FOHI Volunteer sign-up for 2023 has been postponed to November 10, 2022 at noon. If you have a special week that you love, sign up then and reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you next year.

The camp opens for camper registration a day earlier on November 9, 2022 at 10 a.m.

Who is the “she” in Up She Rises? She is the venerable Queen Mary building on Hog Island. More than 140 years old, she is being protected from rising seas by raising her three feet. Rising super tides in the winter have threatened the lower floor of the building, especially when weather events, combined with rising ocean levels, coincide to make the super tide even higher.

The work started in early October with cribbing and stones being transported to the island by barge. Once materials were on the island, cribbing and temporary stone footings were quickly put in place and up she rose. The project is scheduled to be finished in November despite weather and tides that slowed initial progress. Stay tuned for more updates. FOHI is funding the project and Audubon is managing it—a great partnership. Keep an eye out in Audubon magazine for a story on the Queen Mary. This project is leading the way along the mid-coast for buildings threatened by sea rise.

The Queen Mary houses the camp’s historic bird collection and is used as an educational center to study the bird specimens and the many bird taxidermies. It also has a saltwater tank just outside the door where campers can bring all kinds of sea creatures and watch and learn about marine life close-up.