MC_Drift_Spring_2025 4 5-15-25

Board of Directors

Buck O’Herin

President

Joanne Steneck

Vice President

Sally Butler

Secretary

Justin Ward

Treasurer

Chuck Dinsmore

Brent Douglass

Chris Kenoyer

Liz Petruska

Kathy Stevens

STAFF

S arah Giffen Carr

Co-Executive Director of Conservation

Kristin Pennock

Co-Executive Director of Operations

Stephanie Hanner

Acting Co-Executive Director of Development & Communications

Melissa Cote

Sheepscot River Watershed Manager

Isob el Curtis Director of Stewardship

Tim Libby Forestry & Lands Manager

Kelly McNally Office Manager

Patricia Nease

Damariscotta Lake Watershed Manager

Erik a Presley

Land Conservation Manager

Morganne Price

Medomak River Watershed Manager

K ate Raymond

Development & Database Manager

Zoe T homas

Nature-Based Program Manager

Newsletter Design: Hollie Fleming

THE MISSION OF MIDCOAST CONSERVANCY IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE VITAL LANDS AND WATERS ON A SCALE THAT MATTERS.

WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE OUR LANDS AND WATERS ARE HEALTHY AND PROTECTED AND WHERE NATURE OCCUPIES A PLACE OF CENTRAL IMPORTANCE IN EVERY PERSON’S LIFE.

TAKING ACTION ISSUE

TAKING ACTION

PROTECTING MIDCOAST MAINE’S LAND AND LEGACY

REWILDING ON DAMARISCOTTA LAKE

SIMPLE ACTS OF RESTORATION

HOPE FOR HEMLOCKS 2025

ACTION FIGURES

SMALL ACTIONS CAN HAVE A BIG EFFECT

RAPID STREAM ASSESSMENT

GETTING TO KNOW: THREE BROOKS FOREST

SAVING HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN

REVENUE AND EXPENSES AT A GLANCE

2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTS & LOOKING AHEAD

MIDCOAST CONSERVANCY SUPPORTERS

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK

OUR WORLD, YOUR LEGACY

Taking Action

By Buck O'Herin, President of the Board of Dir ectors

“LET OUR ACTIONS SET THE FINER POINTS OF OUR PHILOSOPHY” IS A DECLARATION FROM CONSERVATIONIST DAVE FOREMAN, IMPLORING US TO LEAVE OUR COMFORT ZONE AND GET ENGAGED. THE STATEMENT IS MORE APT TODAY THAN EVER DUE TO ACTIONS THAT THREATEN TO UNDERMINE EVEN THE MOST BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IN OUR COUNTRY.

In 1991, an eighteen-year-old in my rural Montville neighborhood, Kirstin George, returned home from a semester-long environmental studies travel program to learn that a beautiful marsh, visible from the road in our neighborhood, was under threat. A road bisecting the marsh had been illegally built and the hill overlooking the marsh was clear cut in preparation for a housing development. The marsh and the wildlife that lived and visited there were cherished by the community.

One experience during Kirstin’s semester was a visit to a Maine land trust to learn about their conservation work. Upset about damage to the Montville marsh and inspired by her educational experiences, Kirstin organized a meeting to discuss what could be done. Sixteen neighbors showed up and although they were uncertain about a course of action, this was the beginning of efforts to stop the project and protect the marsh.

Within a year these friends and neighbors formed a land trust, the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance (SWLA). In 1993, with donations, loans, art sales, and lots of sweat equity, the group was able to acquire the marsh and 47 acres of land. The road was removed, the marsh was protected as forever wild, and the area began to recover. This was the first of many conservation projects that sprang from Kirstin’s inspiration and her small but ultimately significant action.

Today, nearly 3,000 acres of land in the Sheepscot Headwaters in Montville, Freedom, Liberty, and Palermo has been conserved or are soon to be conserved. In 2016, SWLA became part of Midcoast Conservancy. As writer Edward Abbey reminds us, “Action is the antidote to despair.”

Photo: Volunteers and Midcoast Conservancy staff build water bars at Hidden Valley Nature Center as part of a collaboration with Maine Conservation Corps.

TAKING ACTION FOR TOMORROW: PROTECTING MIDCOAST MAINE’S LAND AND LEGACY

By Erika Presley

THE UNDENIABLE BEAUTY OF MIDCOAST MAINE CAPTIVATES US, INSPIRES US, AND CALLS US TO CARE FOR THE LAND. FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, THESE LANDSCAPES ARE MORE THAN JUST SCENIC VIEWS; THEY ARE FAMILY LEGACIES, WORKING LANDSCAPES, AND THE BACKDROP TO OUR LIVES.

These lands sustain our communities, enhance our quality of life, and connect us to nature in meaningful ways. But how can landowners take action to ensure these lands remain beautiful, healthy, and productive?

Land donation is one way to take action that will leave a lasting impact. By donating land to a land trust, you are ensuring its protection and stewardship in perpetuity. Donating land is a way to give back to the community, conserve natural beauty, and ensure that future generations can enjoy the same open spaces they have. Donating land to a land conservancy can be an effective estate planning strategy, especially for landowners with no heirs, since it allows them to protect their property’s natural value while ensuring it is preserved for future generations.

Another conservation option is placing an easement on your land. A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement between a landowner and a land trust that restricts certain types of development or land use on the property, while allowing the owner to continue living on or using the

land in ways consistent with stated conservation goals. Conservation easements help landowners protect their land's natural, ecological, or historical values while offering flexibility in key areas such as land use, recreational activity, and development rights.

Landowners can have many reasons for choosing to conserve their land. For some, land conservation aligns with personal values and a desire to protect local ecosystems, water quality, and wildlife corridors. Others feel a deep connection to the land and wish to preserve their family legacy, keeping their lands intact and free from development for their future heirs. Donating land or placing an easement can also be motivated by a commitment to safeguard what makes a region unique—whether it’s protecting wildlife habitats, scenic

views, significant ecosystems, or working landscapes. Land donations and conservation easements can also provide tax benefits to landowners such as income tax deductions, property tax reductions, and estate tax benefits. Finally, knowing their land will be conserved and not developed in the future can provide landowners with peace of mind, knowing they have made a meaningful contribution to the land and communities they love.

If you are interested in learning more about conserving your land, please reach out to Erika Presley, Land Conservation Manager: erika@midcoastconservancy.org.

Roy and Lisa Miller just donated a 49.5 acre easement on beautiful Turner Pond in Somerville. Roy says “Conserving this land is another step towards preserving the beautiful Turner Pond in Somerville and Palermo. The pond has public access off of Colby Road. It is surrounded by several thousand acres of mostly undeveloped land that provides a home and range for many animals. Good forestry practices and further areas of conservation around the pond can continue to allow wildlife to prosper and people to have a place for canoeing and ice fishing.”

Lisa and Roy Miller are all smiles, enjoying their property on Turner Pond in Somerville.

REWILDING ON DAMARISCOTTA LAKE

By Lauren Gray

I LEARNED ABOUT THE IDEA OF REWILDING WHILE SEARCHING FOR AVENUES TO MITIGATE A SIGNIFICANT EROSION PROBLEM WE FACED ON OUR PROPERTY ON DAMARISCOTTA LAKE. AS I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THIS PROCESS, I DISCOVERED THAT REWILDING WOULD OFFER ME A WONDERFUL AND EXCITING WAY TO ADDRESS OUR EROSION PROBLEM , WHILE CREATING MORE NATURAL SPACES ON OUR PROPERTY THAT SUPPORT NATIVE WILDLIFE AND POLLINATORS.

Ifound unexpected joy and beauty in using this ongoing process to naturalize the small area that I am the caretaker to. Yearly, I see new plants emerge naturally and watch animals and pollinators increase. For me, rewilding is an ever-evolving natural art project that enables me to support this place that I love so dearly.

There are two ways in which to begin rewilding, which are explained below. I chose the first option, because I could not dig up an area so close to the lake, and long-term it was the less expensive option.

• Choose an area to leave untouched. Allow it to develop naturally over the coming year. During the following spring, weed out the unwanted plants and add native plants/trees appropriate for the environment in their place.

NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES:

Maine Audubon: Native Plant Finder

• Place cardboard over the areas you will rewild and leave in place for three seasons. This will kill root systems without chemicals which will harm pollinators and wildlife. The following spring, till up the soil and plants and replace with native plants and trees appropriate to your location.

Consider using native plants and trees only, since they best support our environment, wildlife, and pollinators. Try to find natives that are not cultivated (mutated), since they offer less pollen/nutrients for wildlife. Some considerations are:

• How much light does the area receive?

• What kind of soil do you have?

• How damp is the soil?

• Height of the plants, considering different heights and leaf textures

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry: Yardscaping

LOCATIONS TO PURCHASE UNCULTIVATED NATIVE PLANTS:

• Blooming times: try to pick native perennials that bloom at different intervals. Pollinators need food sources through all seasons.

• Diversity of plant types to support wildlife and pollinators. The more diversity you have in plant type, the more diversity you will likely see, as pollinators are not just bees.

Remember, your rewilding project will change over time. You may find that some species start to overtake another that you love. You may end up thinning those and/or adding additional new native plants to add new color and texture to your space.

Watch for wildlife and be amazed that you have created a safe space where they find shelter and food. You may also want to consider leaving your plants and leaves untouched over winter, since wildlife and pollinators use the growth for protection over the winter months.

Rewilding has become an integral part of how I care for my property. I have found an ever-growing love and desire to do what I can to support this beautiful place and all creatures that live here. I am amazed to watch the changes through the seasons, and feel such pride in being even a small part in helping to sustain the life and beauty of the area.

SIMPLE ACTS OF RESTORATION

By Tim Libby

ONE OF MY FAVORITE TAKEAWAYS FROM WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS IS “I REALIZE NOW THAT I DON’T HAVE TO CLEAN UP MY WOODS!” MANY WORKSHOPS ARE HELD IN DEMONSTRATION FORESTS WHERE IT’S EASY TO POINT OUT HEALTHY FOREST MANAGEMENT, AND WHEN I ASK FOR TAKEAWAYS IN THE END, I LOVE GETTING THIS ONE BACK.

Our development of the landscape is a major barrier to the natural movement of plants and animals. Much of our developed landscape can still be the home to plants and animals though, and the same can be said for the forested landscape that we all have some connection to, be it the forested backyard, the family woodlot, or even the park. The forest as a home for plants and animals might seem obvious, but what might not be obvious is how much our presence and our activities affect the ability for the landscape to support life.

The movement to rewild our yards has gained a bit of traction recently. I love this concept as such an easy way to grasp how we can facilitate habitat. If you allow milkweed to grow in your yard, you will potentially be providing a space for monarchs to live and reproduce – which is critical to their survival.

Many forest species need particular conditions for survival, and many of these conditions don’t necessarily align with our habits. For instance, a forest doing what it does naturally — shedding limbs, growing shrubs and ferns, dying trees — is typically not deemed to be tidy. People make

entire hobbies out of “cleaning up” their forest. Their thinking goes: Trees need to be straight, there can’t be anything at eye level that would block the view such as young trees or shrubs, and certainly there cannot be any downed or dead standing trees. These are all crucial components of a natural landscape, however, that provide habitat for a wide range of native species. These conditions have become sorely lacking in places because of our tendency to clean up.

By adopting a leave-it-be approach to our yards and even our woods, we can play a hand in making a difference. Let the native shrubs, ferns and small trees grow. Let limbs, leaves, acorns and downed trees lie. Move them off of trails and away from danger of course, but where they are not a danger or reasonably in the way, leave them. These are simple acts of restoration that can be the beginning or restoring habitat connectivity for many of the species that depend on a healthy landscape.

Crooked, dead and decaying trees as well as fallen logs may seem untidy, but they provide a crucial service to the landscape as structure and habitat.

This log is being consumed by turkey tail fungus. Fungus is important to forests and it cannot thrive without plentiful organic material.

HOPE FOR HEMLOCKS 2025

By Isobel Curtis

WITH THEIR DENSE CANOPY OF DELICATE OVAL NEEDLES, EASTERN HEMLOCK TREES (TSUGA CANADENSIS) ARE SOME OF THE MOST STATELY AND IMPORTANT TREES IN OUR NEW ENGLAND FORESTS. THEY ACT AS A FOUNDATION SPECIES: ONE THAT CREATES UNIQUE HABITATS UPON WHICH OTHER SPECIES DEPEND.

often found along streams and rivers, their dense canopy provides vital shade that keeps the water cool and able to carry more dissolved oxygen to support aquatic life. Unfortunately, these important trees are disappearing, thanks to the invasive insect Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). This tiny sap-sucking beetle attaches at the base of needles and causes them to die and fall off, starving the tree and causing death over a period of 10-20 years. Cold winters have confined it to coastal Maine as far north as Mount Desert Island, but it is steadily creeping northward and inland as our winters warm.

In 2024, Midcoast Conservancy and Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust (CRCT) worked with the Town of Waldoboro to release thousands of Sasajiscymnus tsugae (St) biocontrol beetles that

feed on HWA and help control its population. St beetles have been widely released in mid-Atlantic states and in southern New England to combat HWA since the early 1990’s. The Maine Forest Service has been releasing St biocontrol beetles since 2004 and has released over 100,000 beetles in southern Maine. Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust and Midcoast Conservancy have released beetles on other conserved lands throughout the midcoast as part of an ongoing management effort. CRCT has also organized private landowners to place large group orders of St beetles from the sole commercial producer in the US, Tree Savers LLC.

Biocontrol agents are the only landscape scale solution available for HWA management right now. While trees can be treated with insecticides, only a small number of trees can be treated per acre making it more appropriate for horticultural settings. An integrated chemical and biological approach can also be taken on a landscape scale if there are large specimen trees within a stand that warrant extra protection while the population of biocontrol beetles grows.

The long-term goal of releasing biocontrol beetles is to build a

regional breeding population that will keep HWA levels in check by establishing the predator-prey dynamic that occurs naturally in the insect's native range. Each small, isolated, release of St beetles contributes to this larger effort and helps establish a regional population with the potential to save our Eastern Hemlock trees. With so much at stake, it has been incredibly heartening to see the outpouring of action from the land trust community, municipality partners, and private landowners. Through our collective efforts, we are giving our Eastern Hemlocks a fighting chance!

These efforts were funded in part through a grant awarded by the Maine Forest Service through their Project Canopy Program and the USDA Forest Service.

Isobel Curtis, Stewardship Director, releases St beetles at Marsh River Preserve in Newcastle with Sky Cahoon, Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward.

To check for HWA, look for white woolly masses at the base of needles on the underside of hemlock branches.

Sasajiscymnus tsugae (St) beetles settle on a hemlock branch immediately after release. Soon they will fly away in search of food.

ACTION FIGURES

By Zoe Thomas

A FEW NOBLEBORO STUDENTS ARE EXCITED TO SNOWSHOE ACROSS HAYBALE POND DURING THEIR FEBRUARY VISIT TO HIDDEN VALLEY NATURE CENTER. WE STAND BY THE POND, JUST BEHIND THE BEZON BARN, TAKING IN THE AFTERNOON AND WATCHING THE BIRDS AS WE BUCKLE INTO SNOWSHOES. “WHAT’S THAT BIRD DOING?,” ASKS ONE YOUNG OBSERVER. THE BIRD IN QUESTION IS FLYING DOWN TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE POND, LANDING IN ONE PARTICULAR SPOT REPEATEDLY, THEN FLYING OFF.

M"aybe there’s a bit of open water along that edge of the pond and the bird is drinking,” I suggest, doubtful that there would be any open water this time of year. We head across the pond to investigate. On the far side we discover a small patch of open water that the bird has indeed been drinking from, but it’s what is just below the surface that astounds all of us. Dozens of tadpoles are squirming and wriggling together in a mass of tails and heads.

THE STUDENTS ARE FULL OF QUESTIONS –

“Why is this part not frozen?” “How are tadpoles alive this time of year?” “Aren't they freezing?” “Why are there so many?”

One student runs back to get Heather Hardy, the Maine Master Naturalist who teaches our Nobleboro class each month. The rest of the students wander across the pond to check out the excitement, bringing Heather with them.

She is as awed as the rest of us by the huge tadpoles swimming en masse while surrounded by ice. Everyone gets to thinking and brainstorming what could be going on. Some suggestions are hilariously improbable and others are pretty close to correct. Heather shares her most likely explanation: “The sun has warmed this patch and for whatever reason kept the water open. These must be bullfrog

tadpoles because those take three years to grow from egg into bullfrogs, making them the only kind to winter over. Usually they survive winter by burrowing into the mud but today they must have emerged to feel the sun through the slightly warmed water.”

The class is abuzz with excitement, curiosity, questions, and answers. We talk about frogs and fish, birds in winter, food sources, and survival. Everyone is feeling the connection to this well-loved pond that they have gotten to observe from September through the freezing days in February. The discovery of this seemingly impossible mystery of nature has deepened the students' interest in what’s happening around them, hopefully codifying their engagement with the natural world for years to come.

Wyatt Thomas ice skating among the reeds during Sunday Ski Club.

Nobelboro students discovering bullfrog tadpoles in the February sun.

Artie Piwowarski’s first year on skis.

SMALL ACTIONS CAN HAVE A BIG EFFECT

By Patricia Nease

WHEN DOREEN AND TOM FIRST STARTED LOOKING FOR A LAKEHOUSE, THEY KNEW THEY WANTED A PLACE WHERE THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO MUCH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. NOW, AFTER 13 YEARS ON THE LAKE, THEY’VE FULLY EMBRACED THE “LESS IS MORE” MENTALITY. “ DOING LESS FOR OUR PROPERTY AND LETTING IT BE NATURAL HAS BEEN HOW WE TAKE ACTION, LEAVE IT ALONE AND LET IT BE ,” SAYS DOREEN WHEN TALKING ABOUT THEIR APPROACH TO THEIR LAKESHORE PROPERTY.

They've made little improvements by installing best management practices (BMPs) to help divert the runoff that comes with development. They’ve installed a gravel parking area with a French drain to minimize soil compaction and direct runoff into a vegetated area allowing water to slow down and soak into the soil. Doreen and Tom are also very careful to maintain their vegetated buffer of plants along the shoreline. They do some pruning to keep the height manageable, but said that they only remove plants that are invasive.

All these small actions, including doing nothing, add up – and help protect Damariscotta Lake. Doreen and Tom received a LakeSmart award last summer in recognition of their efforts and how they model living in a way that has the least amount of impact on Damariscotta Lake. Becoming LakeSmart certified can be a lengthy process that takes multiple years of BMP implementation and evaluation because each property is scored using strict criteria managed through Maine Lakes. But taking

action in small ways over many years still has a large impact and can help to protect our waters!

Doreen and Tom first discovered Midcoast Conservancy by looking for a hiking group in the area. They found Wednesday Wanderers; never ones to turn down a challenge, they attended the walk every week, bringing friends and neighbors along with them. They mentioned how Isobel Curtis (our Director of Stewardship) and Skye (a former Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward) were impressive leaders who were so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna on their walks that it kept them engaged and coming back. Doreen remembers a hike on Peter’s Pond Preserve where they met Ali Stevenson, who encouraged them to become members of Midcoast Conservancy and talked about her experiences working to conserve family land adjacent to the preserve. Becoming members was just the beginning; this last summer Doreen and Tom attended the Gala, where they became more involved as financial supporters,

and got into bidding wars during the auction. “It was the highlight of the summer,” said Doreen.

They also attended the State of the Lake and signed up to get more involved as volunteers. Now Doreen and Tom are strong advocates for both Midcoast Conservancy and Damariscotta Lake, and wish they could see more organizations like Midcoast Conservancy at work near their winter home of Florida. They’re seeing so much land getting built up around them, leaving less and less for the flora and fauna of the area. They appreciate the value in the large scale land conservation work happening at Midcoast Conservancy, and how work on a smaller individual scale through programs like LakeSmart all add up to helping protect midcoast Maine for the future. Right now, they are looking forward to summer when they can find new ways to take action with the goal of getting more of their neighbors involved and becoming members! Thanks, Tom and Doreen!

Top photo: A view of the house from the dock exemplifies the vegetated buffer along the shore. Right photo: Doreen and Tom’s LakeSmart award sign.

RAPID STREAM ASSESSMENT: TAKING ACTION THROUGH UNDERSTANDING

By Melissa Cote

WHEN EUROPEANS ARRIVED IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY THEY TOOK ACTION TO BRING THEIR WAY OF LIFE TO MAINE BY DAMMING RIVERS TO POWER MILLS, HARVESTING TIMBER, BUILDING ROADS, AND USING THE RIVERS AS CONVEYOR BELTS TO TRANSPORT LOGS.

Unfortunately, over 200 years of these practices have negatively impacted our rivers’ ability to function naturally and damaged their balanced ecosystems, including in the ecologically-important Sheepscot River.

Over 40 remnant dams have been mapped within the Sheepscot watershed, with many more likely in existence. Even when breached, remnant dams often leave a stream channel that is simplified, disconnected from its floodplain, and potentially still a barrier to fish. In addition, historic log drives that used splash dams would release large torrents of water to transport logs downstream. This was done in combination with the removal of fallen trees and straightening of the river to facilitate log transport. The result of these practices reduced habitat

complexity and impaired stream processes; large woody debris plays a critical role in connecting the river to its floodplain, increasing macroinvertebrate production, forming deeper pools, and providing shelter. Simplified river channels with large width-to-depth ratios also tend to experience more rapid water temperature fluctuations, which are stressful for cold-water species, particularly in the summer when temperatures are warmer.

While to the untrained eye the river may look natural, the legacy effects of these historic practices have impaired the habitat for a number of endangered and at-risk species within the watershed, including Atlantic salmon. In order to address these issues and develop a strategic approach that restores the watershed, we need to take action by first understanding on-the-ground habitat conditions and factors impacting riverine processes.

To investigate the on-the-ground habitat conditions, we took to the field with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Marine Resources to pilot a rapid stream assessment of prioritized river reaches, or segments, in the Sheepscot watershed. There were several notable findings from the completed surveys. Often, the stream channels were simplified

and lacked a sufficient amount of the large trees and deep pools that help provide habitat complexity and a refuge for fish. These reaches also possessed large width-to-depth ratios, indicating that the channel is over-widened and shallow. We found that most spawning and rearing habitat for Atlantic salmon is near remnant dams; the higher stream gradient at those locations, which was ideal for powering mills, is also ideal habitat for juvenile Atlantic salmon.

The reaches surveyed frequently had modified channels where the stream dug its channel down into the riverbed, leaving it disconnected from its floodplain. Floodplain connectivity is a critical element to stream and watershed health, as a functional floodplain provides natural flood and erosion control, fish and wildlife habitat protection, and groundwater recharge while also improving water quality and biological productivity through nutrient exchanges between the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The lack of sediment transport throughout the watershed, because the river was often disconnected from its floodplain, indicates that the river is ‘stuck’ and unable to reconnect with its floodplain. In order to address these issues we’re working on recommendations that will help guide us to take action to restore the watershed processes for the benefit of the ecosystem, including the plants, wildlife, and people that depend on it.

Melissa Cote looks at a large beaver dam encountered during a rapid stream assessment on the West Branch of the Sheepscot River.

US Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Bill Bennett runs a tape across the West Branch of the Sheepscot to measure geomorphic variables.

GETTING TO KNOW: THREE BROOKS FOREST

By Morganne Price

AS YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT EXPLORING MIDCOAST MAINE, I INVITE YOU TO DRIVE THROUGH DOWNTOWN WALDOBORO AND DOWN ROUTE 220 SOUTH TOWARD THE TOWN OF FRIENDSHIP. LOOKING TO YOUR LEFT, YOU WILL SEE HISTORIC FARMSTEADS AND LOTS OF FOREST LAND. THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS THE THREE BROOKS FOREST, A NEARLY 7,000 ACRE INTACT HABITAT BLOCK IN SOUTH WALDOBORO

Named for the three brooks - Slaigo Brook, Farnsworth Brook, and Watermans Brooks (which flows into the Goose River) - that meander through the land before making their way to the Medomak River, this area is special because it is the largest intact habitat block along the coast of Maine from Kittery to Belfast, and it is right here in our backyard.

Throughout time, this land has provided the people, wildlife, and fish with vital resources. The Wawanok, the indigenous people of this area, are connected to this land and have relied on its resources for survival. Later inhabitants used lumber to build homes and ships, and then farmed much of the area. Slaigo Brook even powered several mills during the 1800’s to process a multitude of goods.

Conservation of the Three Brooks Forest started over 20 years ago, when just 240 acres were purchased by the Medomak Valley Land Trust in 2003. Today, between conservation easements and land trust properties, the conserved land has grown to over 1,325 protected acres. Janet McMahon, an ecologist and Waldoboro resident who lives on the edge of the Three Brooks Forest, was instrumental in taking action to protect this area, and says, “When I meander through the Three Brooks Forest (as I often do), I think of what a dynamic place

it is. Beavers constantly reshape wetlands and stream channels, the forest regenerates after [timber] harvests and wind storms, and the water-powered mills are long gone. It almost feels like the glaciers just left when I scramble over ridge after ridge of tumbled rock and granite outcrops scraped clean by ice. I’m always grateful to experience its expansiveness, quiet, and miles of unbroken forest right here in the heart of Waldoboro.”

This diverse landscape filled with impressive granite ledges and many wetland bogs provides habitat for charismatic megafauna like deer, moose, bobcats, and bears, and healthy clean waters for fish like brook trout and elvers.

These conserved lands also allow for public access for hunting, foraging, and recreating. The multi-use snowmobile trail, managed by the Waldoboro Sno-Crawlers, runs through the Three Brooks Forest, connecting the town of Friendship to the rest of the state and beyond. This public access trail crosses over private lands as well as Midcoast Conservancy land. Ben Scott, a Waldoboro native who also lives in the Three Brooks Forest, says, “As a 5th generation wild blueberry grower, landowner, and recreational snowmobile user [within the Three Brooks Forest], I feel that it is important to conserve as much

undeveloped land as possible. Getting out in the woods and enjoying the peace and quiet is something I enjoy doing, and believe is beneficial to everyone. I am a member of the Waldoboro Sno-Crawlers. We have over 35 miles of trails within the town of Waldoboro, and between Route 1 and Finntown Road we cross around 40 different parcels of land. I appreciate all the landowners and Midcoast Conservancy have done to preserve this resource and now allow myself and others to enjoy their properties and trails.” The Waldoboro Sno-Crawlers are excellent stewards of the land and help us all access and enjoy these special places. To access this area and experience the wonder for yourself, visit our Burkett Mill Preserve, off of the Goshen Road in Waldoboro. There you will find three miles of hiking trails, along with access to the multi-use Snowmobile Trail which is great in winter for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Given the expanse of Midcoast Conservancy’s 450-square-mile service area, it can be hard to know how best to take action. This special area in south Waldoboro almost speaks for itself, though the land and waters can always use a little help in getting their voices heard. We are grateful to everyone who has taken action to conserve this land and those who continue to steward these vital places.

Saving Haystack Mountain

By Ali Stevenson

THERE IS A PLACE THAT STRADDLES THE INVISIBLE LINE BETWEEN LIBERTY AND MONTVILLE, MAINE. FROM ITS ROCKY SUMMIT, MOUNT WASHINGTON LOOMS TO THE WEST, AND BOTH BLUE HILL MOUNTAIN AND THE CAMDEN HILLS SIT TO THE EAST. HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN IS BELOVED BY THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, ALONG WITH ANYONE WHO HAS MADE THE TREK AND FELT THEIR HEART SOAR AT THE ICONIC VISTA. THE MILE-LONG TRAIL IS A FAVORITE OF STUDENTS AT THE WALKER SCHOOL, NESTLED AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN. A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER CHANGES A STORYWALK INSTALLATION SEASONALLY. IT IS A PLACE, A PIECE OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS BEEN CLAIMED BY FEELINGS OF AFFECTION, APPRECIATION, AND AWE.

For many years, Haystack Mountain was the site of blueberry abundance, farmed by Allen’s Blueberry Freezer, Inc. In 2021, when the company decided to sell 60 acres there, community members saw the threat; armed with grassroots passion and determination, they set about saving Haystack Mountain. “Allen's Blueberry Freezer, Inc. contacted a few of us to let us know that the mountain was going up for sale on the open market and perhaps, there would be community interest to buy it and preserve it to keep it from development,” said Cathy Roberts, a Montville resident. “We felt strongly and passionately about this mountain and that the community would likely agree that it should not be developed into houselots, as it had such a long history of blueberry harvesting with public access. We quickly organized a core group of seven members and called our group Friends of Haystack Mountain (FOHM).”

Friends of Haystack Mountain was the result of a galvanized community. The group signed a purchase and sale agreement for the land with Allen’s, with the understanding that they would need to raise $450,000 to buy the land, ideally through a combination of grants and private donations. Roberts said, “We successfully negotiated with Midcoast Conservancy to be our fiscal sponsor. We had to commit our own funds to secure a purchase and sale agreement and negotiate an agreement

for the final sale that required FOHM members to sign for a commercial loan. Once we owned it, fundraising began in earnest!”

Once the group had secured the purchase, they knew that business and individual donations and fundraising events would have to be supplemented with grants. This hybrid approach to fundraising was key. Land for Maine’s Future was a major help in acquiring funds for their efforts. Additionally, said Roberts, “Our website and social media played an important role in maintaining our connections and continuity.”

About Haystack Mountain

The mountain rises just over 800 feet above sea level but the top provides visitors panoramic views of the landscape for miles around. The 1.1-mile footpath forms a loop and winds through a mixed northern hardwood forest that includes oak, pine, maple, birch, and hemlock. Near the top, a short spur trail takes hikers to the open summit. Haystack is the only vantage point for miles around that offers such expansive and unobstructed views via a maintained trail allowing public access.

There are two trailheads, one on Haystack Road (soon to have a larger parking lot), and another strategically located 200 yards from the back of Walker School which has been used by students and teachers for decades. On occasion students have participated in trail improvement work projects. Once introduced to the trail, it is not uncommon for students to introduce their families to the trail on a weekend. The trail is an important community resource that provides Walker School students and area residents with healthy physical activity, relaxation, and solitude.

What Do Action Steps Look Like?

To engage the greater community in their efforts, FOHM employed a variety of friendraising and fundraising activities:

• An open meeting early on to brainstorm, providing local stakeholders a forum to participate in

• A production of Blueberries For Sal at the Walker School, followed by a guided hike up the mountain

• An event at Lake St. George Brewing Company to launch the Haystack-branded beer that included a successful auction

• Nature education programs like birdwatching and hawk counts

• Stargazing events that included information about light pollution

• Branded hats to increase awareness of the project

• Committing to hard work on a tight timeframe to prevent group burnout

• Modeling buy-in, as the group put their own money on the line at the outset

Partnerships were essential in gaining widespread community support and the success of grant writing; having local businesses engaged was critical. Partners included the Palermo Snowmobile Club, Liberty Library, Walker School, Montville and Liberty Select Boards and Historical Societies, the Citizens Association of Liberty Lakes, Bangor Savings Bank, Rooted Elements – who provided an ecological survey –and Midcoast Conservancy as a fiscal sponsor. All partners were extremely helpful in applying for and securing grants and spreading word about FOHM’s fundraising goals.

“FOHM is elated to have accomplished their capital campaign in such a timely manner. We are all ecstatic that our efforts paid off and we can now feel secure that Haystack Mountain, with its iconic views, will forever be maintained for public access and preserved in perpetuity,” said Roberts.

Midcoast Conservancy Board President and FOHM member Buck O’Herin added, “It was an absolute pleasure to work closely with a group of folks who I became close to in the process of saving a mountaintop. It took a lot of time and effort but the

shared goal of protecting a place we all love was deeply satisfying.”

"A place is a piece of the environment that has been claimed by feelings."

~ Alan Gussow

Generations of students, families, hikers, and visitors will feel their hearts swell from the bedrock summit (maybe in part from the uphill effort!) and feel the sense of place that inspired a committed community to take action on behalf of the natural world.

The Haystack Mountain preserve lies squarely within the heart of the Georges River Land Trust service area. It is for this reason that the ownership and future stewardship of the preserve has been transferred to Georges River Land Trust. We are pleased that Georges River Land Trust is as excited as we are about this opportunity and believe this is a true testament to what can be accomplished through partnerships.

REVENUE AND EXPENSES AT A G LANCE

FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2023 - JUNE 30, 2024

$1,044,639 $532,231 $381,662 $220,479 $224,164 $2,403,175

$1,657,403 $519,459 $153,200 $76,378 $49,991 $112,033 $83,365 $2,651,829

* During this time period Midcoast Conservancy was the fiscal sponsor for two other organizations; figures during this time therefore include activity of sponsored organizations.

Audited financial statements and IRS form 990 are available on our website or by calling 207.389.5150. Midcoast Conservancy is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and the tax ID number is 22-2658964.

2024 AccompLishments & looking ahead

WE ARE EXCITED TO SHARE HOW OUR COMMITMENT TO LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION PRIORITIES IN MIDCOAST MAINE IS EVIDENT IN THE WORK WE’VE DONE IN 2024 AND ARE CONTINUING TO DO, INCLUDING:

• Adding acres of conserved (fee) lands with closings on parcels in Waldoboro and Liberty, bringing our service-area total to nearly 16,000 acres;

• Kicking off our Wetland Creation & Restoration Project at our Musquash Pond Preserve, thanks to partners SWCA Environmental Consultants and grant funding support from Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP);

• Completing the Branch Pond Fishway Project in China with conservation partners including The Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, The Nature Conservancy in Maine, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maine Department of Marine Resources, NOAA Restoration Center, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, opening up 325 acres of habitat to ~129,000 fish;

• Maintaining 95 miles of public hiking trails, which involved 53 volunteer trail days, and over 1,000 hours of dedicated volunteer time;

• Monitoring water quality on:

m

m

m the Sheepscot River through a partnership with the Sheepscot Samplers Program, the Sheepscot Estuary through the Maine Coastal Observing Alliance, Damariscotta Lake, including cyanobacteria abundance, fecal bacteria levels, and environmental data throughout the summer months;

• conducting research with Colby College on American oysters in the Marsh River;

• conducting invasive aquatic plant management on Damariscotta Lake, including organizing Invasive Plant Patrol and staffing the public boat launches for Courtesy Boat Inspections;

• expanded nature-based educational partnerships with schools who send students from their 4th grade classes to our Hidden Valley Nature Center;

• offering Wednesday Wanders, Saturday Saunters, Full Moon Paddles (or hikes), and additional naturalist programming for life-long learning and opportunities to engage with nature.

This work is directly supported by your generosity ~ thank you!

CALENDAR

YEAR 2024

Midcoast Conservancy Supporters

WELLSPRING CIRCLE

$10,000+ Keystone

Alexander and Anne Buck

Butler Conservation Fund

Charles and Megan Dinsmore

Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation

Jordan Fairman and Adrien Rothschild

Fields Pond Foundation

Forest Society of Maine

Glidden Point Oyster Farms

Grace Goldberg

Lewis and Ina Heafitz

Paul and Maureen Hoffman

Horizon Foundation

Noelle and David Houben

Joseph and Mary Fiore Family Foundation

Kieve Wavus Education, Inc.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust

Maine Audubon

Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund

Susan and John Morris

Onion Foundation

Hugh Riddleberger and Louise McIlhenny

Glenn and Linda Sandefur

Joanne and Robert Steneck

The Andromeda Foundation

The Massey Family Charitable Trust

The Nature Conservancy

Anna Marie and John Thron

US Department of Agriculture

Kathryn and Dave Villano

Mary Eliza Wengren

Christine Williams and Charles Stohlberg

Anonymous (2)

$5,000-$9,999 Guardian

Aldermere Foundation

Marion Brown

Robert and Sally Butler

Judith and Erik Ekholm

Fund for Maine Land Conservation at Maine Community Foundation

Carolyn and Peter Gabbe

Robert and Priscilla Horst

Eleanor Kinney and Stephen Page

Del Merritt

Jonah Meyerson and Elizabeth Lucy

Lisa and Roy Miller

Momentum Conservation

Richard and Nancy Nelson

Newcastle Foundation

Timothy O'Neil

Ed and Debra Pentaleri

Ronald and Deborah Ratner

Honor Fox Sage

Margo and Jack Simmons

Holly and George Stone

David and Paula Swetland

$2,500-$4,999 Steward

Ames True Value Hardware and Supply

Austin Community Foundation

Susan Amundsen

Lily Barberich and Robert Massengale

Laura Blutstein and Charles Duncan

Susanna Fiore and Jay Girill

Gerald and Suki Flanagan

Julia Gabbert and Chris Miller

Eleanor Goldberg and Malcolm Burson

Maryann and Paul Guernsey

Laurie Howarth and William Chapman

Margaret and David Huckabee

Jay and Christine LeGore

Maine Lakes Society

Margaret E Burnham Charitable Trust

Stephen McCarthy

Norman N. and Gale R. Hochgraf

Charitable Foundation

John Pickering

Kristen Rupert and John Foote

Catherine and Shaesby Scott

Ronald and Beverly Smith

Town of Jefferson

Town of Newcastle

Town of Nobleboro

$1,000-$2,499

Keeper

John and Maggie Atwood

Arlene and Jeremy Barnard

Bercow Family Fund

Bob Bickel

Sarah and Jim Birkett

Betsey Hall

James and Lorena Hartenstein

John and Aubree Heller

Tim and Julie Hussman

Inn Along the Way

Roberta Johnson

Bambi Jones and Tracy Moskovitz

Mark Jordan and Ellen Belknap

Kathryn and Timothy Joy

Karen and Kevin Kelly

Alice Kendall

Henry and Betty Kennedy

Ellen and Andrew Kentz

Janie Kinney and Charles Reifel

Genevieve Leslie

Liberty Graphics

David Linehan and Janice Linehan

Eleanor Loader and Robert Kirshner

Mary Jane Low

Cabot and Heidi Lyman

Poppy and Robert Mastrovita

Brian McCowan

Leslie McNeill

Peter Millard and Emily Wesson

John and Linda Mills

David Moss

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Joanne Omang and David Burnham

Harold and Stephanie Payson

Keith Pearce and Joni Pearce

Steve and Christina Petruska

Jeff and Karen Philbrick

Timothy and Wendy Pickering

Barbara and Elise Piscuskas

Harriet Plehn

MIDCOAST CONSERVANCY SUPPORTERS

$500-$999 Trailblazer

Jim and Patty Alfieri

Noreen Bagley and Ken Werner

Marjorie and Robert Baldwin

The Bech/Hegedus Charitable Giving Fund

Trevor Blackford

Alan Breckenridge

Denison Briggs

Broad Bay Congregational United Church of Christ

Robert Brooks

Benjamin Chesler

Bennett Collins and Christa Thorpe

Gail Conboy

Richard Connelly

Barbara and Richard Cooch

Steve Diamond and Nancy Weingarten

Ann Dibble

Karolina and John Dickerson

Stanley Dodge

Leonard Duffy

Employee Family Protection, Inc.

Cindy and Gary Eschenroeder

Lorenzo Exposito

James and Susan Fitton

Alice Ford

Karen Foxwell

Alice and George Frelinghuysen

Sarah Giffen Carr and Matt Carr

Mary Jo and Byron J. Good

Luther Black and Christina Wright

Susan and Donald Blagden

Tom Boothby

Michael Bourque and Kendra Connelly

John Bunker and Cammy Watts

Bob and Anne Cekuta

Cellardoor Winery

David Wright and Carole Cifrino

Caren Clark

Robert Cleaves

Colby College

Rebecca Cooney and Jose Pizzaro

Eliot and Patti Daley

Chris Day

Stacey Dietsch

Brett and Priscilla Donham

Carter and Brent Douglass

Peter DuBois

Robert and Blythe Edwards

Martha Ehrenfeld and Carla McKay

Elizabeth Ehrenfeld

David Elliott and Kit Pfeiffer

Lorna and Tom Fake

Judy and David Falk

Bill Farren and Jill Griffin

Robert and Rose Fealy

The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust

The Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund of Coastal Community Foundation of SC

William and Priscilla Watson

Anonymous (3)

Frederick and Patrice Ficken

First National Bank

Diane Frank

Benjamin Fuller

GOLogic

Steven and Laura Graham

Tony and Sally Grassi

Thordis and Gary Gulden

Roger Price and Mary McGee

Alex and Lili Pugh

Fred Quivey

Jennie Rabinowitz and Daniel Jamieson

Rob Radloff and Ann Beha

RE Blood Boatworks

Mary Kate and Bob Reny

Reny Charitable Foundation

Doreen Rockel and Thomas Ross

Wendy Ross and Thomas Eichler

Susan Russell

Toni and Donald Scherzer

Nancy Seidman and Claude Barden

Michael and Margaret Shannon

Wendy Shattuck and Sam Plimpton

Cynthia Smith

Denise Soucy and Ned Steinberger

Spear Farms, Inc.

