Museum & Theatre Announces a T-Mobile Contribution to Animal Care Sponsorship
Education program, led by aquarist Colin Marshall, focusing on the Wood Frogs in the interactive pond tank in the Mountains to the Sea exhibit
From thousands of pounds of salt to large quantities of krill, sand lance, and silversides, taking care of the more than a dozen species in our Mountains to the Sea exhibit requires a lot of specialized supplies. Without the salt, we could not create the perfect saltwater environment for our horseshoe crabs and lumpfish. Without food supplies, like crickets and earthworms, for example, we would not be able to feed our turtles and frogs. For these aquatic supplies and many others, the Museum & Theatre is grateful for T-Mobile’s generous contribution to our Animal Care Sponsorship. This sponsorship supports the food and materials required to care for our special aquatic friends.
Featuring wall-to-wall murals of several Maine habitats by artist Kevin Hawkes, the Maine watershed aquarium is designed so that visitors may meet both Maine freshwater and saltwater species. An exhibit waterfall creates high oxygen conditions in the river tank where the brook trout thrive. Downstream in the watershed, low oxygen condition tanks serve as home for frogs and different species of turtles.
Turtle Spotting
The Maine watershed aquarium offers visitors the opportunity to get up close with more than a dozen aquatic species.
An interactive saltwater tank allows families with children to get up close with horseshoe crabs, sea stars, anemones, and chain catsharks. During aquarium exploration, educators point out how creatures adapt to their environment and how we can be good stewards to help them survive!
Central learning ideas in this exhibit include: a watershed and a water cycle. In the natural environment, freshwater to saltwater water habitats are all connected in what is called a “watershed” system. Rain fills mountain lakes and streams. Stream waters run into rivers, ponds, and lakes, and eventually flow out to the ocean. In addition to moving through a watershed, water moves in a cycle. It evaporates into the air from the water’s surface and is breathed out by all plants and animals. Water in the air collects into clouds, then falls back to Earth’s surface as rain or snow.
Thanks to T-Mobile's generous support, the aquarium team is able to keep our creatures happy and healthy. Watershed Exploration programs and animal feeding programs occur daily and are designed for all ages. As Portland’s only aquarium and northern New England’s only watershed aquarium, T-Mobile’s support makes an indispensable impact on bringing watershed and water cycle education to visitors of the Museum & Theatre.