.

In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Mech discusses her work helping communities in Maine manage brown-tail moths and other invasive species, such as the spruce budworm.

S4e10: Are You Ready To Garden?, Ron Lisnet, Charlene Spindler Gray, Katherine Garland

The Maine Question

Springtime in Maine can mean turning on the heat in the morning and the air conditioner in the afternoon. Spring also is when people flock to vegetable gardens, patios, flower beds and orchards.

Gardening, which has been particularly popular during the pandemic, has a number of benefits — from reducing stress to increasing property values. In this semester’s final episode of “The Maine Question,” Charlene Gray, University of Maine lecturer in landscape in design, and Kate Garland, University of Maine Cooperative Extension horticulture professional, talk with host Ron Lisnet about all things gardening, including promoting bee populations.

S4e4 : What Is The Future Of Maine’S Food System?, Ron Lisnet, Rob Dumas

The Maine Question

Everyone loves food. It fills our stomachs, tantalizes our taste buds, sustains us through times of strife and prosperity, fuels multiple industries and helps define cultures. How best to obtain, consume, preserve, distribute and regulate food drives aspects of health care, science and politics. As food science innovation coordinator for the University of Maine’s School of Food and Agriculture, Rob Dumas brings a unique perspective on food to the table. Managing the food science pilot plant at the school, conducting research, teaching classes and working with food companies has given Dumas morsels of insight into the future of Maine’s food …

S4e2: What’S Your Relationship With The Forest?, Ron Lisnet, Jessica Leahy

The Maine Question

Maine is the most forested state in the country, and its residents interact with forests regularly in many different ways. They provide supplies for various products, which fuels industry and job creation, and space for outdoor recreation. These interactions, which help define Maine’s identity, are the subject of Jessica Leahy’s research. As a professor in UMaine’s School of Forest Resources, she studies the human dimensions of forestry and other natural resources. In this episode of “The Maine Question,” Leahy discusses her work, the ways forests impact our lives and how our actions affect them.

S3e10: How Are Lobsters Doing?, Ron Lisnet, Rick Wahle

The Maine Question

Lobsters are synonymous with Maine, defining it alongside lighthouses, forests, rocky coasts, blueberries and potatoes. Beyond its reputation as a delicious meal, this iconic crustacean propels a major industry, draws tourists from around the world and serves as a bellwether for climate change and environmental health.

Few people know this creature from all angles better than Rick Wahle. The research professor and director of the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine has made it his life’s work to study this renowned shellfish. In this episode of “The Maine Question” he takes us to the bottom of the ocean where …

S3e2: What Does The Future Look Like For Maine’S Wild Blueberries?, Ron Lisnet, Lily Calderwood

The Maine Question

Along with lobsters and lighthouses, wild blueberries are an iconic product from the state of Maine. While the industry has struggled of late, promising developments exist for wild blueberries and the people who grow and make products out of them. UMaine's wild blueberry expert Lily Calderwood shares her thoughts on the work being done at the university to grow the industry and what the past, present and future holds for this delicious, native crop.

S1e2: Would You Feed Your Dog Biscuits That Were Made With Green Crabs?, Ron Lisnet, Angela Myracle, Denise Skonberg

The Maine Question

The green crab is a voracious invasive species that is wreaking havoc on many popular types of seafood species and in Maine’s fishing communities. What if a use could be found for this invasive species that turned them into a desirable product? Food scientists at UMaine are attempting to do just that and if they are successful it could mean a special treat for a land-based animal- none other than man’s best friend. Beyond that it could make for some tasty options on the menu the next time you visit your favorite seafood restaurant.

S1e1: What Is Edna And How Will It Change Maine’S Coastal Communities?, Ron Lisnet, Michael Kinnison

The Maine Question

From streams and ponds to the Gulf of Maine, water defines the state of Maine in many ways. For thousands of years, counting or harvesting the plants and animals in those bodies of water has been pretty low-tech, usually involving nets of some sort. Now a new technology can do this counting using DNA and this tool will revolutionize and expand how this work is done. Beyond that it will allow the public, school groups, coastal residents and others to contribute as citizen scientists and it will enhance Maine’s workforce and promote high-tech jobs as well. Michael Kinnison, a professor …