{"id":22,"date":"2011-04-12T10:03:07","date_gmt":"2011-04-12T14:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/puffin.jacobtanenbaum.com\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2011-06-11T21:32:53","modified_gmt":"2011-06-12T01:32:53","slug":"about-mantinicus-rock","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/puffin.jacobtanenbaum.com\/?page_id=22","title":{"rendered":"About Matinicus Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Matinicus Lighthouse in 1848. This image is from the National Archives and is in the Public Domain<\/p><\/div>\n

Matinicus Rock is a small island located 18 miles off the coast of Maine.\u00a0 No one lives on the island.\u00a0 There is a lighthouse that is powered by solar panels and runs automatically.<\/p>\n

Long ago, before the lighthouse was automatic, a lighthouse keeper and his family lived on the island.\u00a0 They were the only residents.\u00a0 One winter’s day in 1856, the keeper left the island to get supplies and a storm blew in that kept him away for a whole month.\u00a0 While the keeper’s wife was sick, their teenage daughter, Abbie Burgess tended the lights in the lighthouse for an entire month during a terrible storm.\u00a0 This warned ships to keep away from the rocks, and saved many lives.\u00a0 You can read her exciting\u00a0story in the children’s book Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie<\/em>, by Peter and Connie Roop.\u00a0 You can find it on Amazon<\/a> or in the local library<\/a>. \u00a0The lighthouse keeper also had another important job. About 100 years ago, when the Audubon Society found that puffins had almost vanished from the island due to hunting, the Society hired the lighthouse keeper to help make sure hunters stayed away from the birds. \u00a0The Lighthouse keeper on Matinicus Rock became one of the first game wardens in the United States.<\/p>\n

Matinicus Rock\u00a0is also the southern-most colony of Atlantic Puffins and is now a bird sanctuary.\u00a0 Mr. Tanenbaum will spend 10 days sleeping in tents on the island with scientists other voluteers to keep the newly restored puffin colony healthy.<\/p>\n

Matinicus Rock is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife\u00a0Service\u00a0and is managed by the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge in managed in association with the National Audubon Society’s Project Puffin.<\/p>\n

Try This:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use the Google Earth link to measure the island.\u00a0 How long is it? How wide is it?<\/p>\n

Matinicus Rock is located at the following coordinates:<\/p>\n

Latitude:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a043\u00b047’1.99″N<\/p>\n

Longitude:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a068\u00b051’17.66″W<\/p>\n

Just using those numbers, can you tell if the island is or south of where you are right now?\u00a0 How do you know?<\/p>\n

Can you tell if the island is east or west of you right now?\u00a0 How do you know?<\/p>\n

Post your answers to the comments area on the blog.<\/p>\n

References <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n