Restoring Puffins to the Downeast Islands of Maine

WHO: Co-authors Dr. Stephen W. Kress, director of the Seabird Restoration Program and vice president for Bird Conservation of the National Audubon Society, and Derrick Z. Jackson, an award-winning columnist for The Boston Globe and well-known nature photographer, will share their efforts to raise awareness for and protect New England’s current and future Puffin population. The two collaborated on a new book: Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird Back to Egg Rock.

WHAT: Project Puffin is the inspiring story of how a beloved seabird was restored to long-abandoned nesting colonies off the Maine coast. The puffin population had nearly dwindled to nothing but now nearly 1,000 puffin pairs are back on three Maine islands, thanks to the project’s work.

As a young ornithology instructor at the Hog Island Audubon Camp, Dr. Kress learned that puffins had nested on nearby islands until extirpated by hunters in the late 1800s. To right this environmental wrong, he resolved to bring puffins back to one such island—Eastern Egg Rock. Yet bringing the plan to reality meant convincing skeptics, finding resources and inventing restoration methods at a time when many believed in letting nature take its course.

Dr. Kress’s amazing story is brought to life by the incredible reporting and photography of Jackson.

For years, Aquarium staff and volunteers have worked with Project Puffin.

Today, Project Puffin also works to restore rare and endangered seabirds worldwide. Further, reestablished puffins now serve as a window into the effects of climate change. The success of Dr. Kress’s project offers hope that people can restore lost wildlife populations and the habitats that support them. The need for such inspiration has never been greater.

WHEN: The free lecture takes place Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. Book signing to follow.

WHERE: New England Aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre, Central Wharf, Boston

NOTE: The Aquarium hosts a series of informative free lectures, films, and discussions for the community this spring. The Lowell Institute supports the lectures. Most are available on the Aquarium’s YouTube channel afterward. Pre-registration is encouraged on the Aquarium’s website, http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/programs_and_classes/aquarium_lecture_series/index.php or call 617-973-5200 for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Epstein, 617-269-7171; allison@teakmedia.com