Granite Hill Estates to Welcome Dr. Herb Wilson

HALLOWELL, ME--(Marketwire - May 1, 2012) - Granite Hill Estates (GHE), the Kennebec Valley's premier continuing care retirement community, will welcome Dr. W. Herbert Wilson, Jr., Leslie Brainerd Arey Professor of Biosciences at Colby College, who will give a discussion called, "Global Warming and the Arrival Dates of Maine Migratory Birds." The discussion will take place on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, at 2:00 p.m., in the Media Room of the Maine Lodge at Granite Hill.

"We're so happy to welcome Dr. Wilson to Granite Hill," said Kathy Jorgensen, GHE's Executive Director. "Given his extensive publications in the fields of ornithology and marine ecology, he's a recognized authority on the patterns of spring arrivals of Maine migratory breeding birds. And since 1994, Dr. Wilson has been coordinating volunteer efforts across the state to record the influence of climate on spring bird arrivals. Given the number of community residents who watch, study, and photograph birds, we look forward to a lively and informative session."

The premise of Dr. Wilson's discussion is that the earth's climate is warming, causing leaves to appear earlier in the spring and therefore the emergence of leaf-eaters like caterpillars to occur earlier. Many birds depend on insects and other invertebrates for food. Dr. Wilson will ask if our migratory breeding birds are coming back earlier to begin nesting. He'll compare arrivals over the past 18 years, comparing contemporary arrivals to those at the beginning of the 1900s.

To get to Granite Hill Estates, take exit 109 from the south or 109B from the north off I-95 (Winthrop). Head west on Route 202. Take a left onto Edison Drive. GHE is on the right.

About Granite Hill Estates

GHE is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) nestled on 135 wooded acres in the heart of the Kennebec Valley. Offering cottage homes and apartments, GHE provides a full complement of amenities and services, including an indoor heated swimming pool; a fully equipped fitness center; snow shoveling, lawn care, and exterior home maintenance; housekeeping; and appliance maintenance. GHE received its CCRC designation from the Maine Bureau of Insurance in November of 2004 and provides a continuum of care through the MaineGeneral Health System. For additional information, please visit www.granitehillestates.com.