The Secret Lives of the Gulls of Appledore

Gulls often elicit strong feelings. Thieving French fries at the beach and dumpster diving behind fast-food restaurants has earned them a negative reputation among humans. Most people do not know gulls have rich social lives. Pairs often stay together for many years and equally contribute to the incubation of eggs and raising hatchlings. Learn about the lives of the gulls that nest every year on Appledore Island, off the coast of southern Maine. Find out how they care for their young, how their population is doing in the Gulf of Maine, and how their individual quirks and personalities play out in the wild.

 

Sarah Courchesne is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Biology Program at Northern Essex Community College. She was raised in Amesbury, earned her B.A. in English at UMass-Amherst, and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Tufts. She directed the Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET), a citizen science project aimed at identifying patterns and causes of seabird mortality. Formerly an adjunct instructor at North Shore Community College, she joined the faculty at NECC in 2014, teaching chemistry and biology courses. She now leads a multi-year study on the ecology of Great Black-backed Gulls on Appledore Island in Maine, and is committed to creating access to field biology experiences for NECC students and members of the public. Sarah also writes a column for Merrimack Valley Magazine.

Thanks to the Friends of the West Newbury Library and the Northern Essex Community College Speakers’ Bureau for making this talk possible.

 

This is a Virtual event. Once registered, you will receive a Zoom link one day prior to the event. Register here.