It’s that time again: the Natural Resources Council of Maine is leading the charge around Back Cove and into chilly Casco Bay tomorrow at high noon. I’ve once again donated copies of my book, A Warmer World, to the top kid dippers and dashers in their annual Polar Bear Dip and Dash.
Chicken me will not be dipping, I’ll be in my studio drawing in a frenzy on my John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall deadline. I’ll keep those dippers in mind as I draw Muir drenched.
While polar bears are the poster boys for climate change, on a local level, other species are shifting habitats as well. Have you seen a snowy owl lately? I drew this pastel for last year’s holiday greeting.
According to a recent article in the Portland Press Herald, snowy owls are showing up in record numbers in Maine, starving from a drop in their favorite food, lemmings, in the Arctic tundra.
While snowy owls move in, lobsters are moving further out. According to Rob Snyder in a recent article in the Working Waterfront, “As the ocean warms, lobsters are heading Down East, with the species moving at roughly 14 miles per decade.”
My better half, Marty, created this handy logo for NRCM recently.
While the waters are too warm for lobsters, it could be mighty cold for dippers tomorrow, with a forecast of only 21 degrees. Brrr.
Go, go NRCM and all your brave dippers. I am rooting for the King Middle School Tree Huggers!
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