Maine wildlife educator Jessica Woodend designed a life-size inflatable whale as a tribute to a beloved local humpback named Chunk She now travels across the state with the whale, giving kids and ...

Early in the morning on Feb. 29, a class of first graders excitedly shuffled into the South Boston Catholic Academy gym. Waiting for them on the floor lay a massive, life-sized, inflatable whale, ...

For a decade, Woodend, 39, crisscrossed the state with live animals in tow, introducing communities to the wildlife right in their backyard. She loved watching kids’ eyes widen as they reached out, ...