Thank You for 50 Years
November 14, 2019 | Forever Protected
Tim Glidden
As it was told to me, Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s origin story goes something like this: on a summer evening in the late 1960s, on an island off the coast of Maine, Peggy Rockefeller walked into her friend’s camp and said, “Mary, we’ve got to do something!”
An avid sailor, Peggy had a front-row seat to the rapid and unplanned development transforming Maine’s coastline, and she loved this place too much to let that happen. In 1970, together with Tom Cabot, she co-founded the nonprofit conservation organization Maine Coast Heritage Trust to forever protect coastal lands of extraordinary value and beauty. In other words: to keep the coast Maine.
Since that time, MCHT has grown from a small cohort of volunteer board members to a community of thousands, each with their own unique story of connection to the coast and dedication to its protection.
As the Maine coast evolved over time, MCHT evolved with it—conserving land to keep the coast beautiful, but also healthy, working, and open to the public. Time and time again, MCHT served as a powerful catalyst for conservation, bolstering other land trusts, and playing a supporting or leading role in some of the most significant land conservation efforts in the state of Maine.
The impact of this work is staggering, and all of it has been made possible through generosity—of donors, volunteers, advocates—and a spirit of partnership. Thank you to all who have been a part of this 50-year journey.
The refrain “We’ve got to do something,” is as true now as it’s ever been. In the face of a rapidly changing climate, conserving our natural lands and systems is becoming even more important. Expansive forests, connected rivers, and protected salt marshes: these are key to making the Maine coast more resilient in the decades to come. With you at our side, MCHT is doing critical work to keep the coast Maine.
Thank you for being a part of Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the ongoing effort to keep the coast beautiful, healthy, working, and open.
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