2024 Annual Report
A year of making connections
Dear Members and Friends,
So much has been accomplished in the past year thanks to the collaboration of Coastal Rivers’ staff, volunteers, donors, board members, partners, and friends!
As you will read in the report that follows, we continue to make significant progress in conserving lands in our River~Link and Pemaquid Wild Pathways focus areas, especially the Half Moon Pond Conservation Area, having completed 15 land conservation projects totaling hundreds of acres. None of this could happen without the generous support of our volunteers and donors.
Read more from President of the Board of Trustees Matthew Hanly
We continue to develop important relationships with our municipal and non-profit partners which are critically important to further developing accessible trails and advancing our affordable housing initiative.
Along with these initiatives, we continue our commitments to clean waters and providing programming to local school children at no cost to the schools. I know when my grandkids are jumping off the cliffs at Turtle Head Island in Biscay Pond, they are jumping into some of the freshest, cleanest water in the state thanks to our water monitoring program. And, as a local school board member, I know the AOS93 and GSB communities truly appreciate our efforts to get the kids outside to enjoy nature!
I end by sharing that the Board has recently adopted a Values Statement, centering everything we do, every decision we make on the values of being welcoming, caring, trustworthy and adaptable. Clearly articulating what we value is important as we continue to focus on our current endeavors and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Matthew Hanly
President, Board of Trustees
In this report
- Land Conservation: Conserving and connecting where it counts
- Stewardship: Caring for land, water, and community in a changing climate
- Nature Education: Inspiring awe, connecting kids and adults to the natural world
- Coastal Rivers’ 2024 Financials
- A look ahead: What’s coming in 2025 and beyond?
Our mission is to care for the lands and waters of the Damariscotta-Pemaquid Region by conserving special places, protecting water quality, creating trails and public access, and deepening connections to nature.
Our Vision: As a team of passionate outdoor enthusiasts and conservation professionals, we believe that caring for the lands and waters of this region starts with caring for our communities. We envision a future where everyone who lives in or visits this region can access, enjoy, and feel welcomed in to beautiful and thriving natural spaces that connect, inspire and sustain us.
Staff
Steven Hufnagel, Executive Director
Katie Beaver, Deputy Director
Angela DesVeaux, Education Manager
Sylvie Falardeau, Development Coordinator
Sarah Gladu, Community Science Director
Jim Grenier, Trails & Facilities Manager
Hannah McGhee, Communications Director
Bell Moroney, Stewardship and Volunteer Coordinator
Joan Ray, Land Conservation Manager
Susan Takano, Operations and Development Director
Brad Weigel, Stewardship Manager
Board of Trustees
Matthew Hanly, President
Gordon Morrell, Vice President
Lee Schiller, Treasurer
Kelsey Gibbs, Secretary
Josh Allan
Jen Atkinson
Dr. Damian C. Brady
Charlie Coit
Elizabeth Ehrenfeld
Malcolm Foster
Carol Lariviere
Kathy Leeman
Rod Melanson
Dennis McKenna
Dru Sanford
Emily Weiss
Ellen Wells
Land Conservation: Conserving and connecting where it counts
2024 Conservation at a glance
- 15 conservation projects completed
- 233 acres conserved
- 5 donated projects (2 conservation easements and 3 gifts of land)
- 2 bargain sale purchases
- 1 planned gift by will
- ~1400′ fresh water shoreline conserved
- ~2500′ salt water shoreline conserved
When we reflect on our conservation work in 2024, what stands out for us is that the significance of each project is so much greater than the sum of its individual acreage. For example, in 2024 we closed on a half-acre donated property, purchased two acres, and updated a neighboring conservation easement in Damariscotta. While these projects appear small relative to other projects, they represent the completion of a long-term goal of connecting public access from Round Top Farm all the way to Salt Bay Farm for the future route of the accessible Cohen River Trail.
Similarly, the purchase of the Hunter Hill property in Bristol nudges us past an exciting milestone: the Half Moon Pond Conservation Area in Bristol now exceeds 1000 acres – the largest connected landscape on the Pemaquid Peninsula!
Half Moon Pond is the seed of our broader Pemaquid Wild Pathways initiative which aims to to conserve a large, permanently protected, and publicly accessible land area spanning several thousand acres. This connected land will support climate resilience, clean water, wildlife, and recreation at a vital scale.
Read more 2024 land conservation highlights
In Bristol, a 5-acre conservation easement donated by Michael and Margo Hope gives Bristol clammers permanent access to the clam flats in John’s Bay. We’ve added two key links to the River~Link North focus area in Newcastle, with a third close to completion.
