This recording is from a live presentation filmed on March 11, 2026 at BRLT’s Oak Point Farm. Recording courtesy of BRTV.

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Hear from Maine Audubon’s Nick Lund about how this amazing bird came to find itself in Maine, the sensation it caused, and an update on where the recent activities of this bird.

This recording is from a live presentation filmed on April 4, 2023 at BRLT’s Oak Point Farm. Recording courtesy of BRTV.

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Guest presenter, Paul Hunt, Environmental Manager at Portland Water District, Maine’s largest wastewater utility, follows with an inspiring presentation on watershed conservation and protection. Hunt shares his experience overseeing the Sebago Lake Watershed Protection Program, and describes the development of the collaborative Sebago Clean Waters, in which Portland Water District was a founding member. Established in 2017, this 10-member coalition has secured nearly $10 million in funding to protect the watershed, inspired landowners to conserve over 14,000 acres of high-priority forestland, and received national recognition as a model water fund. Paul draws connections to the Boothbay Region’s newly formed collaborative, Boothbay Region Clean Drinking Water Initiative, of which BRLT is a founding member. Leslie Volpe follows Paul’s presentation with a short introduction to the Boothbay Region Clean Drinking Water Initiative. The recording concludes with the business meeting and voting.

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Dave West is a Professor of Geology at Middlebury College in Vermont who specializes in unraveling the bedrock geologic history of the northern Appalachians, with a particular interest in coastal Maine geology. A North Carolina native, Dave obtained his Masters and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Maine and has been conducting geological research in Maine for over 30 years. Prior to arriving at Middlebury, Dave taught at Bowdoin College, Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and Earlham College in Indiana.

Special thanks to BRTV for making this recording available to the public.

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Finding Connections on Damariscove Island

In June of 2019, when Bailey Romaine and Ed Vlcek first arrived as seasonal caretakers on Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Damariscove Island, they were immediately struck by the stark contrast between the island and the home they had left behind in Chicago. “Everything out here [on Damariscove] is kind of in high definition,” Bailey explains. “The light for one, but also how aware you are of what the birds are doing, what the tides are doing, the smells, the sounds. When the wind shifts, suddenly you hear the warning bell at The Motions [a series of rock ledges on the island’s south end].  All of these things make living on the island a full sensory experience,” she notes. Coming from a bustling metropolis to an uninhabited island may seem like a move away from sensory stimulation, but in many ways, Ed and Bailey have found the opposite to be true.

“In Chicago and really anywhere within our modern world, we are always moving around,” Ed explains. “It usually feel like the world is stationary, and we are moving through it. But on Damariscove, it really feels like we’re here.” BRLT’s seasonal caretakers spend ten weeks on the 210 acres island six miles off the coast of Maine, from early June through Labor Day weekend. On any given day, Ed and Bailey’s work only ever brings them within a short walk of the caretakers’ cabin where they live throughout the summer. Living and working on a small island day in and day out has allowed Bailey and Ed to appreciate the patterns of life that are so often missed in the busy hustle of the outside world. They note feeling connected to the succession of plants throughout the season, from the rose buds of early summer to the goldenrod of late summer, and seeing how different species come and go in cyclical patterns, including birds, dragonflies and monarchs. “Because we’re here constantly, we’re tuned into everything around us,” Bailey explains. So while some think of the island as disconnected from the world, Ed and Bailey describe a unique connection to their surroundings in which the sounds and sights all have meaning and they are far more aware of what is happening around them than they could ever feel in urban Chicago or any other place that they have lived.

This is not the only way in which Ed and Bailey’s sense of connectivity has been enhanced during their time on Damariscove. Over the past two summers as island caretakers, the couple has developed an appreciation for the unique ways in which Damariscove Island is a hub of community, often bringing people together. On an island where people come to work, to reminisce, to stopover, or to get away, Ed and Bailey found most days to be anything but isolating.  Throughout much of the summer there is a vibrant community based out on Damariscove, from lobstermen who work off of the stone pier or nearby floats, to the neighbors at the former lifesaving station, the island’s only other summer residents.  Ed and Bailey recall being struck by the kindness of this local community. “The way in which we were welcomed and seamlessly accepted as part of this collective when we were basically strangers from a far away place was amazing,” Ed recalls.

