Conserving Marsh Island

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN by Jay EspyConnecting People and LandWell, it’s been a few years sinceI’ve had a chance to write about “whatI learned on my summer vacation!” Mysabbatical from May through September,while not all vacation, did afford awealth of wonderful learning opportunities.I had the chance to visit morethan a dozen land conservation groupsacross the country, seeing how somemodel organizations put their missionsinto action.Repeatedly on these visits I wasstruck by the important role that landtrusts can play in connecting peopleand the land. It was inspiring to seetrusts working creatively to engagethe public in their work and givepeople a first-hand experience of landprotection’s many values. Severalland trust programs get people behindthe fences of private working farmsand ranches that have been preserved,giving them a chance to enjoy bucolicsettings and taste the fruits of local,sustainable agriculture. Other trustsroutinely offer outings for the generalpublic and donors, enabling peopleto raft, fish, and hike in places theymight not otherwise go. These tripsinspire people in their support andunderstanding of conservation: asmost of us know from personal experience,there’s no substitute forgetting out on the land–the importanceof conservation hits you inevery sense when you’re there.Last summer, thanks to MaineSport Outfitters, we took a group ofreporters on a boat tour from Rockportto Camden—offering them a newperspective on places MCHT andCoastal Mountains Land Trust havehelped to protect, such as AldermereA KAYAK TRIP MCHT HOSTED THIS SUMMER GAVE REPORTERS A RENEWED APPRECIATION FOR THEVALUE OF CONSERVED LANDS ALONG THE COAST.Farm and Beech Hill. The reaction ofone reporter, Holly Anderson, wastypical: “If more people would get outon the water and see the shore andthe views, they would understandthe beauty of the resources that landtrusts… work to preserve for everyoneto enjoy, now and in the future.”My summer travels convinced methat land trusts can help renew avital understanding of place. One ofmy goals now is to have Maine CoastHeritage Trust engage more peoplein creating a strong and shared landethic. In the long run, the best insurancewe have for the work we do is apopulace that knows first-hand thevalue of protected places.MAINE HERITAGE READERSHIP SURVEYMaine Coast Heritage Trustis conducting a survey to learnhow this newsletter can betterserve members and friends. Arandom sample of readers willreceive the survey as an insertto this edition of Maine Heritage.If you find a survey enclosed,please take a few minutes tocomplete it and mail it BYNOVEMBER 22 in the enclosedpostage-paid envelope. Allresponses are anonymous.We welcome additional suggestionsfrom those who did notreceive surveys. Please sendyour feedback by postal mailor e-mail (to info@mcht.org).Many thanks for your valuableinput!RICH KNOX2 MAINE HERITAGE FALL 2004