Steve and Theresa Starkey

Kathryn Stevens

Ali and Ken Stevenson

Carl and Sally Stillwell

Timothy and Katherine Trumbauer

The Stoddard Charitable Trust

Michael Titus

US Department of Agriculture

Barbara Vickery

Marymina Wallis

Justin Ward and Anne Carver

Betty Welt

Lissa Widoff

Jack Witham and Jody Jones

William Wood and Deborah Hughes

Callie Wronker and Steven Urkowitz

Anonymous (1)

Robert and Lauren Gray

Nikki and D. Allen Grumbine

Maribeth and Bart Hammer

Mary Hart

John and Carol Hartman

John and Nancy Hayden

Jack Hobbs

Scott Holliday and Vanita Sood

Sherrill Hunnibell

Robin Ishmael

Paul and Anne Kennedy

Greg and Anne Koski

Stephen Kress and Elissa Wolfson

Rebecca Lambert

Luc Levensohn

Rob Levin and Sarah Cushman

Eileen Marolla and Charles Sterne

Robert and Joanne Martorelli

Moira and Terence McCabe

Rita McKinney and Allen Guignard

Janet McMahon and Chris Davis

Mid-Coast Audubon

Morse's Sauerkraut

Alison Munroe

Mary Gene Myer

Ted and Mary Gene Myer

Michael Neifach

Rob and Stephanie Nelson

Kate Nordstrom

Stephen Norris and Susan Keefer

Joanne B. and Richard D. O'Connor

Susan Olcott and Chad Olcott

Susan Peixotto

Mary Cary and Pete Peterson

Liz Petruska and Andy Benore

= Damariscotta Lake Fund

Ronald and Suzanne Phillips

Martha Polstein

Susan Price

Timothy and Maria Reynolds

Mike and Alicia Romac

Bonnie Rukin

Nick Seaver

William and Eileen Shaughnessy

Kimberly Simmons and Craig Bramley

Laurie Simpson

William and Jane Sizeler

Marilyn and Ron Speckmann

Elisabeth Stebbins

Tina and Peter Streker

Charles Stuart

Christopher and Mary Swift

Talcott Financial Group

Verena Taussig

Stephan and Audrie Terre

Russell and Sophia Turner

Wilhelmina Ulbrich and John Anderson

William and Polly Vaughan

Ruth and Roger Vogt

Robert and Ruth Wall

Steven and Lisa Wallace

Linda Tatelbaum and Kal Winer

Zeeb Giving Fund

Anonymous (1)

$250-$499 Explorer

Adriano Agostino

Hope and Michael Augustini

Barney Balch and Paty Matrai

Deborah Bancroft

Kathryn and Mark Barber

Marilyn Barlow

Brian and Anne Bauer

James Bauman

Jodi and Douglas Beck

Belfast Vet Hospital Inc

Ruth Bender and Dan Sheline

Cathy and Larry Bennigson

Rosie Bensen

Perry Benson, Jr.

Reggie and Melissa Bergeron

Mark Berry

Randell and Sharon Blackburn

Kathy and Jim Boutselis

Michelle and Andrew Brand

John E. Brandt

Patricia Brannah and Robert and Aubry Davis

Robert and Dorothy Brayley

Jane and Ken Brodsky

Stanford Brown and Lili Brown

Carolyn Bryant-Sarles

Roger and Mary Cady

Camden National Bank

Sandra Campbell

Dolores Carbonneau and Jim Amaral

J. Otis Carroll Jr.

Margaret Cekuta

Steven Chaney

James Chlebowski

Susan Clark and Chip Howard

Robert and Maggie Conger

Sally and Jim Crissman

Virginia Cunningham

Kathryn and David Dahl

Kenneth Dale and Kathy Malatesta

Mary Eccleston

David and Lucy Emerson

EP Wealth Advisors

William and Lori Evans

Marcus Fahey

Gail P. Fels

William Fick

John Fischer

Donna Flynn

Martha Frink

Front Street Shipyard

Andrew Fuller

Barbara Gaskin and Steve Gaskin

Susan Gibbs and Theodore Piccone

Glastonbury Hills Country Club

Jonathan Gold and Christy Joyce

Steve and Louisa Gorrill

Paul Gough

Green Volt, LLC

David Guin

Keith and Pauline Hagelin

MaryMargaret Halsey

Hannaford Damariscotta

Virginia and William Hart

Christopher Hart

Amanda Haskell

Richard Heath and Barbara Oesterlin-Heath

Mike Herz and Kate Josephs

David and Donna Hoder

Hilary and Ken Holm

Mel Horwitch and Sally Schwager

Brad and Erin Huntley

Annaliese and Miguel Incháurregui

Bob and Janet John

Catherine Johnson and John Lluoma

Marie Joyner

Chris Kenoyer and Bridget Mullen

Peter and Kathleen Keyes

Kvochak Family Charitable Fund

Lake St George Brewing Company

Mary and Jim Lassen

Ethan and Jessica Lasser

Karen and James Lee

Dean Levy

Joy Levy

Barbara Lillich

Carlton Lindell

Bob and Nancy Lipper

Richard Lippman

Sara Litt

Herb Luther

Taryn and Ben Marcus

Jesse and Diana Markham

Suzanne Martin

Janet Masland

Mayer Family Fund

Molly McCabe and Brian Gagnon

Gary and Kathy McCarraher

Ruth McElraevy

Betsy and George McFarland

Ann and Christopher McKenney

Susanne Meidel and Phil Yund

Barbara Meyer and Rod Southwick

Eric Meyer and Patricia McKenzie

Peter Milliken

Susanne Raynor

Jerry and Judy Rex

Lily Fessenden and Glenn Ritch

Lee T. Robbins

Chris and Carol Robins

Ronald Mamrosh and the staff at Bobrow and Company, P.C.

Susan Ross and William Nathan

Marie Sacks

Susan Schadler and Leslie Lipschitz

Michaela Schrader and Mark Rabbage

Margaret Turner Schuler

Joanne M. Sharpe

Judith and William Silver

Clifford Slayman

Barbara Smith

Elizabeth and Bruce Snider

Mark and Nancy Spaulding

Thomas Stetson

Paul and Diana Stevens

Jonathan Swall

Amanda Swope-Joos

The Cheney Financial Group

The Lavendier Charitable Gift Fund

The Liberal Cup Public House and Brewery

The Silver Street Group

Elizabeth Tonon and Claude Anderson

James Torbert

William Towle

Heidi Tremblay

Judy and Paul Tunkle

Michael Turnamian

Anne Upton and John Upton

Charles Utter

Meera Venkatraman

Viking Lumber

Susan Walker and Bob Lightfoot

Susan and Conrad Wall

Phil and Gail Wenger

Kathy Zambello

Freeman Zausner and Sun Min Lee

Drs. Robert and Judith Zeitlin

Anonymous (3)

Up to $249 Supporter

Sharon Abair and Dewey Meteer

Allagash Brewing Company

Andrew Abello and Amanda Russell

Rose Abramoff

Lisa Adams

Archie Adams

David and Mary Ahlgren

Maureen AuCoin

Michael August

Thomas Aversa and Cheryl Frederick

Stephen Babcock

Back River Bistro

George Baggett

Shannon Bailey

Thomas Balch

Julia Ball

Betsy Ball

Jeanne Bamforth

Georgia and John Bancroft

Beth Bandy

Christina Banks

Anna Barber, The Barber's Bunnies

Melissa Barbour

Robert and Drusilla Barkalow

James Barker

Alitha Young and Jim Barnes

Barred Owl Creamery at Hamilton Farm

Roger and Pamela Barry

Nicole Bartell

Karen Bartholomew

Christopher and Jessica Bartmess

Robert Baskett

Nathalie Baudrand

James Bauman

Philippa and Terry Beal

Katie Beaver

Tracy M. Beck

Sadie Beck Ingalls

John and Harriet Beckerman

Chris and Ellen Beerits

Joe Bellamy

Sydney Bence

Kate Bennett

Rachel Bennett

Terri Bennett

Peter and Helena Benton

Michael Benton

Kina Beril Ives

Holly Berry and Chris Moiles

Jennifer Bertagna

Jolene Best

Richard and Joan Betterley

Susan Betts

Bill and Susan Beverly

Kristen Bibby

Jon Biehler and Karin Sadtler

Marilyn Billings

Robert and Jan Birk

Samuel Bissonnette

Briana Bizier

Kerry and Douglas Black

Dr. David Albertson and Dr. Liz Albertson

Bruce Albiston

Susan Alexander

Crystal Almasi

Dorothy Alt

Ruben Alves

Martha Amesbury

Glenn and Tammy Amnott

Stephanie Ancona

Karl Anderson

Christine Anderson

Cynthia Reid Anderson

Kathleen Curtin and Mark Miskovsky

Karin Moller

Donald and Emily Nease

Ron and Diane Nobles

Susan and Kevin Olehnik

Kim Olsen

Mark David and Virginia Hudak-David

Elizabeth and Gordon Davis

Susan Davis

Dr. John and Mrs. Ellen Dickens

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph H. Doering Sr.

Tom and Janet Dorman

Ann and Jim Dunlevy

Susan and Nelson Eby

Patricia J. O'Reilly and David B. Soule, Jr.

Brooke Pacy

Anna Parker

Peter and Elsie Patton

Martin and Karen Paz

Kristin and Christopher Pennock

Lewis and Karen Purinton

Kaitlyn Anderson

Albert and Sandy Andrejcak

Matea Andruk

Holly and John Arbuckle

Tom and Liz Armstrong

Penelope Armstrong

Carob Arnold and Annie Nixon

Gary and Deborah Arsenault

Jackie Ascrizzi

Ashley Atienza

Meg and Victor Atkins

James and Emily Atkins

Michael Attardi

Beverly Blair

David and Jennifer Blake

Pat Blakeslee and Brooks McKinney

Jessie Blanchard

Gregory Blanchette and Ruth Pease

Kyle Blanchette

Morgan and Christina Bleimeyer

Jerry Bley

Henry and Cathy Block

Sherrill Blodget

Benjamin and Natalie Blood

Phil and Deb Bloomstein

Chris Augusta and Barbara Boardman

Joe and Judy Bodnar

Eivind Boe

Arifa Boehler

Seth Bolduc and Lucy Atkins

Daniel Bolita and Jean Kigel

Stacia Bolitho

Jennifer Bolton

Marsha Polley Bonin

Laura Bonk and Phil Trowbridge

Gisele Bony

Justin Boss

Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

Stephanie Bouchard

Elizabeth Bourett

Bernice Bowdoin

Beverley and Gareth Bowen

Gail and Glenn Bowman

Seth Bowman

Robert Bowman

Bruce and Cheryl Boyea

Margaret Jay Braatz

The Bradford Family

Catherine Branam

Mary Beth Brandt

Don and Bobbie Brewer

George and Marilyn Brierley

Joseph Briggs

Bristol Fire and Rescue

Emily Broadbent

Mel and Chana Brody

Anna Brooke

Bill Brooke

Gerry and Kathy Brooks

Linda Brooks

Scott Brown

Scott and Arlene Brown

Annette Brown

Deborah Brown

Meg Browne

Barbara Brusila and Mitch Kihn

Betty and David Brydges

Phil Brzozowski and Judy Schuppien

Linda Buckmaster

Scott Budde and Charlotte Cole

Becky Bundy

Bunker Hill Shores Association

Leslie Burhoe and Chris Cushman

Anne and William Burke

The Burke Family

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Burns

James Richard Burns and Lucia Droby

Clay A. Burns

Barnum and Carol Burrall

Anne Burt

David Butler

Jane and Dick Butterfield

Barbara and John Cadamuro

Ben Cady

Herbert Cady Jr.

