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© 2025 Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
We work in five core areas:
The Damariscotta-Pemaquid region of Maine is defined by its waterways. Wherever you are on the peninsula, you are within a mile or two of an estuary, river, lake, or pond.
These water bodies provide rich habitat for many species of wildlife, are an important stopover point for migratory birds, and support thriving aquaculture and tourism industries.
Whether you live, work, or play here, the health of our waterways has an impact on all of us.
In our region, the primary threats to water quality are non point-source pollution, climate change, and invasive species.
Non point-source pollution is a term for pollution that comes from many different sources and can’t be traced to one particular point. This can include pollutants from the land that are picked up by stormwater and carried into watersheds. Types of non point-source pollution include agricultural and urban runoff, urban development, and septic sewage.
Climate change affects water quality in several ways. Increased rainfall, more frequent severe storms, and sea level rise all result in more runoff of sediments, nutrients, pathogens, and other substances into water bodies. Increases in nutrient runoff, along with warming water temperatures, can lead to harmful algal blooms. Here in midcoast Maine we are also seeing the effects of coastal acidification due to increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Invasive aquatic plants are non-native plants that are good at “hitchchiking” from one body of water to another on boats and trailers. Once established, they spread quickly and displace native plant and animal communities. Infestations result in habitat disruption, loss of property values, diminished water quality, reduced fishing and water recreation opportunities and significant expense for mitigating these environmental costs.
Land conservation is one of our most effective tools for protecting water quality, ensuring access to natural spaces for everyone, and maintaining vital wildlife corridors throughout the Damariscotta-Pemaquid region.
The pressures on our natural areas have never been greater. As the human population in midcoast Maine grows and property values rise, the increase in development—such as lawns, driveways, and parking lots—leads to more sediment and runoff entering our waterways. This growth also fragments vital wildlife habitat, making it harder for species that need larger spaces or safe passages to thrive.
As a nationally accredited land trust, we are dedicated to conserving the places that define the Damariscotta-Pemaquid region and enhancing the livability of our community. The lands we conserve vary in character, but all contribute to the unique beauty and ecological health of our area. From scenic trails and views to prehistoric shell middens, beloved sledding hills, and vital wildlife corridors, each place is an important part of our region’s identity.
Coastal Rivers currently manages over 7,000 acres, including waterfront properties along the Damariscotta River, freshwater ponds, and smaller conservation easement properties that protect key wildlife habitats and clamming access.
“Nature” is where many of us go for a pleasant walk, to unwind, to enjoy a friend’s company, to have a picnic, or to indulge in a favorite pasttime: fishing, paddling, swimming, ice skating.
But the outdoors is more than just a playground – nature heals. Research shows that spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, regulate your heart rate, increase energy and focus, and boost your mood.
Wherever you may be in the Damariscotta-Pemaquid region, you are within just a few miles of a Coastal Rivers preserve. Having so many of these nearby places for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy is part of what makes our community special.
Properties are changing hands at an increasingly rapid rate in midcoast Maine. These changes in property ownership can often result in loss of traditional public access for uses including swimming, fishing, clamming, and trails. Increased property values put waterfront properties in particular out of reach for most people.
Hills, tree roots, rocks, and uneven trail surfaces – all common features in this rocky coastal area – can present barriers to preserve visitors, depending on their abilities.
Nature education is about connecting people to the natural world. We believe that spending time in nature, and getting to know and appreciate the wonders of the plants, animals, and systems around us, leads us to love and care about those things. This is what inspires us to become better stewards of our natural resources, and to take action for a more positive climate future.
For many reasons, people – and especially kids – are spending more time indoors than in previous generations.
Many people who didn’t grow up spending time outside face a lot of fears: fear of the unknown, of not having the right gear, or of not belonging. Parents and teachers who don’t feel comfortable outdoors aren’t as likely to encourage their kids to spend time outside.
Excessive screen time is an everyday reality for kids across the country, with children in the U.S. between the ages of 8 and 12 spending an average of 4-6 hours a day* on screens. For the majority of teens, that number is even more.
Every moment spent in front of a screen is a moment those children are not using their bodies, exploring with their senses, firing their imaginations, experiencing the ever-changing natural world around them, or engaging in unstructured play.
Coastal Rivers offers a wide range of school programs in support of our educators’ teaching goals. Our aim with these programs is to to inspire a deeper connection to nature by enabling students to make their own discoveries about the natural world. Programs are available for school groups, homeschool groups, and organized youth groups. All programs are FREE for AOS 93, Great Salt Bay School, and Lincoln Academy. > Learn more
Taking place from early July through mid-August at Coastal Rivers’ Salt Bay Farm, Camp Mummichog offers nature education in many forms: hands-on exploration, physical activity, art, music, writing, games, field trips, and more. Together, campers explore forests, marshes and fields, and unravel some of nature’s many mysteries. > Learn more
Many of Coastal Rivers’ adult programs are meant to cultivate knowledgeable stewards of this special region, and address the challenges of living our best lives while still being effective stewards of the environment. If I live on the water, what are the best ways to protect water quality? What are the best plants to have around my house? How can I attract insect-eating birds to my yard?
With the Gulf of Maine among the fastest-warming water bodies in the world, the effects of climate change are especially acute here. Our coastal area is subject to the impacts of sea level rise and more intense storms. These changes in turn impact biodiversity – the variety of our fellow creatures and their interactions – and so the two challenges must be addressed in tandem.
As a conservation organization rooted in community, we are committed not only to doubling down on our land conservation efforts and minimizing our organization’s carbon footprint, but also to doing all we can to help position our communities for a stronger future.
Maine’s coastal communities are noticing and experiencing climate impacts such as warming temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, sea level rise, changes in weather patterns, and severe weather events across the region.
Coastal Rivers partners with Twin Villages Foodbank Farm, an organization growing food for donation to area food pantries and other low-income programs. The farm uses organic and regenerative growing practices on three acres of prime farmland at Coastal Rivers’ Salt Bay Farm in Damariscotta. This partnership fits neatly within the intersection of land conservation, community access, and nature education. > Learn more
Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
12 Round Top Lane
PO Box 333
Damariscotta, ME 04543
The accreditation seal is awarded to land trusts meeting the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence.
Coastal Rivers has also earned a 2025 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid, so you can support our work with trust and confidence.
© 2025 Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
