Are you a gardener?  If you are an avid gardener or just a dabbler, you soon realize how much better your gardens grow when you have the benefits of red worms in your soil. Composting may seem like old news, but doing it with a bin full of worms probably doesn't.  

Why not join Stephanie Strongin as she tells us all about Red Worms, composting and the great benefits to organic gardening while producing both a natural fertilizer and an effective pesticide. Recycling anyone? Red worms eat your kitchen scraps. They transform soil and decaying plant material into an excellent soil supplement and conditioner called vermicompost. Your food waste will disappear and your plants will flourish! Indoor composting is perfect for apartment dwellers or small homes without access to outdoor space. She will also tell you what you do not want to put in your compost bin.

Presenter:  Stephanie Strongin has kept red worm compost bins at her school where she taught and at home. Her home bin has been maintained for the last 40 years. 

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom. The presenter will be in person. 

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                    IMPORTANT:  See Below

“Sunrise Senior College does not endorse any appeal or representation made by a presenter, non-profit organization or business during an SSC presentation.  SSC members attending the presentations may wish to pursue additional involvement with the organization or presenter based on the material that was presented and in doing so, they are acting on their own and not as part of SSC.”

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important: if you are not currently a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today.  Make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Sunrise Senior College is pleased to offer you this special field trip excursion to visit Downeast Institute’s Marine Research Laboratory, Hatchery and Education Center that proudly serves as the Marine Science Field Station for the University of Maine at Machias. Here is your opportunity to join Kyle Pepperman in a stimulating discussion about the work being done here in the easternmost Marine Research Laboratory in the United States. This single session presentation will begin with a classroom lecture at the Institute followed by a tour of the facility and tank rooms in which some parts are not fully handicap accessible. Participants will learn about the different types of clams, mussels, lobsters, oysters, scallops, and green crabs there are and the research being done at the Institute. This class will be offered in-person with the classroom lecture portion being offered on Zoom as well.  

Instructor: Kyle Pepperman became the executive director of the Downeast Institute in September 2025, bringing years of hands-on experience in marine science, aquaculture, and community-based resource management. He earned his B.S. in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Maine at Machias in 2009. Originally from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, Kyle now lives in Marshfield, Maine, with his wife and two children.

Class Information: This class will be held at Downeast Institute, 39 Wildflower Lane, Beals, Maine 04611.  It will be in person with the classroom lecture portion, which will be at 10:00 AM, also available on Zoom.

                                                    IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important:  If you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

                                                                   IMPORTANT  

New Member to SSC?  Welcome to our Senior College.  Please click the button to proceed.

You will now be asked to “Type the name of an adult to use as the contact for this cart.” Please enter you first and last name. The system will then do a search to see if you have taken a class with us in the past.

It will then present you a list of names that may match what you typed in - scroll down through the names and check to see if your name is there. If your name is not there, at the bottom of the list you will be able to “Create New Account” and add yourself to our system.  Please be sure and select “My SSC Membership is Current” during your checkout process - it will prevent the system from adding an extra $5.00 non-member fee to your purchase.

Current member? When you renew or sign up for Membership, you must pick the option that says “My SSC Membership is Current” when you are checking out so you don't get overcharged for the membership fee.

                                                           MEMBERSHIP POLICY

This membership covers June 1st, 2025, to May 31st, 2026. SSC Members must have a valid membership entry on your file to enjoy the full benefits of our Summer-Fall 2025 and Winter-Spring 2026 programs that take place during this period. You should select your 2025- 2026 membership one time as part of registering for your first class in this new year. If you need to apply for a scholarship to cover your membership fees, this is done using a separate application which is located on the SSC website. Your request must be reviewed and processed by the Scholarship Committee before registering for any classes.

If you are not sure what your current membership status is, before registering for this please contact SSC at sunriseseniorcollege@maine.edu or call 207-255-1384 and leave a message – we will get back to you.

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College