A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding ... · 2 Winter 2004/2005 Winter 2004/2005...

A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities

Purchase Your Park Pass!

Whether walking, bicycling, driving, or riding the fare-free Island Explorer through the park, all must pay the entrance fee.

The Acadia National Park $20 weekly pass ($10 in the shoulder seasons) and $40 annual pass are available at the following locations in Maine:

Acadia National Park Headquarters (on the Eagle Lake Road/Rte. 233 in Bar Harbor)

Hulls Cove Visitor Center (off Rte. 3 in Hulls Cove) • Sand Beach Entrance Station (on the Park Loop Road)

Island Explorer/Acadia National Park information center (next to the Bar Harbor Village Green and Island Explorer transfer location)

Seawall Campground (off Rte. 102A in Southwest Harbor) • Blackwoods Campground (off Rte. 3 in Otter Creek)

Park pass fees make possible vital maintenance projects in Acadia.

1Winter 2004/2005Friends of Acadia Journal

In September, lobstermen and other resi-dents decisively crushed a proposal for aliquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at

Prospect Harbor, in Gouldsboro, near thefishing village of Corea. The development alsowould have affected Acadia National Park,Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, andSchoodic National Scenic Byway.

The Corea terminal would have lain insidethe 1986 Acadia National Park purchaseboundary set by Congress. It extends fromthe centerline of the Penobscot River and Bayto the Washington County line in GouldsboroBay, incorporating the Corea site. Within thisborder the national park is authorized toacquire conservation easements on islandsand on certain mainland properties nearSchoodic. The LNG site lay three miles froma park-held conservation easement atProspect Harbor’s western side, oppositeCorea. Acadia visitors on Schoodic Head andCadillac Mountain would have easily seen theindustrial structures and the thousand-foottanker ships motoring in and out.

Units of Petit Manan National WildlifeRefuge dot the coast east and west of the site,which includes a long natural beach. Thetankers would have passed near the refuge’sislands and mainland components that were

permanently set aside as habitat. Fixed indus-trial structures would have abutted the bio-logically rich Corea Bog, itself slated for inclu-sion in Petit Manan.

Schoodic National Scenic Byway, desig-nated in 2000 by the U.S and Maine depart-ments of transportation, runs on Rte.186through Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro. Thebyway program’s purposes are “to preserveand enhance selected roads” that passthrough areas with special visual and otherqualities. Heavy service vehicles could nothave accessed the LNG terminal withoutusing the byway.

Acadia, Petit Manan, and Schoodic ScenicByway are the federally designated lands,waters, and roads that support tourism andprovide access to some of the nation’s most

beautiful scenery. These assets, whose pro-tection was hard won over a century, helpsafeguard both the lobster fishery and coastalvillage life, vital ingredients of the region’seconomy and culture. Putting heavy indus-try where a national park overlaps a nation-al wildlife refuge, in an area served by anational scenic byway, would have been con-trary to their interrelated conservation pur-poses — and a terrible precedent. Moreover,land trusts hold conservation reserves andeasements in the area.

To its credit, the developer, Cianbro, vol-untarily withdrew its proposal amid strongobjections from local residents, includingFriends of Schoodic. For its part, Friends ofAcadia benefited from an intermediary whoquietly conveyed our concerns to the com-pany’s top ranks.

In 1996 Friends of Acadia launched thecoalition that prevented an ill-designed tim-ber cut at Schoodic and led to a good cut. Andin 2001, we stopped the state’s forcibletakeover of 26 acres that have since becomenational park property at Schoodic Point.With the citizens’ defeat of the industrial ter-minal, it would be nice if Schoodic had abreather. But most conservation victories aremere preludes, and we can anticipate — besure of it — further attempts to diminish thearea’s character. Supported by your donations,Friends of Acadia will stay at the job for aslong as it takes. ❧

ANOTHER SCHOODIC THREAT DEFEATED

The LNG developmentwould have affected AcadiaNational Park, Petit MananNational Wildlife Refuge,and Schoodic NationalScenic Byway.