Chris Caffrey

Jim and Susan Caldwell

Sara Caldwell

Mr. and Mrs. John Calhoun

Ross and Amy Cameron

Kristin Cameron

Marie Camillo

Michael Campbell

Gary and Kay Campbell

Cynthia and Peter Camplin

James and Julie Cantor

John Capen

Cindy Cappelli

Ronald Capps and Carole Florman

Chaning Capuchino

Kevin Carden

Alice Carey

Dawn and William Carlson

Michael Caron and Debbi Lasky

Carpenter Gift Fund

tish carr

Cindy Carter

Brittany Carter

Charles Cary

Norman and Libby Casas

Bill and Lynn Case

Karilyn Casperson

Aaron Cassidy

Michael Catania and Jan Rosenfeld

Catherine Cavanaugh and Eric Worthing

Amy Cazier

Thomas and Hanna Chace

Susan Chadima

Neal Chamberlain

Amy Chamberlain and Michael Branca

Carol and David Chandonnet

Constance Chase-Wells

Shalimar Chassé

Hank Chen

Paula Christensen

Christiane Northrup, Inc.

Emily Cichon

Julie Denny Clark

Carla Clark

Toni and Jesse Clark

Benjamin Clark

Clary Lake Association

Vickery Cleaves and Paul Lazarus

Cynthia Clement and Thomas Clement

Nathan Cloutier

Jeffrey and Janet Clunie

Susan and Craig Coenen

Donna Cohen

Paul and Linda Colbath

Patty Colhoun

Andrew Combs

Chris Conary

Doreen Conboy

The Conkey Sisters (Meg, Laura and Frances)

Charlotte Conley

Germaine Connolly

Nicky Conroy

Katrina Cornish

Alina and Allen Corson

Benoit Cortet

Amber Corum

Susan Cottle and Peter Moulton

Shannon Courand

Eric Cousineau

Ann Armstrong Cram

Sandra and Edward Crist

Ellie Crockett

William Cron

Sarah Crosby and William Evans

John R. Crosby

Diane Currier

Lindsay Currier

Kathleen Curtin

Maynard Curtis

John and Millie Curtis

Martha Curtis

Mary Curtis

Sandra and Maynard Curtis

John A. Curtis

Andrew Cutko

Will Cutshall

Robert F. Cutting

Dennis Dacus

James Dalgleish and Heather Dilbeck

J. and S. Daly

Damariscotta Lake Cottage Condo Assn.

Martha Daniels

Eleanor Daniels and Donna Broderick

Linda Dartt

Regina Davey

Jill Davis

Owen Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Endicott P. Davison, Jr.

Lindsey Dealaman

Charlotte Baker Dean

Bradyn Dean

Jeff and Jan DeBlieu

Deep Acres Shores Road Association

Marcia, Derek and Frances Degeer

Carol Delaney

Bob De Lisle

Meg Dellenbaugh

Dan Despard

Daniel and Lynda Despard

Warren Desper

David Dethlefs

Zachary DeWitt

Daniel Di Fiore

Carol H. DiBello and Fred DiBello

Michele Dienno

Michele DiGirolamo

Craig Dilger

Forrest Dillon

Barbara DiTaranto

Steven and Susan Dobieski

James H. Doble

Donalee Dolan

Erin Dominguez

Charlene Donahue

Peter Donovan

William B. Dorman

Shannon and Ray Dorman

Elizabeth Doshi

Geoffrey Doyle

Marcia Drenzyk

Daniel Dube and Shanti Deschaine

Chuck Dudas

Emma Duke

Dennis Dunbar

John Dunlap

William Durkin and Donna Durkin

Rachel Dyer and Jonathan Leach

East Carriage Condo Association

Chuck Ebert and Roberta Adlington

Mark Eckert and Gayle Erdheim

Beverly Eckhardt

Patricia Egan and Peter Hegeman

Ellis Pond Sidekicks

Kerry Emanuel

Dr. Leonard and Carolyn Emmons

Kathleen Engel

Frank and Linda Eppedio

Greg Esbitt

Coral Ethridge

Annie Fagan

Lynn Farnham and Sally Thompson

Jennifer Farnsworth

Susan Farrell

Jim and Janice Feather

Rhonda Feiman and Petra Hall

Brett Feinberg

Lynn Feindel

Chris and Deby Ferguson

Fern Hollow Association

Anna Fiedler

Karen and Tim Fiedler

Alyssa Finn

Miles Fish, III

Amy Fisher

Chelsea Fisher

Breshia Flett

Flight Deck Brewing

Bob, Bonnie, and Alicia Flis

Meghan Flood

Anne Florey

Laura Fortman

Les and Meredith Fossel

Colleen and David Foster

Janet Fowle

Christine Fowler

Marty Fox and Thyle Shartar

Doug and Patrice Fox

Frank and Michele Frallicciardi

William Franson

Peder and Mags Franson

Susan Frawley

Steve French Sr.

