Wednesday, February 14, 2007
By Jennifer L. Saunders

OGUNQUIT - While those warm summer days walking along the beach or taking in the views at the Ogunquit River may seem a distant memory, the time is now to help the Maine Healthy Beaches Program and the Conservation Commission protect local waterways.

Maine Healthy Beaches works in many area communities, including Ogunquit and neighboring York, in an effort to help keep local beaches safe for swimming and recreation by regular testing of various sites for the presence of bacteria.

Maine Healthy Beaches is a partnership between the several state departments and organizations, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension/Sea Grant, municipalities and volunteers.

Organized locally by the Ogunquit Conservation Commission and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Healthy Beaches volunteers collect water samples at strategic locations on a regular basis throughout the summer.

Locally, those sites will be along Ogunquit Beach and the Ogunquit River, and the schedule will be set based on volunteer availability.

"The Ogunquit Beach and River Sampling Project is a special study that is a joint effort between Maine Healthy Beaches and the Ogunquit Conservation Commission," explained Sarah Mosley of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension as the effort to recruit volunteers got underway last week. "Because it is a special study, the sampling season will be extended, starting sometime
before Memorial Day … and will end Labor Day, at the earliest."

The plan, she explained, is to conduct samplings at least once each week, depending on the conditions.

"Volunteering includes participating in a training session to learn the proper sampling techniques and conducting sampling throughout the season," Mosley said.

The training session recommended for Ogunquit volunteers is scheduled for Friday, March 23, from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Mosley said that while there will be additional training sessions available, Ogunquit volunteers are encouraged to attend the March 23 meeting because of the scope of the local study. That training meeting will also provide time to determine the sampling logistics for the study.

Ideally, Mosley said, volunteers would commit for the entire sampling season. However, she noted, it is beneficial to have those volunteers who may not be able to make such a large time commitment serve as substitutes for regular volunteers or assist whenever they are able.

Want to learn more or to sign up to volunteer? Contact either Mosley at the University of Maine at 791-8112 or smosley@umext.maine.edu or Mike Horn of the Ogunquit Conservation Commission at 646-7016 or klaxon@maine.rr.com.