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. What most people do not know is that gulls have rich social lives. They have individual quirks, personalities, and habits, much like we do, and they may not be as common or successful in our human-altered world as you might think. Join us to learn about the lives of your wild neighbors, the gulls nesting Appledore Island in the Isles of Shoals archipelago. About the presenter: Sarah Courchesne 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 community 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 Northern Essex Community College in 2014, teaching chemistry and biology courses. She is now a Professor of Natural Sciences and co-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 the Backyard Naturalist column for Merrimack Valley Magazine. Give us feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

Between 1880 and 1962, gray and harbor seals were targeted in legal seal bounty hunts across Maine and Massachusetts due to a perceived competition with commercial fisheries. Following their extirpation 50 years ago, legislative protections allowed seals to recolonize historical grounds along the New England coast. With this conservation success story, conflict has re-emerged as seen in the numerous media articles reflecting a temperament beckoning to the past century, with calls to cull the population and the spread of misinformation. While seals are endemic to the region, the return of seals after decades of near-absence to New England has created a new ecological and psychological baseline for New Englanders where for three generations, seals were rarely present. Now more than ever, there is a need to understand the role seals play in our ecosystem and to understand their role as sentinel species in the Gulf of Maine (and beyond). Through collaborative research and engagement, much is being learned across the region. Dr. Andrea Bogomolni shares insights into how we study seals, what we are learning about their place in the greater ecosystem and what seals are telling us about ocean and human health. About the presenter: Dr. Andrea Bogomolni (Dr. Dre) is a community scientist as well as many other “-ists”: a naturalist, artist, biologist and conservationist with a passion for the ocean. Working with a range of collaborators from scientists, to fishermen and to artists, she aims to understand not just seals, but our human relationship with the natural world and ways we can help preserve, protect and sustainably make use of the limited resources nature provides. She has an interdisciplinary skill-set in scientific research, education and outreach. Her Bachelor’s degrees are in studio art and wildlife, fisheries and conservation biology from UC Davis, her Master’s is in marine biology from Boston University and her Doctorate is in pathobiology and veterinary science with a certificate in public health from UCONN. She was a postdoctoral fellow and guest investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She has taught marine mammal science and conservation courses at several institutions and began the seal research program at the Shoals Marine Lab a decade ago. She currently teaches Marine Mammal Biology at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and is the Chair and co-founder of the Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium. Through all her work, she hopes to amplify the voices of those that can provide the knowledge needed to mitigate human impacts as we manage ocean ecosystems. Give us feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

Kat Dillon talks us through all the complexities of consent. Kat is the Community Educator & Volunteer Coordinator for the Victim Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, Inc. She works within the Wayne County, NY community and in local schools to provide prevention education and spread awareness about domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking and the V.R.C.’s services and mission. Kat earned a B.A. in Political Science from S.U.N.Y. Brockport and a B.A. in English from York University. She has a background in Event Management, Fundraising, Community Organizing, & Prevention Education. In 2019, she joined the V.R.C., allowing her to combine her passions for women's rights and victim advocacy with her expertise in community education, sex and relationship education, and non-profit management. In her spare time Kat bakes pies, makes soap, and invents creative new ways to spoil her best friend's children. Check out the first in our Sex Ed for Adults series, The Birds and The Bees, Come as You Are with Emily Nagoski: https://youtu.be/2rPUo-PhqLo Give us feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

Portsmouth as we know it today came into being during the Cold War, a forty-year period of international tension and threat of nuclear war. The 1950s were a time of rapid change and growth as the Seacoast Region was transformed by military expansion. Watch the city's premier of a 16-minute audio-visual tour of Portsmouth during the 1950s, followed by a Q & A, and other recollections of the 1950s by several illustrious local community member panelists, moderated by City Community Development and Portsmouth Public Library staff. Note: the volume may be too low on the video segment. You may watch the audio-visual tour separately at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44THcW2Lh2s. Give us feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter