Detectorist Bert Yankielun, âDr. Why,â digs up Deer Isle History
DEER ISLE â Come spring, Mariners Memorial Park is prime butterfly-watching territory: you might catch the pale blue wings of the spring azure, which is partial to the dogwoods that dot the preserve, or the tiger swallowtail, which prefers the nectar from pink and red flowers.
You might also, if youâre lucky, catch a glimpse of Dr. Bert Yankielun, Antarctic adventurer, author, engineer, inventor and snow shelter expert, sweeping the ground with his metal detector and waiting for the âbeeps and boopsâ of discovery.
âI am not a historian. I am not an archaeologist. I am an engineer,â said Yankielun, also known as âDoctor Why,â after a group of schoolchildren had difficulty pronouncing his last name. âI use scientific and engineering techniques to discover things.â