Our Mission
Lighthouse Education & Nautical Studies (LENS) is a non-profit, 501(c)3, whose mission is to research, retrieve, and record our nation’s maritime history in order to provide educational materials, programs, and services focused on lighthouses and our maritime history.
Sharing Maritime History with Students, Teachers and the Public
Training & Presentations On-site or in the Field
Lessons for Students of All Ages
Experiential Learning on Land and on the Water
Serving the Public
Since 2004, informational kiosks at Bass Harbor and Owl’s Head Lighthouses provide thousands of visitors with information about each station’s history, beacon, fog signal, important events, keepers who served, and more. Besides these exhibits, our organization shares results from its extensive research about Maine’s Lights and the state’s maritime history on this website.
Serving Teachers
LENS provides instruction to educators in the classroom, at lighthouse stations, and on the water. Our experiential, learning opportunities create awareness and understanding about the marine environment, lighthouses and life-saving stations, and our nation’s maritime heritage. Lessons learned from our programs are transferable during fieldtrips or in classroom settings.
Serving School Children
Through our hands-on lessons, students immerse themselves in the subject at hand by partaking in activities about exploration, maritime history, lighthouses, marine life, ocean habitats and more. Our approach to learning promotes team-work, increases engagement, leads to critical thinking, and results in higher retention rate of the subject matter.
Our Board of Directors
Lighthouse Education & Nautical Studies’ five board of directors come from all walks of life with each person bringing their own personal, professional and life experiences to the organization.
President Elaine Jones
Former public school teacher and retired Education Director for the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources, she built the Maine State Aquarium and acquired and restored the Burnt Island Lighthouse for the public’s educational and recreational enjoyment.
Vice President Hal Marden
After retiring from his engineering position with Dupont Corp., he returned to his native state as a summer resident in Boothbay Harbor. As captain of sailing and power vessels, he fell in love with lighthouses while plying the waters of coastal Maine since childhood.
Secretary/Treasurer Terri Kelsea
As a retired bank employee, she served in a variety of management capacities that included overseeing tellers, loan officer, and assistant vice president at Mechanics Savings Bank.
Director Carolyn Nichols
As a high school biology teacher and department chair in the Bath school system, her multifaceted talents, interests and skills have served her well as instructor, artist, gardener, bee-keeper, and lighthouse-lover.
Director Jean McKay
A retired teacher and founder of the nonprofit Keepers of the Burnt Island Light, she was instrumental in developing and overseeing its living history program and fundraising campaign for the Bicentennial Restoration Project.
Awards & Testimonials
Burnt Island Lighthouse Bicentennial – “The people of Maine are grateful for Elaine Jones’ commitment to preserving this enduring symbol of our state’s strong and vital maritime heritage. Ms. Jones has protected the future of this historic site for the education and enjoyment of generations to come.
Teacher Sailing Excursions – I learned so much on the sailing excursion offered by LENS about the Alrischa. I now have a better understanding and appreciation of the life and times of early explorers, sailors, fishermen, lighthouse keepers and lifesaving service personnel. The Boothbay Harbor region is so rich in maritime history which will be shared with my colleagues and students.
Burnt Island Lighthouse Bicentennial – “The people of Maine are grateful for Elaine Jones’ commitment to preserving this enduring symbol of our state’s strong and vital maritime heritage. Ms. Jones has protected the future of this historic site for the education and enjoyment of generations to come.
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