Dan Friedland and Heather Wolfe

Mary Fromyer and Steve Fromyer

Kathy Frost

Anne and Chris Frost

Andrew and Irene Fulchino

Bart Furey

Don Fusco and Heather Harris

Edward and Margaret Gagnon

Richard and Christine Gagnon

Adele Gale

Dora Galitzki

Nicholas and Eugenia Gallagher

Joanne Gallagher

Jerry and June Gallant

Jennifer and Andrew Gallogly

Steven Gaskin

George and Molly Gearn

Mick Gebo

Eileen Gebrian and Timothy Barberich

Stephen Geer

Lori Geiger

Sally and Bill Gemmill

Karen George

Nadine Gerdts and Steve Lacker

Dr. Alexandra W. Gerry

Martin Gerry

Alison Geyer and Frederick Geyer

Tobi Gilbert

Carol Gillette and Rich Tozier

Thomas and Delph Gillette

Bruce and Polly Gillie

River Gish

Boynton Glidden

Emma Glidden-Lyon

Mael Glon

Olivia Goldfine

Rebecca Goldfine

Joel Goldman

Timothy Goltz and Karen Kleinkopf

Matthew and Leslie Gomes

Goodfire Brewing

Evan Goodkowsky

Bertrand Gosselin

Liza and Noah Gottlieb

Martha Gottlieb

Geralyn Gould

Gillian Graham

Martha Grant

Patricia Gray

Meaghen and Tim Greene

Bruce Greenfield

Marjorie and Thomas Greenleaf

Diane Greig

Judith Grey

David Griffin

Mark Griffin

Dale Griffin

Wendy Griswold

Kathleen and Neil Gross

John Guarnaccia and Mercedes Villamil

William and Carol Guest

Patty and Michael Gustafson

Fred Guterl

Robert W. and Kim F. Haeberle

Joseph Hafer and Margaret Cady

Harold Hainke

Bob Hall and Nancy Macirowski

David Hall and Hannah Jones

Becky and Brent Hallowell

Diane and Peter Hambleton

Kira Hamilton

Stanley and Susannah Haney

Bruce Hanke

Matthew Hanly

Hannaford Supermarkets

Stephanie Hanner

Kathleen Hanning

Kelli Hanson

Jason Harding

Carolyn Hardman and Richard Roosa

Sarena Harford Lamb

Tracy Harkins and Scott Barber

Timothy and Eileen Harkins

Hannah Harm

Benjamin Harmon

Eliza Harned

Anne and Eldon Harris

Cynthia Harris

Benjamin Harris and Rebecca Mitchell

Jane Harrison

Stephen Hart

Herb Hartman and Lucy Martin

Mary Jane Hartsuiker

Shelley Hartz

Steve Harvey and Val Anderson

Patricia Jennings and Jim Hatch

Vern Spinosa and Missy Hatch

Tom Hausmann

Kate Haviland

Michael Hays

Gary and Connie Hayward

Timothy and Linda Healy

Ted and Holly Heidenreich

Martin Heimann

Lisa Helms

Hemlock Park Association

Eric and Amanda Hencken

Joan Hendricks Garvan

Scott and Robyn Henry

Sarah Herndon

Robert Hersom

Jim and Deborah Hidu

Laura Hiestand

Meradith and Bill Hill

Larry Hills

Paul Hilli

Bob Hills

Frederick Hirsch

Nora Hoesing

Brad and Carleen Hoffman

Kass Hogan and Jeff Cherry

Birgitta Hoggren

Matt Holden

Jack and Ann Holland

Franklin Holland

John and Judy Holliday

Emily Anne and William Holly

Christine Hopf-Lovette

Ken Houghton and Sarah Houghton

Eryn Howe

William Howell

Scott Howell

Megan Howes

Mark and Holly Howland

Peter Huff

Stephen Hufnagel and Elizabeth Fleming-Ives

Lucy Hull and Bart Chapin

Jieyu Hung

Kylee Hunnibell

Sally Hunt

Wilder and Ellen Hunt

Sarah Hunter

Maxine Hunter

Alicia Hunter

Thomas and Katie Huntington

Charles and Rosemary Huntington

Joan Jackson

Nancy Jackson and Mustafa Alahwel

Alexis Jackson

Heather Jackson

Wendy Jackson

Katharine Jacobs

Charles and Cynthia Jacobs

Ray Jakubek

Indigo Janes

Tom Jardine

Maria Jenness and Travis Journagan

Beth Jensen

Fran Jensen

Joan Belcher at Helm Insurance

Mary and Peter Johnson

Mark Johnston

Judy and Wilton Jones

Joyce Jones

Caren Journagan

April and William Jubett

Rebecca Judd

Katelyn Jutras

Oleksey and Edna Kakasenko

Amanda Kaler

Emily Kalina

Dennis Kalma

Peter and Jacalyn Kamenstein

Chris and Mary Kaminsky

Lynne Kaplowitz and Jim Bean

Cecily Kahn-Kapp and David Kapp

Janice Kasper

Jared and Lynn Kass

Robert Keeble

William and Sally Keen

Nicholas and Susan Keen

John E. Kellstrand

A. Preston Kelly

C. Robert Kelly

Jay Kennedy

Susan and Thomas Kent

Kristin Kentopp

Gordon and Marilyn Kenyon

Janis Kerch

Keser's Flowers of Glastonbury, Inc

George and Elaine Keyes

Eileen Kirby

Deborah Kirk

Charlotte Kirkpatrick

Kelley Kirwin

Margaret Kleckner

Peter Klein

Lauren Klimoff

Carol Knapp

Ellen Koehler

Robert and Emily Kohl

Kerry Kohnert

Chester Kolota

Jolana Kondrc

Kenneth Kornfield

Debra Kosh

Waldemar and Judith Kostrazewa

Margo Kovach

Mariah Kramer

John and Wendy Krueger

Tibby Kull

Deborah Kyy

Stacey Lackman

Andy and Lynn Lackoff

Sue Lafferty

Janet Lafleur

Anya Lagasse and Megan Breece

Skye Laidler

Cassandra Larcombe

Timothy Lawlor

Tom Lawton

Laura Layman

Ann Leamon

Ed Lecuyer

Jennifer and Timothy Lee

Diane and Will Lehder

Kurt Lennig

Dan Marra and Barbara Leonard

Patricia and Joseph Lepak

Heather Leslie and Jeremy Rich

James and Lynda Letteney

Graham Leva

Julia Levensaler

Sara and Luc Levensohn

Katherine Lewis

Stephen Lewis

Tim Libby and Katrina Mascolo

Ann and Warren Liburt

Corbin Lichtinger

Janice and David Liddell

Edward Lincoln, III

Kyle Lincoln

Lincoln County La Leche League

Amy Litwiller

Gerard and Carolyn Locke

Pam Lombard

Anthony and Ruth Lopreato

Ellen Lord

Richard Lorenson

Allan Lubarsky

Chuck and Laura Lubelczyk

Ramsea Lucas

Deborah Ludwig

Eric Lukas

Carolyn Lukensmeyer

Gayle Lux

Dwight E. Lynn

Meredith Lynt and Adam Bullard

Mr. and Mrs. Paul MacDonald

Lorna Mackinnon

David Madson

Maine Ministry Outreach Center

Stephen and Adrienne Major

Jennifer Mansfield

Megan and Matthew Pryor

Michael and Linda Marmer

Marianne Marple

Marie Martin

Brian and Ginger Martin

Andrew Martin

Josephine Martone

Peter and Carolyn Maruhnic

Kristin and Jeff Mason

Joseph and Debra Mason

Susan Weiser and George Mason

Robin and Donald May

Natasha Mayers

Terry McCabe Sr.

Daniel and Ellen McClure

Henry and Caitlin McCorkle

Dale McCormick

Elizabeth McCormick

Geoff and Cary McCullen

Emily and Jonathan McDevitt

Brian McDougall

Maggie McInerney

Jennifer McIvor and Sage Kosky

Isabel McKay

Gladney and Robert McKay

Camber McKenzie

Joseph and Elizabeth McSwain

Jennifer Meade

Giovanni and Pamela Meier

Eric Menendez

John and Carole Merrifield

Dennis and Nancy Merrill

Erik Meszynski

John Meyer

Dan and Kate Michael

Michael Gersten

Jody and Gerald Michaud

Amanda Miles

Richard Milius and Amy Dingley

Carol Bartlett Miller

Wendy and Tom Miller

Janet Miller

David and Sharon Miller

Isaac Miller

Jane Millett

Kailina Mills

Mary Grace Mitchell

Linda Mitchison

Paul and Enid Mitnik

MJP Wealth Advisors

Ted and Delia Mohlie

Edgar Moody

Bill and Karen Mook

Emily Morison

Rachael Morris

Celeste Mosher and Jason Nehrboss

Leah Moss

Elizabeth Moustrouphis

John Day and Tessa Muehllehner

Lorraine Murphy

Tim and Claire Murphy

Rachel Murphy and Reggie Lebel

Anna Myers

Lynnette Myers

Jo Ann and Wayne Myers

Roger Nadeau

L J Nappi

Mary and Robert Nash

Isabel Neal

Tucker Neale

Rita Neat

Stephen Neill

Paul and Barbara Ness

Molly Ness

Charles and Andrea Newman

Linda Nichols

Judy Nielsen

Michael Nieman

Jeff and Betty Nims

Kate Nordstrom and Aaron Weissblum

Kathleen Norton

Susanna Norwood

Jacqueline Nowell

Simon Nowosielski

Caitlin O’Donnell

Gwenne Oberg

Julia O'Brien-Merrill

Steven and Kathleen Ocean

Tim O'Connor

Kolleen Cass

Sarah Oktay

James Oliver

Susan Oliver

Linc Oliver-O'Neil

Lennart and Janice Olson

John and Holly O'Shea

Constance Ostis

John Ouellette

Denise Hurst

Carolyn B. Hutchins

Nancy L. and Charles Huus

Dana Isenberg

Robert and Charlotte Jackson

Michael Laing and Charlotte Davenhill

Lake Shore Park Association

William Laliberte

Joseph Lamacchia

Julie Lamy and Ramunas Stepanauskas

Danielle McKissick

Bo McLain

Sara McLain

Julia and Andrew McLeod

Colleen McNamara

Oxbow Brewing Company

Paula Page

The Palmer Family

Alexander Parent

Laura Park

Pamela Parker

Gregory Parker

Elsa Parson

Meagan Patrick

Raymond Payson

Sophia Payson-Rand

Sally and Harry Pearce

Margy and Chet Pelka

Kelly Pelletier

Stephen Peoples

Judith Pepper and John Mourovic

Adam Pereira

Alexandra Perkins

Andrea and Michael Perko

Molly Perry

Mark and Meredith Perry

Anne Peters

Alan and Susan Peterson

Alice Phillips

Liza Phillips

Mary Piasecki

Dara Picard

Vincent Piccirilli

Barbara and Peter Piccirillo

Marianne Pinkham

Jane Pirone

Kenneth Plaisted

Torben Platt

Sarah Plummer and Brooke Barnes

Elaine Poirier

Stanley Polanski

Marsha Polley Bonin

Aloisia Pollock

David and Linda Pope

Melissa Poresky

Drew and Thomas Porter

Brad and Jennifer Porter

Bonnie Potter

Linda Powers

Dr. David W. Pratt

Cheryl L. Pratt

Marilyn and Gilbert Prawer

Ann and Michael Prestash

Mike and Amy Preston

Leigh and Meryn Presutto

S. Warren and Jacquelyn Price

Glenn Prickett

Nathan and Rose Pudlin

Lucy Quimby and Geoffrey Gratwick

Daniel Rackauskas

Garry Radoulovitch

Stephen Raich

Barbara Railsback

Brandie Ramsdell

R G Randall and Marianne McKinney

Deborah Rapp

Ginger Raspiller

Abigail and Russell Read

Karin Rector

Tyler Redskye

Ron and Libby Reinhart

Paul and Joanie Rhoda

Jean Riccardi

Nancy and Lynn Rider

Robert and Diann Ring

Lucinda and James Riordan

River House

Richard Rizza and Dina Smith

R. Chris and Elizabeth Roark

William and Sonnie Robb

Jodie Cable Roberts

Kimberly and Bruce Robertson

Geneva Robinson

Charles Robinson and Catherine Wilkes

Ben Robinson

Anne and William Roche

Robert Dickinson Roop

Karen Rose

William and Jody Rosenbaum

Teresa Roth

Rich and Mimi Roughgarden

Juanita Roushdy

Daniel and Wendy Rowland

Michael Rowland

Elsbeth Russell

Cheryl Rust

Devin Rutkowski

Joel and Sophie Ruttenberg

Andrew and Laurel Ryder

Pete Salmansohn

Bev and Al Sampson

Brenda Sanborn

Patrick Sanborn

Kathy Sarver

Daniel Sayner

Ann Schaer

Caitlin Schick

Lisa Schlandt

Chris and Michele Schmidt

Russ and Ann Schneider

Cathie and John Schorn

Paul Schulze

Jennifer Scott

Leslie Seaver

Security Mutual Life Insurance

Company of New York

John Sedlins

Tina Sedney

Kayda and Sam Selby

Louis and Catherine Sell

Jenine Serviolo and Brian Pollard

Sally Sewall

Julie Shamburger

Saul Shapiro

Nancy Shaul

Bob and Tracey Shea

Sheepscot General Store

Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company

Sheepscot Valley Computer Consulting LLC

Mary Sheldon

Nan Sherburne

Charles Shereda

Jean Cucci Sherman

William Sherrill

David and Amy Shields

Jean and Thomas Shippee

Timothy and Mary Sholtis

Jeffrey and Kris Shula

Anna Siegel

Margot and Chris Sieracki

Vincent and Amy Signore

Stephanie Silk

Iris Silverstein

Sue and Scott Simpson

Charles Fletcher and Liz Sizeler

Patricia and James Skilling

Nina Sklar

Cat and Valdemar Skov

Nancy Slobodnik

Clyde E. Smith Jr.