The purchase of the Boothby property in Bremen conserves 75 additional acres within the Three Ponds, One Forest focus area. In Damariscotta, we recently closed on a 75-acre property along Castner Brook just south of Castner Brook Community Forest, which will help protect water quality in this important tributary of the upper Damariscotta River.
None of this would be possible without your support. Our staff is only able to do this work thanks to your caring and generosity. The goals we pursue are a reflection of input from this community of supporters.
Looking ahead, we’ve been working on a 270-acre acquisition on Deer Meadow Brook in Newcastle with very exciting possibilities for housing, agriculture, and recreation. We look forward to sharing more in the coming months!
Putting conservation on the map
Click on any of the blue hotspots on the map below for details about projects completed in 2024, as well as a few that have carried over into 2025.
BOOTHBY – 75 acres, Bremen
Purchased property
HUNTER HILL – 34 acres, Bristol
Bargain sale purchase
LIBBY – Bristol
Conservation easement updated
HOPE – 5 acres, Bristol
Donated conservation easement ensures
permanent access for Bristol clammers
STILL POINT – 8 acres, Bristol
Donated property
TOWNLEY – Damariscotta
Conservation easement updated,
allows for extension of public access trail
WHEELER – 2 acres, Damariscotta
Purchased property along route of future accessible trail
MAINEHEALTH – .5 acre, Damariscotta
Donated property along route of future accessible trail
SHIELDS-HAAS – Damariscotta
Updated and strengthened conservation easement
along route of future accessible trail
EDMUND S. HISCOCK WOODS – 2 acres, Damariscotta
Bargain sale purchase
WELD CONSERVATION EASEMENT – 39 acres, Edgecomb
Donated conservation easement
PATTEN – 45 acres, Newcastle
Purchased property builds on
River~Link North focus area
REED'S TREES – 10 acres, Newcastle
Purchased property builds on
River~Link North focus area
SMITH – 12 acres, South Bristol
Donated property
DEER MEADOW BROOK ACQUISITION
270 acres, Newcastle
Under option, closing in 2025
CASTNER BROOK ADDITION
75 acres, Damariscotta
Closed in January 2025
PENNY – 19 acres, Newcastle
Bargain sale, closing in spring of 2025
Caring for land, water, and community in a changing climate
I thought to write you in April, after your clean-up from the big storm, and then failed to follow through. Since then, in every month, I have come upon your work and I have been grateful for it.
I probably use as many of the small preserves on the Pemaquid peninsula and beyond as anyone and more than most. This afternoon I was with Beacon, my dog, at Crooked Farm. Yesterday, Walpole Woods and [Huston Landing]. I've been seeing your removals, clean-ups and improvements for months and it was high time I said thanks.
With appreciation,
The challenges
2024 began with two intense back to back storms. High tide, high wind, and storm surge caused extreme erosion and property damage in many coastal areas of Maine, including the islands and exposed coastal properties we manage. This damage highlighted the reality that many of our trails were not constructed to withstand the current level of use they are seeing, much less more frequent and intense storms.
And while those same trails are typical of this forested, rocky coastal area of Maine, they were also not designed with accessibility in mind. There is a real need for more universally accessible trails.
Read more
Related to the challenges of maintaining trails and creating more accessible opportunities is the prohibitively high cost of materials and contractors. Contractors have also been in very high demand, making it difficult to engage their services whether for planning or executing projects.
In addition to direct damage from storm events, our changing climate presents other kinds of challenges as well. Warmer winters have accelerated the spread of non-native species in Maine, and invasive plants and insects both pose a threat to our native plant and wildlife species. Warming water temperatures increase the risk of potentially toxic algal blooms, affect the life cycles of native wildlife, and can negatively affect clarity, acidity, and levels of dissolved oxygen.
The good news is, we have tools, skills, and strategies to address these challenges – and we are not facing them alone. It is the committed support of our members and donors, the time and talents shared by many volunteers, and the vision of this community that drives our work.
2024 Trails and stewardship highlights
Storm response
- Cleaned up, repaired, and rerouted several hundred feet of the Tibbitts Trail at La Verna Preserve
- Partnered with MITA for clean-ups on Stratton, Witch, and Fort Islands
- Again with MITA, rerouted a short section of storm-damaged trail on Little Thrumcap
Accessible trails & trail improvements
- Thanks to a grant from Bangor Savings Bank, completed a section of accessible trail connecting Round Top Farm to Church Street
- Updated an agreement with the Bureau of Parks and Lands to cross Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site with the extension of the accessible Cohen River Trail
- Acquired two properties and updated a conservation easement to protect public access for the entire route of the accessible trail extension from Whaleback to Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road
- Thanks to a private donor, purchased three pieces of trail-building equipment that will greatly expand our capabilities as well as save time and money
- Continued working on school trail improvements with student groups at Great Salt Bay and Nobleboro Central Schools
- Replaced metal markers with more tree-friendly painted blazes at several preserves
- Finished installing new preserve signs
Forest health
- Released 2,100 predatory beetles on Coastal Rivers preserves. These beetles prey exclusively on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid – a non-native insect that feeds on and eventually kills Eastern hemlock trees
- Coordinated the purchase and release of an additional 2,600 predatory beetles with landowners and a neighboring land trust
- With volunteers and a consultant, worked to knock back infestations of invasive plants at several Coastal Rivers preserves
- Planted 215 trees at Round Top Farm and Salt Bay Farm
2024 Water quality and community science highlights
Water quality
- Hired two crackerjack interns for the summer: Forest Holbrook, Water Resources Intern, and Torren Nehrboss, Courtesy Boat Inspector
- Continued a decades-long estuary monitoring program at seven locations in the Damariscotta River
- Logged over 117 hours conducting voluntary boat inspections and providing info to boaters at the Pemaquid Pond boat landing, inspecting 104 boats. No invasive aquatic plants were found in 2024
- Tracked water quality in Webber/Muscongus Pond, Pemaquid Pond, Biscay Pond, and Paradise/Muddy Pond
- In collaboration with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, monitored Pemaquid Pond and connected waterbodies for toxic cyanobacteria. None was detected in 2024
- Volunteers took weekly samples at Pemaquid Beach, the swim beach at Biscay Pond, and the swimming area at Bristol Mills to check for bacterial contamination as part of the Maine Healthy Beaches Program
- Staff and volunteers joined local oyster growers and other organizations for an October clean-up in the Damariscotta River
Community Science
- Volunteers collected data on horseshoe crab populations in Great Salt Bay in May and June, continuing a long-standing study that helps us understand changing conditions over time
- Volunteers and staff constructed and deployed a luxurious loon nesting platform in Paradise/Muddy Pond
- Volunteers collected water samples weekly in Bristol and viewed them under a microscope to look for certain phytoplankton that can indicate the presence of toxic algal blooms
2024 Community and climate highlights
- Hired a temporary Climate Action Coordinator, who partnered with four local towns to pursue funding for climate resilience projects. All four projects were funded!
- Partnered with Bristol Parks and Recreation Department to organize the Pemaquid Beach Triathlon, a fundraiser for the department
- Continued to partner with Twin Villages Foodbank Farm, providing farmland, space for the Community Food Storage Hub, and office support
Read more community and climate highlights
- Provided gathering space for schools and community non-profit partners, including art shows for Lincoln Academy and Great Salt Bay School
- Inspired environmental action with the 7th annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival On Tour in Damariscotta (and the 8th is coming up on May 15, 2025!)
- After a setback, moved ahead to pursue plans and proposals for repairs to Darrows Barn
- Continued to power our operations with solar generated by an array shared with Kieve-Wavus Education
Nature Education: Inspiring awe, connecting kids and adults to the natural world
My child was absolutely thrilled the day his group went kayaking and saw a pod of seals less than 15 ft away from his boat. When he told me about it on the way home, I could tell he had been moved by this experience, and I knew he had grown up a little bit that day, having this profound experience in nature with his peers and not "just his parents." I am so grateful.
The challenges
The greatest challenge we are facing in nature education is a good one, and that is that demand for programming is at an all-time high. We have two full-time educators on staff who, during the 9+ month school-year, teach nearly 150 school programs – for a total of 9,959 student hours in 2024.
When school is not in session, Camp Mummichog takes over at Salt Bay Farm from June through August. Camp was fully subscribed in 2024, with wait lists for many sessions.
Read more
New during the summer of 2024, we also partnered with the AOS 93 school district to offer a Summer Enrichment Program for kids in grades K-4 and a Summer Adventure Program at Plummer Point for kids in grades 5-8.
Since the summer school programs took place in several locations during the same time period as summer camp, we contracted with nature educators on a part-time basis to teach them (primarily teachers who were available during a few weeks of the summer).
