Rachel Miller

Founder of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean
Keynote Speaker: 12:30 pm

Rachael Zoe Miller is the founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, which is named for her grandmother. She is an expedition scientist, inventor, National Geographic Explorer, Explorers Club Fellow, and co-inventor of the Cora Ball, the world’s first microfiber-catching laundry ball.

Rachael leads teams on expeditions whose scientific results are published in peer-reviewed journals and education programs that inspire thousands of people of all ages. She’s presented at venues worldwide including on the TedX stage and at The Explorer’s Club. Rachael captains the 60-foot sailing research vessel, American Promise. She has certified hundreds of people to be sailing instructors, trained Navy SEALS to find unexploded mines using underwater robots, pitched to audiences at Our Ocean and Plastics Europe, and mentors young scientists at the New York Harbor School.

She lives in Vermont, loves the snow as much as the sea, and does her best thinking on skis, bikes, or paddleboards.

Learn More about Rachel Miller.

Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers

Puppetry troupe based in Bar Harbor, Maine
11:00am

Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers is a puppetry troupe based in Bar Harbor, Maine, comprising three siblings: brothers Erik and Brian Torbeck and sister Robin (Torbeck) Erlandsen. They will perform “Everybody Loves Pirates” at the Maine Ocean Festival.

It’s the story of eight-year-old “Lucy” and her goofy pal “Little Chucky,” who are searching for buried treasure, but a gang of bumbling pirates keeps getting in the way! The kids get some help from their new ocean-dwelling friends, including enthusiastic superhero “Lobster Boy,” his reluctant sidekick “Crabby,” and an overgrown sea monkey.

“Everybody Loves Pirates” features 15 hand-crafted mouth and rod puppets and an 8-foot paper-mache pirate ship.

Founded in 2000, Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers performs at festivals, schools, libraries, and theatres in the United States and Canada. They write and create all the shows they perform and have received three Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA, the highest national award in puppetry.

Learn More about Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers.

Bee Parks and The Hornets

Maine-based theatre and music makers
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Bee Parks and the Hornets is the creative endeavor of Brittany Parker, a Maine-based theatre and music maker. She started the band at the beginning of 2018 to empower young people and the adults who love them. Pulling from various musical inspirations, including Motown, the Beach Boys, and 90s alt rock, Brittany began writing a series of songs that included stories of environmentalism, social justice, equality, self-confidence, and loving your neighbor.

She was joined by her friends and colleagues Mélissa Smith, Carl Ferm, Joey Dupuis, and Jarly Bobadilla—who  also contributed songs and musical ideas. This culminated in a 60-minute theatrical show with puppets and audience interaction. More musicians joined the team to create a roster of Hornets playing a variety of instruments, including trumpet, saxophone, electric guitar, keyboard, ukulele, bass guitar, and drums.

The band has played at theaters, libraries, museums, schools, zoos, and parks throughout the East Coast. In July 2019, they released their first full-length album, Welcome to Our Hive, which can be found on all digital music platforms.

Brittany sings lead vocals for Bee Parks and the Hornets, as well as plays the ukulele and electric guitar. When not in the hive, she collaborates with other artists to create theatre for people of all ages. These projects often include live music, singing, and puppets. She is also the Education Manager for the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Maine.

Learn more about Bee Parks and the Hornets.