V. F. Thomas Co. P. O. Box 55 - Bass Harbor, Maine  04653 info@vfthomas.com

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NEW: LIVING ON THE EDGE A new guide to Tide Pool Animals, Seaweeds, and Seaside plants. For more information or to order, please click here.

NATURAL HISTORY Natural history is the study of non-human organisms and can be interpreted broadly to include geology, hydrology, and other phenomena. CHAMPLAIN PROJECT A record of the natural history of Mount Desert Island and the immediately adjacent ocean. I envision the creation of a nonprofit organization, perhaps called the Mount Desert Island Natural History Society, that will be the natural history equivalent of the island’s historical societies. The new society would, among other things, (1) have its own website, (2) maintain/update the Champlain Project data, (3) develop a newsletter, (4) provide scholarships to help students and adults attend various natural history camps and programs, (5) create displays for libraries, schools, and other interested groups, and (6) create and/or support natural history collections.    Until such an organization is created, I will continue to host and update the Champlain Project.    You may click on the link above for an overview of the whole project or on one of the links below to explore a specific topic. checklists | mysteries | organizations and other resources SLOW(?) DESTRUCTION OF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND The page linked to by clicking here will give you a less than rosy picture of what can unfortunately be found on Mount Desert Island without looking very far. BOTANICAL LATIN GLOSSARY This botanical Latin glossary contains words used in Latin descriptions and diagnoses of new species of plants. For some of the words, examples from the (early) literature are given with links to the translation of the particular description or diagnosis.

CULTURAL HISTORY Cultural history in the sense used on this website is what is commonly called just “history”. Here the adjective “cultural” is used to distinguish the history of humans from “natural history” (see above), the study of non-human organisms. MAINE CULTURAL HISTORY PROJECT Information about Maine’s cultural history that will be of use to casual visitors to the state as well as to serious researchers and students of history. You may click on the link above for an overview of the whole project or on one of the links below to explore a specific topic. My favorite of the following projects is the one about cemeteries. However, driving to these cemeteries and driving from a prominent place in each town to these cemeteries during the process of preparing directions to each one is costly, both in money and in the effect on the environment from the automobile exhaust created. Therefore, only when I have to travel somewhere or when someone sends me locations/directions for posting will I add to the cemeteries web pages. cemeteries | census records | cottages | deeds | genealogy | markers, monuments, and memorials | postal history | tours | town histories | town records MOUNT DESERT ISLAND MYSTERIES On Mount Desert Island, some early trails have been discontinued, and early roads have been overlaid with newer ones. There are cellar holes and foundations, as well as iron rods and stone posts that presumably mark(ed) property boundaries. This page serves as a clearing house for questions about the significance of a feature found and about the location of features that have not been found, although they are shown on early maps or in older guidebooks. CANTON CULTURAL HISTORY Canton, Maine, will celebrate its 200th anniversary as a town in 2021. In preparation for that event, the web page linked to here includes dates of important events in Canton’s history as well as information about Canton’s cemeteries; census records; markers, monuments, and memorials; postal history; and deeds. More will be added as it becomes available.

MISCELLANEOUS RECOMMENDED LINKS Here are some websites that I think are worthy of your attention.    Wilder Waters Community - a nonprofit in Canton, Maine, which is (1) conserving the surrounding forests and water for honorable, truly sustainable use based on ancestral practices; (2) protecting the land from destructive, unsustainable use and providing healthy, productive land for future generations; and (3) maintaining land where a rewilding community can flourish and sharing the model with new or already existing communities elsewhere through educational events, social media, and various other outlets.    Delta Institute of Natural History - a school for small group instruction on a diversity of natural history topics, with focus on plant taxonomy and primitive technologies.