Maine Heritage - 2022
Coast-wide Edition
From the President and CEO
Love of Place
My first six months at Maine Coast Heritage Trust have flown by, and I continue to be impressed and inspired by the dedication, expertise, and teamwork I see among my colleagues and within our broader network of partners and supporters.
At any given time, MCHT staff are working on dozens of projects around the state. Each one involves people from up and down the coast who represent a wide range of professional backgrounds, political persuasions, and life experiences, all coming together in support of a shared goal. Every day at MCHT, I witness this love of place for Maine and the collaboration that it engenders.
Featured Stories
Trail by Trail, a More Accessible Maine
Maine-born adventurer Enock Glidden is helping land trusts around the state make their trails more accessible, and MCHT was honored to have him as the keynote speaker at the 2022 Maine Land Conservation Conference.
“There are so many free places to go where people can just enjoy nature—I didn’t realize there were that many until I started doing this,” says Enock. “All the land trusts are doing an amazing service.”
Saving Maine Marshes
Maine’s marshes are among our most productive and important habitat types, and they’re threatened by sea level rise and other climate change impacts.
To increase resilience, we launched the Marshes for Tomorrow Initiative in late 2016, with a goal to protect current marshes and lands surrounding them. This will allow marsh systems to migrate inland while also providing a buffer for plants and animals.
Since then, we’ve completed 36 marsh protection projects, conserving a total of about 1,800 acres of marsh and upland buffers. But we still have a long way to go.
In Memoriam
Peter P. Blanchard III, 1951 – 2022
“He was a quiet but persistent advocate for stewardship worthy of the land he was helping to protect. His generosity, his gentleness, and his sense of humor made him a wonderful conservation partner. His impact on the coast was profound and will continue to inspire those of us who were lucky enough to work alongside him.”
In Brief
In My Words
Maggie Cozens, Southern Maine Outreach Coordinator
Earlier in 2022, Maine Coast Heritage Trust welcomed two dedicated outreach specialists to the Stewardship Department who will be leading outings, managing MCHT programs, and partnering with other organizations to connect people to the land. Welcome, Maggie (and Renee)!
How did you know this was the job for you?
Connecting people and place is something that’s always interested me, and I think it’s at the heart of addressing environmental and societal issues.
Name that MCHT Preserve
Some hints…
It encompasses two islands located 3.5 miles south of Bass Harbor in the town of Frenchboro.
At the turn of the 20th century, this island was home to about 50 year-round residents practicing subsistence farming, logging the island's forests, and fishing in the surrounding waters.
Download a printable version of Maine Heritage (PDF, 2 MB)
Thanks to our Donors
Everything you read about here is possible thanks to MCHT donors and supporters. Thank you for all you do for the Maine coast.
Have you made your gift to MCHT this year? If not, give today, and keep up the good work for the coast.
Courtesy of Enock Glidden, Katherine Emery, courtesy of Enock Glidden, MCHT photo, courtesy of the Blanchard family, Chris Cannella, photo courtesy of The Community School, MCHT photo, MCHT photo, Bridget Besaw