PORT CLYDE — Herring Gut Coastal Science Center welcomes Kayleigh Amerman to its Port Clyde team as an AmeriCorps member serving as Assistant Environmental Educator through Goodwill Northern New England’s GoodHealth Works AmeriCorps program.

Amerman will spend the coming year helping Herring Gut expand hands-on environmental education opportunities at its three-acre waterfront campus. Her work will include supporting and improving the Center’s aquaponics facility, developing outdoor classrooms and educational exhibits, creating interpretive signage, assisting with environmental monitoring and citizen science projects, and engaging students and visitors in programs exploring Maine’s coastal environment.

The position is part of Goodwill NNE’s GoodHealth Works AmeriCorps program, which places AmeriCorps members with community-based organizations throughout Maine while providing members with hands-on professional experience and workforce development training. 

“We are delighted to have Kayleigh join us,” said Sarah D. Oktay, Ph.D., Executive Director of Herring Gut Coastal Science Center, in a news release. “Her background in sustainability science, combined with her enthusiasm for community involvement and environmental learning, is a wonderful fit for Herring Gut. There are so many opportunities on our campus for Kayleigh to help us turn the coastal environment itself into a classroom.”

Born and raised in New Jersey, Amerman earned a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Science from Montclair State University before making Midcoast Maine her permanent home in 2024.

Her connection to the community extends well beyond her professional interests. Amerman serves on the board of and sings with the Midcoast Community Chorus and also performs with the local a cappella group VoXX: Voice of Twenty. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, exploring Maine restaurants, building fairy houses in the woods, quilting, and spending time with her cat.

“I am very excited to join the Herring Gut team as an AmeriCorps member and to have the opportunity to grow and explore new scientific interests,” said Amerman.

Amerman’s work will support Herring Gut’s efforts to make its waterfront campus an increasingly interactive learning environment. Planned projects include expanding educational opportunities within the aquaponics greenhouse, designing and installing outdoor exhibits and signage, conducting environmental experiments and monitoring, and co-leading citizen science initiatives focused on topics including ocean pH and sea-level rise. 

In FY2026, Herring Gut Coastal Science Center served 5,540 children and adults from 11 Maine counties, according to the news release. Its programs range from touch-tank experiences and tide-pool exploration to marine science camps, teacher professional development, aquaponics, family programs, and hands-on coastal science education.

Amerman’s AmeriCorps service term runs from September 2026 through August 2027.

Located in Port Clyde, Maine, near Marshall Point Lighthouse, Herring Gut Coastal Science Center provides year-round, hands-on science education for learners of all ages. Through programs focused on watersheds, the marine environment and Maine’s blue economy, Herring Gut educates students and communities about the connections between the ocean, inland waters, and economy of Maine

The Sea, The Future, and Us.