I have photographed with folks at Bigelow Lab from the very early days with the Yentsch founders.

Over the years, from time to time, I would be called upon to record new developments and expanding services for a variety of scientific subjects. The opportunity to meet and work with extraordinary individuals came with the territory. It was a great pleasure to be invited to help showcase some of the research projects which, for the most part, were way above my pay grade and totally fascinating. The collection of talented individuals from all over the world was, and is, amazing.

The subjects of research were and still are wide ranging, but I must say, without exception, I never would have guessed that one of the areas being actively considered is cows! Yup.

Cows! But recently, in a conversation with Brigid Carr, who is very involved with this project, new ground is being broken. It’s a pretty fascinating subject for the renowned institution.

Brigid came to Bigelow a couple years ago when she was looking to move closer to her very upstate New York childhood home and family. A college friend suggested she check out Bigelow since Brigid had extensive education and experience with degrees in bio-chemical studies and oceanographic projects. For example, during and after her studies at Eckerd University in Florida she worked with others monitoring damage to ocean waters and aquatic life resulting from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. When she finished her undergraduate degree she continued her study at University of South Florida in the area of analytical chemistry.

Brigid’s new credentials and experience next took her to Monaco, France, and the United Nations Marine Environmental Lab. 

Her new job tracked emerging pollutant chemicals from electronic waste. In other words, the detection and identification of what was beginning to show up in ocean waters from the disposal of computers and similar technology. Her office was a ringside seat for the French Grand Prix and the accompanying parade of extravagance.

Then, in June of 2023, Brigid landed here in Maine at Bigelow where she now works on the “Cow Project” (my description), among others. This is a special study involved with working farms and analysis of methane production. You see, Brigid and others are working to develop feed for livestock using seaweed. As it turns out (another factoid for this unknowing hillbilly), much of a cow’s methane production comes from their burps! Who’da thunk?! It goes without saying that some methane escapes from the other end of things, but more actually releases from the cow’s reprocessing of food, referred to as the “chewing of one’s cud.” Initially food is ingested, kind of wholesale, to be softened and prepared for regurgitation. This second digestive step is where the methane burp occurs.

What Brigid and her colleagues are working to develop is a pellet, that will be nutritious and easily served, producing less gas. Work with the University of New Hampshire and Miner Agricultural Research Institute provides good opportunities for sharing with farmers and cows, offering real world feedback (no pun intended).

In her spare time Brigid keeps busy. She knits, makes quilts, kayaks, bikes, hikes, skis, gardens and dips in the cold ocean at Hendricks Head with her compatriot “Little Dippers.” This summer she hopes to learn to sail which will hopefully provide a whole new oceanographic experience!