President’s Column

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W. Kent Olson, President

Front, Schoodic Loop Road and cobble beaches from Schoodic Head in Acadia National Park, lookingnortheast. Rear, Prospect Harbor, in Gouldsboro. The approximate location of the proposed LNG termi-nal is at the right side of photo, along Prospect Harbor’s extensive natural beach.

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2 Winter 2004/2005

Winter 2004/2005

Volume 9 No. 3

A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities

FEATURE ARTICLES

8 Piecing Together Acadia’s Mercury Puzzle Catherine Schmitt

Winter may hold the key to some of Acadia’s questions about mercury in its waters.

10 Lepidoptera Blitz in Acadia Brian Scholtens

Scientists and volunteers join forces to be sure that even the least of them are counted.

18 National Park Service Ceremony Marks 400th Anniversary Ginny Reams

Passamaquoddy, Canadian, French, and United States dignitaries commemorate a fateful landing on St. Croix Island.

ACTIVITIES/HIGHLIGHTS

7 Memorial — Laurance Rockefeller

12 Updates

19 Book Reviews

21 A Short History of Friends of Acadia

DEPARTMENTS

1 President’s Column Another Schoodic Threat Defeated W. Kent Olson

3 Superintendent’s View A Great Team Sheridan Steele

5 Chairman’s Letter Working for the Land Dianna Emory

7 Poem And Now Martin Steingesser

9 Special Person David Woodside Kelly S. Dickson

15 Poem Lunar Eclipse, Obscured by Snow Robin Pelzman

BOARD OF DIRECTORSDianna Emory, Chair

Charles R. Tyson, Jr., Vice ChairEdward L. Samek, Treasurer

Jeannine Ross, Secretary

Gail CookJohn Fassak

Samuel FeltonNathaniel Fenton

Sheldon F. Goldthwait, Jr.H. Lee Judd

Linda W. LewisH. Stanley MacDonald

Elizabeth MartinezJulia Merck

Heather MitchellJoseph MurphyW. Kent OlsonAnn R. RobertsMichael Siklosi

Howard SolomonSherry Streeter

Eleanor SullivanAnn Waldron

Bill Zoellick

HONORARY TRUSTEESEleanor Ames

Robert and Anne BassEdward McCormick BlairCurtis and Patricia BlakeRobert and Sylvia BlakeFrederic A. Bourke, Jr.

Tristram and Ruth ColketShelby and Gale Davis

Frances FitzgeraldNeva Goodwin

Eileen and Paul GrowaldPolly and John Guth

Paul HaertelBurnham Litchfield

Gerrish and Phoebe MillikenGeorge J. Mitchell

Janneke NeilsonNancy Nimick

Jack PerkinsNancy Pyne

Louis RabineauNathaniel P. ReedDavid Rockefeller

Patricia ScullErwin Soule

Diana Davis SpencerDonald and Beth Straus

HONORARY TRUSTEES IN MEMORIAMArthur Gilkes

Fitzgerald HudsonDenholm M. Jacobs

Gladys O’NeilNancy Pierrepont

Kate QuesadaPeggy Rockefeller

Theodore Roosevelt, IIIRobert Suminsby

Barbara and Charles R. Tyson

FRIENDS OF ACADIA STAFFTheresa Begley, Development Associate

Stephanie Clement, Conservation DirectorKelly S. Dickson, Director of Annual GivingDiana R. McDowell, Director of Operations

Marla Stellpflug O’Byrne, Stewardship DirectorW. Kent Olson, President

Mike Staggs, Administrative Assistant

Friends of Acadia Journal


One of the best things about workingfor the National Park Service is thepeople you get to work with.

Everywhere I have been during my 26-yearcareer, I have enjoyed working with highlyprofessional and personally dedicated indi-viduals who have made protecting the parksand sharing them with others their life’s call-ing. And that is nowhere more true than atAcadia where we have the best managers andpartners of any national park in the country.

The Acadia National Park “managementteam” consists of the managers that meetregularly to set policy, establish direction andpriorities, coordinate daily operations, andotherwise make decisions relative to the workof ANP. This group includes the superin-tendent, deputy superintendent, chief ofresource management and science, chief ofinterpretation and education, chief of main-tenance, chief ranger, administrative officer,park planner and concessions specialist. Iwould like to briefly introduce them to you.

