A letter from Executive Director Steven Hufnagel
March 29, 2021
Spring returns! As the first green things poke up above ground, we too are feeling the promise of better times ahead as we emerge from the long Covid “winter.”
I am grateful to you for helping us weather the challenges of this past year. You have been right there with us, inspiring us with your encouragement, kindness and support.
Above all, your support made it possible for us adapt. Hopefully you were among the hundreds who enjoyed one of our online programs, now available on our website. Perhaps you or a family member enjoyed Camp in a Box™ last summer. Maybe like me you found solace on our 48 miles of trails or one of the beautiful local waterways you help to protect through Coastal Rivers.
On the education front we took it virtual, with new teacher trainings, workshops and tours, special programs, and ready-made outdoor lesson kits for local schools.
Volunteer stewards, staff, and interns continued to count horseshoe crabs, check boats for invasive plants, tame the trails, and monitor water quality in the Pemaquid and Damariscotta Rivers – just in smaller groups with layers of precautions. And land conservation didn’t stop, with five new properties conserved in the past year!
As more of us get vaccinated and public health guidance begins to shift, we are looking forward to a return of outdoor programs, larger Trail Tamers work parties, and additional volunteer opportunities. At the same time, we plan to continue our online programming which has reached so many new audiences, including folks who don’t live nearby.
With children and teens further down the line with vaccinations, not to mention some among our staff, we’re taking the return of in-person programs gradually. We won’t be hosting Camp Mummichog this summer, though we are working on some family-oriented small events. And sadly the Darrows Barn will remain closed through the season.
As we’re all finding, the news seems to be changing daily, so we’ll keep fine-tuning with an eye toward community health along with lots of great time outdoors. I’ll keep you updated as we know more.
Look for our newsletter in your mailbox soon, with stories about exciting projects we’ve been working on. And keep an eye on our events calendar for small-group guided walks with Coastal Rivers staff.
We miss you and look forward to time together in person – coming very soon!
Warmly,
Steven Hufnagel
Executive Director
Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
207-563-1393
shufnagel@coastalrivers.org
