2010-2011 Speaker Series

Roadkill to Classromm

Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (FOMB) on Wednesday, February 9, 7pm at the Bowdoinham Town Office Building, 13 School St., Bowdoinham, for the 5th presentation of the 14th annual FOMB Winter Speaker Series. This program, “Roadkill to Classroom” features Rock Agostino and Anne Gorham, Master Taxidermists and the husband and wife team who own and operate Creative Maine Taxidermy in Lyman, ME.  FOMB members should please come at 6:30 to attend a brief business meeting for annual election of board members that was postponed from the January meeting/snowstorm. If you’ve ever hit an animal in your car or passed one freshly killed on the road, odds are good you’ve experienced significant pangs of sorrow and regret. Fast forward to walking down the hallway of a local elementary school with an owl taxidermy mount in your hands on an FOMB Critter Visit. It’s as though you were holding a giant vacuum sucking students into the hall, their attention drawn, eyes wide, to the owl’s presence. How often do any of us get this close to a wild creature? Bridging the gap between road-kill and classroom is the business of this evening’s presenters. These master taxidermists help bring success to FOMB’s education program of “Critter Visits” as they breathe new life into wildlife killed on the road or in other ways. Learn about taxidermy from these licensed judges of this art and science and get a guided tour of FOMB’s wonderful collection kept under federal and state permits in the Bowdoinham Library. Rock and Anne began Creative Maine Taxidermy in 1979 after graduating from Unity College; Rock with a degree in Wildlife Fisheries Science and Anne with a degree in Wildlife Science. Both are self taught in the art of taxidermy. Rock started at the age of 12 and Anne began learning in college.   CMT offers all phases of taxidermy: fish, birds, game heads and life size mammals. They emphasize quality custom mounts and treat each animal as an individual and with the respect it deserves. Particular attention can be given to habitat on which the animal is mounted. Rock and Anne have competed in state and national competitions winning numerous awards, best of shows and the Carl Ackeley Medallion for Outstanding Taxidermy. They have judged competitions in PA, NY, CT and ME. Anne is a member of the State Advisory Board for the Licensing of Taxidermists.   The FOMB Winter Speaker Series takes place monthly from October-May (usually) on the second Wednesday. The series, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Friends of Merrymeeting Bay with support and valuable door prizes from Patagonia Outlet in Freeport. The next FOMB presentation at 7 pm on Thursday March 10 at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick will be the rescheduled: “An Exploration of the World’s Most Amazing & Mysterious Fish” featuring James Prosek, author, artist and activist. To receive more information on FOMB’s programs call Jim Mason, Executive Coordinator, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, at 619-1945 or jmason@fomb.org .