Exhibits & Dioramas
Dorr Museum of Natural History
Wildlife stories built by students
The George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History is home to a collection of immersive exhibits—created and curated by College of the Atlantic students. These hands-on installations blend art, science, and environmental education to bring Maine’s coastal ecosystems to life.
Wildlife dioramas
Dioramas are immersive, three-dimensional displays that capture animal life in its natural habitat. At COA, these detailed scenes are designed, sculpted, painted, and constructed entirely by students—many as part of independent research or coursework.
Notable examples include:
- Atlantic puffins on Matinicus Rock, built with field-collected materials and showcasing puffin parenting behavior
- North American beavers feeding on aspen, created with authentic chewed logs from Acadia National Park
- “Who’s Eating Who,” depicting a great-horned owl attacking a skunk over a snapping turtle nest—highlighting real predator-prey dynamics
History of COA diorama work
COA’s tradition of student-built dioramas began in the early 1980s, guided by exhibit preparation pioneer Stan Grierson. His hands-on teaching approach combined scientific accuracy with artistic storytelling—training generations of students in techniques like taxidermy, foreground construction, and ecological scene design. Many of these dioramas remain on display today, cared for by current students and museum staff.
Touch tank & hands-on exploration
Visitors of all ages can explore the natural world through our popular live tide pool tank, featuring sea stars, hermit crabs, snails, and other creatures from Frenchman Bay. Exhibits also include bones, baleen, and feathers for sensory learning, study skins and mounted specimens, interactive stations to smell, touch, and observe, as well as rotating nature drawings, photos, and student artwork.
Temporary and rotating exhibits
Throughout the year, the Dorr Museum features short-term exhibits highlighting student research, community collaborations, and artistic explorations of nature.
Recent themes have included:
- Whale skulls and comparative anatomy
- Sea bird migration routes
- Alumni art inspired by Maine’s coastline
- Youth nature drawings and photography
Exhibits rotate throughout each academic term and during the summer season.
Stories from the Field
All-hands effort studies mountaintop mammals
Vertebrate ecologist Dr. Brittany Slabach ’09 is using her Second Century Stewardship to collaborate with COA students, faculty, and alumnx on a study that examines how recreational trail use and sub-alpine management affects mountaintop mammal communities in Acadia National Park. Read More
What exactly does a petrel chick smell like? [Down East]
Great Duck Island is a notoriously tough place to land a boat. There’s no dock, just a steep, slippery ramp on the island’s exposed south side, which can only be approached in a Zodiac on a day when seas are under four feet. But one afternoon late last September, a pair of students from Bar Harbor’s College of the Atlantic finessed the landing and hauled hundreds of pounds of boat and passengers partway up the ramp—saving us not only from slipping but also from the dreaded “ass slapper,” a ledge where breaking waves tend to soak one’s derriere. Read More
Love of gulls leads to Goldwater award
Wriley Hodge ’24, a College of the Atlantic student with a passion for seabirds and the islands they inhabit, is named a Barry Goldwater Scholar, a prestigious, highly selective designation supporting students intending to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Read MoreReady to build your own path?
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