Who we are

Fourteen years ago, a small group of 7th and 8th grade Adams School Students and their teacher, Bill McWeeny, formed The CALVIN Project for the purpose of educating people about the world's most endangered large whale, the North Atlantic right whale. Known as the Calvineers, these students continue their efforts today. 

What we do

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2017-2018 Calvineers
The Calvineers research the right whale problem to understand the situation. They do this in the classroom using the book The Urban Whale by Rosalind Rolland and Scott D. Kraus, as well as current websites like the Right Whale Catalog and the Right Whale Consortium. The Calvineers also go on three major field trips each year. In the fall they visit the New England Aquarium's Right Whale Research Field Station in Lubec, Maine, where they receive talks from the scientists about current research being done. They attend the Annual Right Whale Consortium Meeting in New Bedford, where they listen to and talk with scientists about the research and possible solutions. The first Sunday in May the Calvineers cosponsor the New England Right Whale Festival at the New England Aquarium, where they display their work to 2,000 people. In addition to getting the word out at the Festival, the Calvineers present a 40-minute PowerPoint many times a year to school groups and organizations. They have presented from Quebec to Tampa, and from Halifax to New York City. The Calvineers are currently working with Senior Scientist Amy Knowlton from the New England Aquarium, to help educate fisherman about 1700 pound breaking strength rope that could save a great deal of large whale entanglements (fishermen currently use ropes of 2500+ pound breaking strength).

Our story

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In 2004, a group of seventh and eighth grade students at the Adams School in Castine, Maine, were raising money and supplies in an effort to support animal shelters. Their science teacher, Bill McWeeny, asked the students if they would like to try to help a really big animal that needed a lot of help. Bill explained to the students that the North Atlantic Right Whales were an endangered species and with only over 400 or so left, and that the right whales could go extinct within their lifetimes. The students started studying right whales and the research being done on their behalf. They attended the 2004 Right Whale Consortium in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and met many scientists. Eventually, the Calvineers made a PowerPoint presentation to educate people and they began giving presentations. Now the Calvineers do a number of presentations a year, visit scientists in the field at the New England Aquarium's Right Whale Research station in Lubec, Maine, attend the Right Whale Consortium meeting in New Bedford, go on at least two whale watches a year, and run the New England Right Whale Festival at the Aquarium the first weekend in May. 
             Principal Investigator Bill McWeeny

Why "Calvin"?

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Calvin was with her mother, Delilah, when Delilah was hit by a ship and killed. Calvin, the calf, was left to fend for herself when she was at a dependent age. Sure enough, she was seen a year later in the Bay of Fundy, healthy and happy. She was named Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes", and later they found that she was a female. The calvineers loved her story and adopted her as their mascot. Hence, "the Calvin Project" and the "Calvineers".
                Calvin

Barcelona Bound 

The Calvineers will attend the 2nd World Conference on Marine Mammal Science in Barcelona, Spain, on December 9th through 12th, 2019. At the World Conference the Calvineers will help kick off The Year of the Right Whale, 2020. This event is being run by the Blue Ocean Society and has asked the Calvineers to be part of the celebratory events of 2020 for right whales. 

Check these out! 

CONTACT The calvineers

The Adams School - A.K.A. Calvineers Headquarters
27 School Street, Castine, ME 04421, USA
(207) 326-8608
Email Us at [email protected]

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Welcome to the official website of the Calvineers! We are a school group of 7th and 8th graders who study the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, specifically Calvin the Right Whale.