Local author-journalist Dyke Hendrickson will talk about his book, Plum Island: A Vulnerable Gem and show slides, including numerous aerial photos that have not been displayed in the past. Plum Island faces many challenges. On the northern sector, many houses are vulnerable to rising seas. On the southern portion, scientists are concerned that climate change will affect the health and habits of migrating birds that frequent the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. This book is about the changing conditions at the island. In 2022, Plum Island is immersed in a significant moment of its history.

Dyke Hendrickson, an author-journalist living in Newburyport, has written six books. His most recent is, “Merrimack: The Resilient River, An Illustrated Profile of the Most Historic River in New England,” (Fonthill Media, 2021, UK). Hendrickson calls it “part history and part call to action.” The author provides insight on its remarkable past, including the fact it was the birthplace of the Coast Guard. Along the Merrimack were built the first major textile mills in the country. It was also the site of a scientific breakthrough in clean drinking water and of one of the first successful labor strikes. Hendrickson interviewed more than 50 North Shore residents for the well-researched text, and he has included more than 75 color photos of the majestic waterway. He is currently a historian with the Merrimack River Watershed Council. In that role, he speaks on Zoom to clubs, associations, and historical gatherings on the history of the Coast Guard and of the Merrimack River. His maritime writing began several years ago when he produced a multi-part series for The Daily News, the local newspaper in Newburyport, on the 250th anniversary of that city. Hendrickson then researched and wrote “Nautical Newburyport: A History of Captains, Clipper Ships and the Coast Guard,” published by The History Press in 2017. Coming in 2020 was, “New England Coast Guard Stories: Remarkable Mariners.” The author graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a degree in history, and he did graduate work at the University of Maine, Orono. He is a former writer and/or editor with the Portland Press Herald, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Boston Herald and The Daily News of Newburyport. Other publications he has written for include USA Today, the Boston Globe and Tennis magazine.