As a BRLT volunteer, Gerry Gamage, whose grandfather once had charge of the old lifesaving station on Damariscove, brings Ed and Bailey on and off the island every ten days, allowing them a few days off and an opportunity to restock their supplies. Ed and Bailey recall on one recent occasion returning late to catch a ride with Gerry back to the island after getting a flat tire. They anticipated needing to fix the tire on their next day off, but when they returned to their car, the tire had been fixed. “Gerry fixed it for us,” Ed explains. “He didn’t even mention it. It’s that kind of kindness that we’ve found out here.”

Ed and Bailey also noticed a community that extends far beyond the immediate regulars who frequent the island for work or livelihood. Many of the visitors who come back to Damariscove year after year maintain a deep connection to the place.  “We talk to so many people and hear so many stories of people who have been coming out for years and sharing their memories of the island,” Bailey explains. “It was surprising for us to recognize the cultural significance the island holds for people.” Bailey and Ed describe how much of their days are spent talking to people, who often seek them out upon arriving to shore. The pair note that they have interacted more with people as caretakers on a given day of the summer than they do during the off-season living in South Bristol. “People come out here and they really want to talk,” Bailey explains. “They want to meet the caretakers and connect with us and hear what is happening, but also share their memories and experiences on Damariscove.” Bailey and Ed have observed countless visitors coming to share the island with children or grandchildren, telling stories of their own childhood visits to the island, and connecting the next generation to the island and its history. Bailey sums it up: “Damariscove is a special part of so many people’s lives.”

It may seem odd or unexpected that a remote, uninhabitated island off the coast of Maine offers such meaningful and diverse connections for so many. Yet perhaps it should not surprise us at all. The island was the first permanent European settlement in Maine. It has a continuous fishing history that dates back long before Europeans had arrived, when Abanaki visited Damariscove, which they called Aquahega or “place of landing.” As far back as history has been kept, Damariscove has been a place where community gathered, to fish, to stopover, or to appreciate nature. Today these continue to be the activities that bring communities together on a rugged piece of land six miles out to sea.

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In 1983 the relatively young non-profit, Boothbay Region Land Trust, received a donation of land from Nathaniel Porter, which would become Porter Preserve, the organization’s first public nature preserve. At the time BRLT was an entirely volunteer run organization. A committed board of directors led by founding member and president, Lois Barge, oversaw operations. Eventually Barge became BRLT’s first Executive Director, though her position remained voluntary.

Volunteerism and community participation were essential to BRLT’s early success. Volunteers cleared and built the shoreline trail at Porter, and since that time have supported trail maintenance as well as improvements including the rebuilding of Roberts Wharf and the addition of the memorial grove. Without sustained volunteer engagement, BRLT’s nature preserves, including Porter, would struggle to provide the recreational trails and public access that have been central to the land trust’s work over the past 40 years.

Today Porter Preserve continues to benefit greatly from dedicated volunteers. Paul and Louise Cowan moved to Barters Island eleven years ago from Michigan, and the preserve was a major draw. They found themselves at Porter nearly every day, where they enjoyed walking their dog, Brody. Their regular visits to Porter quickly encouraged them to become volunteers with BRLT. “We were there all of the time,” Paul notes, “we figured that we could do something to help.”

As close neighbors to the preserve, the Cowans made ideal Preserve Stewards at Porter–a group of volunteers who act as the land trust’s eyes and ears on the trails. The Cowans provide routine maintenance of the trails at Porter and upkeep of the kiosk. While Paul clears minor trail blockers, such as branches or small trees, Louise can be seen with her hedge clippers trimming the trail throughout the growing season. “Anything that touches me on the trail gets trimmed back,” she notes.

