HERE
Exhibit chronicles Monhegan’s changing landscapes
Learn about the ecological changes of forested landscapes — as interpreted by artists and scientists — through a new exhibit at Bowdoin College Museum of Art that focuses on Monhegan Island, a tiny island north of Portland that measures just one square mile and has only 60 year-round residents. “Art, Ecology, and the Resilience of a Maine Island: The Monhegan Wildlands” runs Dec. 12 through June 1, 2025, and illuminates the island’s transformation over time, from the forests’ regeneration following the last ice age to the impact of human settlement, the introduction and then removal of sheep and deer, and later land conservation efforts (three-quarters of the island is now protected under a land trust). The exhibition features paintings by renowned artists Edward Hopper and Rockwell Kent and historical artifacts, such as harpoons created by local Indigenous inhabitants and a 1637 map with an engraved portrait of “Captayne” John Smith, who summered here. See Robert Henri’s depictions of the old-growth forest in the island’s interior and a painting by Jamie Wyeth, son of Andrew, who owned a property on the island and painted many of the locals. BCMA has also commissioned new images of the island by photographer Accra Shepp, who used a large-format camera to create a series of panoramic prints of the island’s ecology and people. Admission is free. www.bowdoin.edu
THERE
Tours for scientific-minded travelers
Take your curiosity on the road during a learning adventure offered by New Scientist Discovery Tours, from searching for dinosaur remains in Mongolia to experiencing a monarch butterfly migration in Mexico. The company, born from the science and technology magazine “New Scientist,” takes scientific-based experiential travel to a new level. Each tour includes world-class expert guides, focuses on in-depth scientific exploration, and often includes special access to restricted or hard-to-reach scientific sites. On one expedition to Mongolia’s Gobi Desert (Aug. 16-31), participants visit the site of the first dinosaur egg discovery (Flaming Cliffs) and work alongside experts from the Mongolian Institute of Paleontology in search of dinosaur remains. In Mexico’s Central Highlands, travelers can watch millions of monarch butterflies arrive after their 2,500-mile annual migration — from northeastern North America to this mountainous volcanic region — and learn all about this fascinating species (Jan. 15-19 almost sold out). Or journey into ancient caves in France to see the oldest-known Neanderthal drawings, and visit scenic medieval towns, the seaside city of Nice, and other nature-based highlights such as Tarn Gorge (a massive canyon) and Pont d’Arc rock arch (June 7-17). The company’s tours range from weekends to multiweek adventures. Prices vary. www.newscientist.com/tours
EVERYWHERE
Long-lasting headphones with superb sound
What sets Marshall’s new Monitor III ANC (active noise canceling) wireless headphones apart: They offer wildly impressive battery life (up to 70 hours with ANC on), they’re super comfortable even on long-haul international flights (no achy ears after wearing them for back-to-back movies), and they offer crisp and robust sound whether you’re tuned into an action-adventure movie or your favorite band. The headphones block out incessant airplane buzz and all passenger chatter around you — true noise canceling on several levels. Or set them to transparency mode so you can hear the flight attendant and your seatmate talking while still blocking out ambient noise. Download the handy Marshall app to adjust bass, treble, and other audio settings to your preferred levels. Impressive new features for the Monitor III headphones include special built-in Soundstage audio technology, which makes it feel as if you’re immersed in and surrounded by sound rather than having audio piped into your ears, and the Adaptive Loudness feature, which adjusts the volume based on your surrounding environment. That means the headphones tweak the volume as you ride the subway, catch an airport shuttle, wait for boarding at your gate, and soar to your destination, so you don’t have to constantly make adjustments as you move from one space to the next. The headphones have one control knob on the side of the right earpiece that lets you turn the headphones on/off, adjust sound, skip tracks, accept or reject phone calls, or initiate Bluetooth mode. The headphones fold up into a portable little bundle that can tuck into the corner of your bag or into the included protective hard case. $349.99. www.marshall.com
KARI BODNARCHUK
Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at [email protected].
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