Island Institute Welcomes Jessica Reilly-Moman as Director of Climate and Community

Island Institute is pleased to announce that Jessica Reilly-Moman, Ph.D., will be joining the organization as the Director of the Center for Climate and Community. A dedicated social scientist, ecologist, and writer, Dr. Reilly-Moman brings over twenty-five years of experience and a deep passion for accelerating climate action for coastal communities.

Homework without High-speed Internet

Imagine being a math teacher, but only half of your class has access to calculators at home. Or imagine being an English teacher, but only a fraction of your students are able to take the book home. How would you adapt? This isn’t far from reality for many students in Maine who lack internet access at home. As part of Island Institute’s work supporting digital equity planning in Waldo county, my colleague Zuzy and I recently visited Belfast high school, to hear from students and teachers about the impact the digital divide on education.  

Reflections on Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition

I had my first day at Island Institute on a Monday, and by Wednesday I was boarding a train to Rhode Island to attend the Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition (NACE). The Amtrak was buzzing with excited chatter between industry acquittances, old friends, and colleagues, excited to connect in person and not at a virtual conference.

Island Journeys after the Storm

Three days after back-to-back storms that pummeled Maine’s coast in January, Maine Seacoast Mission welcomed Island Institute to join them aboard the Sunbeam to get a firsthand look at storm damage, connect with island residents and businesses, and lend a hand with clean-up efforts.

Stonington Talks Climate

On Wednesday, December 6th, The Town of Stonington kicked off the first of a three-part series called “Talk of the Towns,” at the Stonington Opera House. Island Institute is sponsoring the series. The first talk: “Sea Level Rise, Warming & Storming: Navigating for Climate Resilience in Fishing Communities” featured a panel with Island Institute’s Dr. Susie Arnold.

Islands are Rising

Throughout our nearly 40-year history, the Island Institute has often played a role to help connect Maine’s island communities to other, similarly situated communities in the U.S. and beyond. By participating in networks, learning exchanges, and even research publications, we’ve seen the value in helping Mainers expand their networks and even build their confidence as leaders by providing an avenue for them to share the stories of their hard work.