Early on the Cowans made an effort to haul out trash that had been left at the preserve. “We quickly noticed that after our initial clean-ups, people became more respectful of the preserve,” says Paul.” They could see how nice and pristine it was, and wanted to keep it that way. Little efforts can go a long way in changing people’s perspective and habits. “We frequently meet visitors who are amazed at what a nice place Porter Preserve is,” notes Paul. He and Louise feel great satisfaction in witnessing the enjoyment and appreciation of neighbors and visitors to Porter.

While Paul and Louise provide year-round support for the daily upkeep at Porter, Cyrus Lauriat is BRLT’s go-to volunteer for larger maintenance issues and improvements at Porter Preserve. Cyrus grew up in Southwest Harbor, where, he recalls, “The ocean was my backyard.” Having spent his life at sea as a commercial fisherman, shipbuilder, and engineer on everything from factory trawlers, to ferries, to tugboats and oil barges, Cyrus has a great love for the sea. “I worked at sea for forty-two and a half years,” he notes. “I calculated that my days at sea over that time amount to twenty-five or more full years on the water.” While his work brought him to every corner of the globe, Cyrus always associated Maine with home. In 1975 Cyrus first moved to Boothbay. It was here that he purchased his home, started his family, and spent more than a decade fishing the waters, working in shipyards, and building his life. Though work opportunities eventually drew him to other regions throughout the world including Alaska, Russia, Iceland, and many others besides, when he finally retired from work at sea, Boothbay was where Cyrus returned.

Cyrus has long been a BRLT volunteer and more recently has become engaged as a member of BRLT’s Stewardship Committee, providing guidance on matters of preserve management. Working at sea often demanded creative problem solving, and Cyrus prides himself on his ingenuity and ability to find a fix no matter the challenge. “Having run my own boats, every dime I spent came out of my pocket,” he explains. “I had to be able to find a way to keep my boat moving because any day I couldn’t get out on the water was money lost.” Cyrus brings this same creative problem solving to his volunteerism. He is well known for his ability to see a need and find a solution. Last year he worked to rebuild the float at Roberts Wharf. He has also installed countless bridges across the preserves, including a beautiful new bridge at Porter, and has led the way in designing and installing several sets of stairs at Porter this summer in an effort to make the shore more accessible to visitors. Cyrus also worked with volunteer Alan Bellows to handcraft a number of new benches that have recently been installed at Porter. One hallmark of Cyrus’ work is his commitment to repurposing materials as much as possible. New benches were crafted from blowdowns, bridge lumber has often been repurposed from usable old bridging or other lumber that has been salvaged. Cyrus sees it not only as cost saving, but also as sensible stewardship of the environment.

“Making places like Porter more accessible to people is rewarding,” Cyrus notes. “We’ve got a lot of beautiful pieces of property in the region that people come to see. Simple things like adding steps or a bridge can help open these places to so many people.” Cyrus recounts a recent workday at Porter, “As I was coming back from checking on heights at the [newly installed] ‘Well Cove’ stairs, an older couple was descending the stairs by the oak at the end of the boardwalk and continued on down the next set of steps directly to the shore. They certainly wouldn’t have gotten to the shore [without the steps], and with the ledges being wet and slippery they might have had a complicated time getting down over the ledge by the oak. Witnessing that one moment is worth more than any dollar amount I could ever be paid!”

These community volunteers represent just three of the more than one hundred individuals who volunteer with BRLT every year. Volunteers have always been essential partners in the land trust’s public service mission and their engagement and commitment over the years exemplify the value of BRLT’s lands for the community. Porter Preserve and the adjacent Roberts Wharf have always been locations where conservation and community have come together. At a moment in time when the coast of Maine was becoming increasingly privatized, Porter represented BRLT’s first effort to ensure public access to the shores of our region, and to this day, it holds a special place in the hearts and minds of a community that has long recognized the benefits of this access.

Acknowledgements and thanks to Bob Krist for his support in producing this film and to Paul and Louise Cowan and Cyrus Lauriat for sharing their experiences as BRLT volunteers.

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