2024 Nature education highlights
School programs (September through June)
- Taught nearly 150 classes requested by 46+ educators, from Pre-K through high school
- Programs range in length from a single class period to a half day or full-day. Some programs are part of a series over multiple days, and a few, such as with Lincoln Academy’s EdLab and IDEAL students, meet regularly all year long (Intrigued? See a sampling of the school group classes we offer)
- New in 2024, taught outdoor classes at Coastal Kids Preschool in Damariscotta
- Through the Wabanaki Program in the fall, in collaboration with a Wabanaki educator, school groups come to Salt Bay Farm for a half or full day to learn about current and past Wabanaki material culture including language, song, crafts, games, and wild edibles
Summer Enrichment Program and Outdoor Adventures Enrichment Program at Plummer Point with AOS 93 schools
- Paid for with a grant obtained by the school district: 100% free for participants and included transportation, lunch, and snacks
- Summer Enrichment – As a warm-up to summer school academics, the younger grades played active games and explored with Coastal Rivers naturalists. They went on guided bird walks, played migratory hopscotch, caught and identified insects, read nature books, looked at mammal bones, learned to tell the difference between types of trees, made nature-focused drawings, built outdoor shelters, and played games
- Outdoor Adventures at Plummer Point – Kids entering fifth through eighth grade enjoyed hiking the trails at Plummer Point, exploring the seashore, kayaking, and more. The program focused on problem solving skills, outdoor living skills, and outdoor careers
Learn more about these programs in our story from September 2024.
Adult programs
- Offered the popular Oyster Gardening program in the spring, which was filled to capacity
- Hosted guided hikes at various Coastal Rivers preserves from September through June
- Offered workshops on pack basket weaving, white sharks, orchard pruning, septic systems, blue crabs, and more – both online and in person
- For Earth Month, organized a green lawn equipment demo at Round Top Farm and roadside clean-ups
- Hosted online naturalist chats during the winter months
See what’s coming up on our calendar here!
Coastal Rivers' 2024 Financials
Where does the money come from?
Where does the money go?
Statement of Activities
Year ended June 30, 2024
| Revenues | Total | % |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions and grants | $3,125,141 | 68% |
| In-kind gifts | 791,195 | 17% |
| Sales and fees | 118,592 | 2.6% |
| Interest, dividends, partnership income | 89,476 | 2% |
| Other income | 485,212 | 11% |
| Total Revenues | 4,609,616 |
| Expenses | Total | % |
|---|---|---|
| Land acquisition | $2,011,607 | 53% |
| Land and water stewardship | 299,054 | 8% |
| Other programs | 162,268 | 4% |
| Management and general | 371,030 | 10% |
| Education and outreach | 204,801 | 5% |
| Development | 351,659 | 9% |
| Program facilities | 220,126 | 6% |
| Depreciation | 190,481 | 5% |
| Total Expenses | 3,811,026 |
| Net | $798,590 |
|---|
Statement of Financial Position
Year ended June 30, 2024
Assets
| Current Assets | Total |
|---|---|
| Cash and equivalents | $497,914 |
| Receivables | 1,273,164 |
| Prepaid expenses and other | 50,239 |
| Total Current Assets | 1,821,317 |
| Total Property and Equipment | 3,515,566 |
| Other Assets | Total |
|---|---|
| Conserved fee title property | $12,049,207 |
| Investments | 1,021,931 |
| Miscellaneous | 321,936 |
| Total Other Assets | 13,393,074 |
| Total Assets | 18,729,957 |
Liabilities
| Current Liabilities | $896,892 |
| Long-term Liabilities | 434,618 |
| Total Liabilities | 1,331,510 |
| Total Net Assets | 17,398,447 |
A look ahead
In it for the long haul
We are so grateful to be partnering with you to care for the lands and waters of the Damariscottta-Pemaquid region. And we hope you are as proud and pleased as we are with of what we accomplished together in 2024!
Are you now wondering, “what’s next?” We have several exciting projects in the works that we’d love to share with you:
Land conservation and... housing?
In light of housing trends and the pressing need for affordable housing for the region’s workforce, downsizing seniors, and growing families, Coastal Rivers is committed to being part of the solution. This leads us to explore the question, how can we continue conserving vital land while also addressing the housing shortage in our service area?
Our goal is to balance conservation with thoughtful development, ensuring that our future supports both the natural environment and the people who call this area home.
In Bristol, we’ve purchased a ten-acre property next to the trailhead at La Verna Preserve, which included a house and a detached garage with an apartment above. Although it was necessary to remove the house, we have plans in place to convert the garage into a sweet two-story duplex. With architectural drawings now in hand, and with $200,000 remaining to raise out of the entire $700,000 project cost, we expect to begin work on the duplex conversion this fall.