Mary Smith

Katrina Smith

Stephen C. and Mary Lou Smith

Kathryn Smith

Jonathan Smith

Jean E Smith and Ted Lane

Gina Snyder

Allison Burson and Eric Sofen

Laura Sofen

Carl Solberg

Timothy Solomon

Ken and Jane Solorzano

John Sommer

Joan Sommers

Robert Eskridge and Jean Sousa

Deidre Sousa

Heather Spalding Sugg and Will Sugg

Gregory Spears

Jessie Spector and Logan Higger

Erinkate Springer

Nancy and Gary Stadtlander

Sebastian Stambaugh

Selina Staples

Norm Staunton

Susan Goodwille Stedman

The Steele Family

Elizabeth and Thomas Steele-Maley

Heather Steeves

Elizabeth Stefanovicz

Taylor Stenger

Stenman Family Trust

Abby Stepanauskas

Deborah Stevenson

Wayne Stillman

Ernest and Lauren Stockwell

Nancy Stoltz

Gary and Bonnie Stone

Susan Stone

Vicky and Nick Stoneman

Lee Stover

Stephen Stringer

John and Grayce Studley

Joan Sturmthal and Jon Lund

Susan and Michael Sullivan

Jeff and Angela Sullivan

Luke and Natasha Suttmeier

Charles Swanberg

Amanda Swanberg

Philip Taranto

Jeff Tarbox

Katherine Tardiff

Elisabeth Tarpey

Linda and Douglas Taylor

Paul and Margaret Taylor

Julie Tenan

Bruce Thaler and Elaine Silverstein

The Hartford

Robert Theberge

Clay Theberge

Bobi-Jo Thomas

William and Becki Thomas

John Thomas

Herb Thomson and Julie Erb

Caroline Thorne-Lyman

Kathleen Thornton

Jon Thurston

Tyler and Marcia Tingley

Tin Top Cider Company

Margaret Tokar and Brian Prosser

Bianca and Stephen Tomacelli

Daniel Tomko

Guy and Winship Tower

Kelsey Towle

Town of Washington

Daniel and Karyn Townsend

Judy and Charlie Tozloski

Adelaide and Jotham Trafton

Kevin Trainor

Sharon Treat

Alyson True

Carey Truebe and Jeffry Chase

Dorothy Trueman Renda

John Twomey and Leigh Norcott

Jane Upshur

Craig Urwin

John and Susie Valaitis

Justin Valiquet

Karla Vannah

David and Carleen Vantine

Josephine Vaughan

Judith Vecchione and John Jeffery

Maria Vettese

Lilliana Vitelli and Don Mansius

Chris Vodicka

James and Laura Volpe

David and Rebecca Waddell

Dorothy and James Wagner

Mark Wagner

Peter Wagstaff

Peter and Ann Wakeman

Deborah Walder

Terrill Waldman and Charlie Jenkins

Hank Walker

Gregory Wall

Helen Walsh Wanderwood

Washington Lakes Watershed Association

Richard and Carol Watson

Jennifer Watson

William Weary

Heather Weaver

Dave Weich

Lynn and Steve Weisberg

Ann Weiss

Dylan Weiss

John and Barbara DelVecchio

Linda Welch

Debbie Welles

Leah Wentworth

Kyle Werner

Frederick Weston

Stephen Wetherill

Sherry and Bobby Whear

Nancy Wheelwright

Amy Whitcomb

Ryan Whitcomb

Howard Whitcomb and Annie Merrill

Whitefield Lions Club

Glen and Kim Widmer

Hanna Wiegers

Cheryl Wienges

Anna Wietelmann

Katherine Wilbur

Margaret Wilcox

Sarah Wilcox-Hughes

Wildwood Shores Road Association

Jacquelin Wilen

Jaren Willey

Diana and Russ Williams

Cameron Williams

Melissa Williams

Kari Williams

Julie Williams

TW Williamson

Fred and Barbara Williamson

Chris Willrodt

Anne and John Winchester

Susan Wind

Mark Winkworth

Diane Winn and Marc Payne

Charles Witherell

Elisabeth and Michael Wolfe

Glenys Wolff

Robert Wolff

Frances Wolff

Hailee Wolph

Maryann and Jon Wood

Jack and Elizabeth Byrd Wood

George Woodruff

Worth Real Estate Inc

Michael and Eileen Wozniak

Tenley Wurglitz

Kathryn Wyatt

Heather Wyman

Michael Yoka

Katharine Young

Jeremy Zeitlin

Jeffrey Zellers and Eileen McCarthy

Alana Zerbe

Karen Zimmermann

Alex Zipparo

Holly Haining and Andy Zulieve

Anonymous (14)

= Damariscotta Lake Fund

LAND DONORS

John Cooney

Laura Layman

HONORARY GIFTS

In Honor of Chris Almasi

Karilyn Casperson

In Honor of the Amazing Staff at Midcoast Conservancy

Chuck and Meg Dinsmore

Stephen Hufnagel and Elizabeth Fleming-Ives

In Honor of Bob the Builder

Tobi Gilbert

In Honor of Carey M. Davis

Owen Davis

In Honor of Judith Falk

Katharine Young

In Honor of Anna Fiedler

Stephan and Audrie Terre

In Honor of Peter Goldfine

Rebecca Goldfine

In Honor of Tim Libby

Bristol Fire and Rescue

In Honor of Nancy MacKinnon

Lorna Mackinnon

In Honor of Margaret McCabe

Moira and Terence McCabe

In Honor of Scott and Carol McClure

Eric Lukas

In Honor of Matt and Ronald Ratner

Toni and Donald Scherzer

In Honor of Dominic Reid

Karla Vannah

MEMORIAL GIFTS

In Memor y of All Who Succumbed to Addiction or Suicide, and to Those They Left Behind

Sarena Harford Lamb

In Memory of Anne Arnold

Robert Brooks

In Memory of Joseph Barth

Alice Carey

Gail Conboy

Susanne Meidel and Phil Yund

Bill and Karen Mook

Newcastle Foundation

Joanne and Robert Steneck

In Memory of Edward Brooks

Linda Brooks

In Memory of Jane Conkey

Meg Conkey

Hemlock Park Association

In Memory of Penelope Creeley

Mariah Kramer

In Memory of Nancy Duffy

Coral Ethridge

In Memory of Francis Fahey

Marcus Fahey

In Memory of Harry and Agnes Gough

Paul Gough

In Memory of Gloria Hall

Damariscotta Lake Cottage Condo Assn.

In Memory of Nancy Hunt

William and Lori Evans

In Memory of Rick Karlen

Fern Hollow Association

In Memory of Judy Middlebrook

Charlotte Baker Dean

In Memory of Phillip Miller

Carol Bartlett Miller

In Memory of Lorna Moss

David Moss

In Memory of Ted and Terry Parsons

Gail and Glenn Bowman

In Memory of Sandy Sage

Perry Benson, Jr.

Joanne and Robert Steneck

In Memory of William D. Schick

Caitlin Schick

In Memory of Tom Sherburne

Hemlock Park Association

Nan Sherburne

In Memory of Harold Shorb

Hemlock Park Association

In Memory of Charles Stepnowski

Lisa Adams

Jennifer Bertagna

Gisele Bony

Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

Bruce and Cheryl Boyea

Gerry and Kathy Brooks

Carla Clark

Charlotte Baker Dean

Daniel Di Fiore

East Carriage Condo Association

Employee Family Protection, Inc.

Meghan Flood

Andrew and Irene Fulchino

Richard and Christine Gagnon

Joanne Gallagher

Mick Gebo

Glastonbury Hills Country Club

Diane and Peter Hambleton

The Hartford

Matt Holden

Sally Hunt

J. and S. Daly

Keser's Flowers of Glastonbury, Inc

Margaret Kleckner

Waldemar and Judith Kostrazewa

Ronald Mamrosh and the Staff at Bobrow & Company, P.C

Jane Millett

MJP Wealth Advisors

L J Nappi

The Palmer Family

Margy and Chet Pelka

Ann and Michael Prestash

Ron and Libby Reinhart

Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York

Ronald and Beverly Smith

Stenman Family Trust

Christopher and Mary Swift

Talcott Financial Group

Philip Taranto, Kevin Carden, and Joel Goldman

Michael TurnamianJames and Laura Volpe

Dorothy and James Wagner

Margaret Wilcox

In Memory of Marty Welt

Maggie and John Atwood

Henry and Cathy Block

Mel and Chana Brody

Charles Cary

Christiane Northrup, Inc.

Donna Cohen

Chuck and Meg Dinsmore

Brett Feinberg

Geralyn Gould

Judith Grey

Carolyn Hardman and Richard Roosa

John and Carol Hartman

Mary Jane Hartsuiker

Kate Haviland

Joan Jackson

Ray Jakubek

Diane and Will Lehder

Richard Lippman

Allan Lubarsky

Terry McCabe Sr.

Alice Phillips

Mary Kate and Bob Reny

Mary Smith

Marilyn and Ron Speckmann

Tina and Peter Streker

Stephen Stringer

Elisabeth Tarpey

Roger and Ruth Vogt

Lynn and Steve Weisberg

Betty Welt

David Wright and Carole Cifrino

Anonymous (1)

In Memory of Ruth and Larry Whitcomb

Amy Whitcomb

many Hands Make Light Work

By Isobel Curtis

IT’S A BEAUTIFUL MORNING IN MAY, THE SUN BRIGHT AND STRONG HAVING FINALLY RETURNED IN EARNEST FROM ITS WINTER VACATION. A SLIGHT BREEZE MOVES THROUGH THE TREES CARRYING THE SMELL OF FRESH RAIN AND THE NEWLY-AWAKENED FOREST FLOOR. THE WAVERING LEAVES ABOVE FLASH THE BRIGHT LIME-GREEN OF SPRING, A TELLTALE SIGN THAT TRAIL WORK SEASON HAS BEGUN.

Midcoast Conservancy maintains about 95 miles of public hiking trails throughout our service area at 23 different preserves. They are all free to visit and range from short, easy meanders to 10+ mile treks across ridges and valleys to some of the midcoast’s most stunning scenery. People visit them to walk their dogs, catch up with friends, work up a sweat, or just to sit quietly on a bench by the river and unwind. They offer so much to the local community. The reality is though, none of these trails would be available for public use if it weren’t for the dedicated volunteers that maintain

them. Every spring they sharpen their loppers and chainsaws and get ready to clean up the trails after a long winter. In 2024, our volunteers put in over 1,000 hours maintaining trails. Some people volunteer every week, some two times a summer. Every set of hands is invaluable and exponentially increases the amount of work we’re able to get done.

Midcoast Conservancy is just one organization that depends on volunteers to amplify and uplift its mission. Within every community there are infinite opportunities to plug in and contribute to the common good. The thing is, offering our time doesn’t just contribute to a cause – it also helps

weave the social fibers that hold communities together. We meet new people and explore new places. We learn new skills and teach others. We exchange recipes and ideas. We choose to show up and act in small, tangible ways instead of giving in to the numbness of overwhelm. In such a disorienting time, orienting to our local communities and contributing in the ways we can is both a powerful and empowering action.

For information about volunteering with us, visit midcoastconservancy.org/volunteer.

The sturdy handiwork of a volunteer trail work day at West Branch Preserve in Somerville.

Volunteers part of a partnership trail work day with AMC stand in front of the kiosk at Whitefield Salmon Preserve after building and repairing 4 bridges!

Volunteers help re-blaze and clear the beautiful Joe's Trail at West Branch Preserve in Somerville

Our World, Your Legacy.

Together we can protect this special part of the world we love.

Your planned gift ensures that future generations will experience the joys of exploring pristine woods and wildlife, watching wild fish swim up the Sheepscot River, or hearing a loon’s call echo across Damariscotta Lake.

Your tax or estate advisor can help you decide on the best way to make a planned gift; one that is right for you. To have a conversation about how your legacy can help protect the vital lands and waters in midcoast Maine, contact Stephanie Hanner, Acting Co-Executive Director of Development and Communications, at 207-389-5160 or stephanie@midcoastconservancy.org.

If you have already included Midcoast Conservancy in your legacy giving, please let us know–we want to thank you!

MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE TO THE WILD SPECIES AND WILD PLACES IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

BE PART OF OUR LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE.

Plan to Join us at our

Signature Events

Our State of the Midcoast Series highlights the work we’re doing throughout our service area! Plan to join us and your fellow community members at these upcoming events and hear from our program teams as they share information about their time in the field this season. There will be ample time for mingling and conversation!

State of the Lake: August 28 Camp Wavus, Jefferson, 4:00–7:00pm

State of the Medomak: September 10

The Waldo Theatre, Waldoboro, 5:00–7:00pm

State of the Sheepscot: Check out midcoastconservancy.org/events

Melissa Cote, Patricia Nease, and Eliza Jacobs at last year’s State of the Medomak.

Front and back cover photos by Kristin Pennnock