This project is straight-forward: with climate change predicted to exacerbate storm frequency and intensity in the northeast, the reserve seeks to secure its research and education/public program…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $153,920 Project Grant to the Wells Reserve At Laudholm Farm through the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420). The grant will fund the installation of standby generators at two buildings and prepare a third building to accept a portable generator at the Wells Reserve in Wells, Maine. These infrastructure enhancements will allow the reserve's buildings to continue operating during power outages and prevent the potential cancellation of ongoing scientific experiments and public/educational programs. The generators will provide backup power critical to sheltering staff and visitors during storms, outages, and emergencies at the barn and marine and coastal center. The funding will support the reserve's ability to function as an effective and resilient component of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System in the face of increasing storm frequency and intensity from climate change.

This project is straight-forward: with climate change predicted to exacerbate storm frequency and intensity in the northeast, the reserve seeks to secure its research and education/public program resources with the investment of generated (backup) power. Our ability to broaden and strengthen our backup power resources through standby generators for two buildings, and readying another to easily accept a portable generator, are essential to functioning as an effective and resilient reserve in the nerr system. These retrofits and infrastructure enhancements will allow the wells reserve's buildings to continue to operate during power outages; we do not want to lose valuable, ongoing scientific experiments or cancel public and educational programs. The barn and the mcec are shelters for staff and visitors to move to during storms, outages, and emergencies; having power to these buildings becomes even more imperative. In addition, more generators on site will prevent potential long-term and…