Additionally, in Newcastle, we are set to close on a 270-acre property that includes some roadside frontage, just a few miles from town, that would be well suited for the creation of a small neighborhood of affordable cottage homes. The Town of Newcastle has met initial proposals with enthusiasm. We’ll be soliciting requests for qualifications from prospective development partners this fall.
Land return in support of Wabanaki Tribes
Wabanaki Tribes and non-native organizations are working together to return over 50,000 acres to Wabanaki communities across the place now called Maine. Eleven distinct projects, collectively referred to as the Tributary Land Returns, will result in one of the largest returns of private land in the history of the United States.
The land returns will return stewardship to lakes, rivers, wetlands, and coastal islands, provide space for economic growth and development, support Wabanaki land care without restriction, and give room for communities and dreams to grow.
Coastal Rivers is participating in one of these projects: Hungry Island in Muscongus Bay. The 140-acre island is being offered for sale by the Chewonki Foundation, and Coastal Rivers is joining with several other organizations to support its purchase by the Penobscot Indian Nation. We have pledged to contribute $50,000 to the project and are currently fundraising to fulfill this commitment.
TWO new accessible trails – and a lot of trees
Our Round Top Farm campus and the accessible trail that connects Round Top to Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site will soon be a shadier, more pleasant place to walk with the addition of several dozen trees. On May 17, together with the Town of Damariscotta, we’ll be planting and giving away trees in celebration of Arbor Day. In addition to providing shade, the trees represent a commitment to combatting climate change.
Additionally, thanks to a donation earmarked for the purchase of three pieces of critical equipment late last fall, we are able to move ahead with some long dreamed-of trails projects, including two – yes, two! – new accessible trails.
Just this past week, a Trail Tamers™ crew cleared brush and lopped saplings along the route of a planned loop trail through the woods at Keyes Woods Preserve in Bristol. The route curves through mossy pine and spruce forest and pauses at an elevated point looking out over a hemlock stream below. We expect to complete the trail by the end of summer.
In Damariscotta, we are in the process of securing funding for the creation of a parking lot and a section of accessible trail at Castner Brook Community Forest, which will include a sturdy bridge over Castner Brook. If all goes according to plan, both should be complete by late fall.
Getting a read on water quality in Johns Bay
Late in 2023, we shared that the Maine Coastal Observing Alliance (MCOA), a network of nine conservation groups monitoring water quality in midcoast Maine estuaries, received a grant for $142,000 from a fund at the Maine Community Foundation. Coastal Rivers is part of MCOA, and in fact Community Science Director Sarah Gladu chairs the group.
Part of the grant funds was used purchase several HOBO remote monitoring buoys. The buoys, about the size and shape of a rolled-up magazine, can be deployed at a site in the estuary and programmed to collect data on water conditions at regular intervals. Those data can then be uploaded using a smartphone.
Earlier this spring, MCOA members met at Coastal Rivers’ Denny Conservation and Education Center to assemble and calibrate their buoys. Building on our long-term monitoring program in the Damariscotta River estuary, one buoy is destined for Johns Bay, which is just outside of the area where we’ve been gathering water quality data for many years. We look forward to learning more about water quality conditions in Johns Bay and sharing our findings with you.
Refurbishing the Nature Center at Salt Bay Farm
The lovely old 1780’sfarmhouse at Salt Bay Farm, which served as Damariscotta River Association’s headquarters until 2019 and now hosts many of our school groups and other nature education programs – including Nature School and Camp Mummichog summer day camp – is getting a major overhaul.
This will entail leveling the floors, removing select walls to open up additional classroom space, and making the entire building more energy-efficient.
Before that happens, we will need to raise some funds. But in the meantime, to lay the groundwork for the work to come, Trails and Facilities Manager Jim Grenier is spearheading an effort this spring to clean out the building from attic to basement, remove some of the non weight-bearing walls, replace flooring in two areas, and touch up others with some paint. Outside, the roof will be re-shingled, a section of rotting sill replaced, and all the clapboard siding and trim painted. The newer wing of the building will be ship-shape just in time for camp to begin at the end of June, with work on the remainder to continue through 2026!
With your continued support, we are in this work for the long haul. It gives us great hope – as it may do for you – to focus on long term goals that benefit the health and well-being of our human communities as well as that our animal neighbors, and make this part of midcoast Maine a truly special place to live, work, and play. Thank you!