Len Bobinchock is the deputy superin-tendent or “chief of operations” and as such,he coordinates all of the daily operations, rou-tine business, and special activities managedby park staff through the division chiefs list-ed below.

David Buccello, chief ranger, oversees thepark’s law enforcement, resource protection,fee collection (campgrounds and entrance sta-tions), fire prevention and control, dispatch,and lifeguard programs. He also coordinatesthe park’s search and rescue, emergency med-ical, and security programs.

As the administrative officer, Michael Healyis responsible for program management ofadministrative functions, including humanresources, contracting, purchasing, budget,property management, and the park’s com-puter systems and information management.

David Manski, Acadia’s chief of resourcemanagement, supervises programs involving:natural, cultural, and social science research,monitoring and data management, ecologicalrestoration, management of rare and exoticspecies, compliance with federal/state envi-ronmental and historic preservation laws,curatorship of the park’s museum collection,and monitoring and protection of park lands,

including properties under conservationeasement.

The chief of maintenance, Jim Vekasi, man-ages construction and maintenance programsrelated to all of Acadia’s man-made facilities— roads, carriage roads, trails, buildings,campgrounds, grounds, utility systems, andequipment fleet.

Deb Wade, as chief of interpretation, over-sees the visitor centers, ranger-led programs,education programs, exhibits, park newspa-per, publications, and other efforts to makethe park meaningful to visitors (i.e., through“interpretation”).

John Kelly, park planner, coordinates plan-ning and public involvement strategies relat-ed to park management and development. Heworks closely with surrounding communitiesto reduce impacts from adjacent land uses andto foster support for park planning efforts.

Liz Weston is the concession managementspecialist, and is responsible for ensuring con-tract and permit compliance by Acadia’s fourconcessioners and 120 incidental businesspermittees.

The larger team consists of our permanentemployees, our seasonal employees, andmany volunteers. Other team partnersinclude:

• Acadia Partners for Science and Learning,a new nonprofit organization established to help manage the Schoodic Education and Research Center

• Eastern National Association, a nonprofit

“cooperating association” authorized by Congress, which sells books and educational materials

•Our concessions contractors: Acadia Corporation at Jordon Pond House and Cadillac/ Thunderhole gift shops, NationalPark Tours, Olie’s Trolly, and Carriages in the Park

• Island Explorer management and drivers, and of course

• Friends of Acadia

Together we provide the range of visitorservices required by the 2.5 million or moreannual visitors to Acadia and provide for theprotection of the natural and culturalresources that make up this spectacularnational park.

Friends of Acadia and volunteers, as wellas our many other state and local partners,help maintain the high quality experience vis-itors expect at Acadia National Park. You pro-vide for a margin of excellence that we oth-erwise could not afford. You also are a strongadvocate for the park’s land protection andvisitor service functions including the budg-et necessary to conduct the range of programslisted above. Thank you for all you do to keepAcadia the very special place it is! ❧

Sheridan Steele, Superintendent

A GREAT TEAM

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Superintendent’s View

The Acadia National Park“management team” consistsof the managers that meet reg-ularly to set policy, establishdirection and priorities, coor-dinate daily operations, andotherwise make decisions rel-ative to the work of ANP.

4 Winter 2004/2005 Friends of Acadia Journal

A Snoem

Snow fallsNo one knowsOn the iceOn the snowWhat hides inside.

—Dorothy Springarnwritten at age 7 (2nd grade)Saratoga Springs, New York

Family TraditionsI would like to thank you and the rest ofFOA for the great work you do for AcadiaNational Park. My wife’s family has beenvisiting Acadia since her grandfatheranswered Mr. Rockefeller’s call forUniversity of Maine students to help fightthe fires that threatened to destroy thepark back in 1947. We hope that, as ourdaughter grows up, she gets to enjoy thesame beautiful park that we have cometo love.

—James RocheDouglas, Massachusetts

Bobcats on Otter Cliffs?My family visited Acadia in August and ahighlight of our trip was attending someof the ranger-led programs in the park. Weparticipated in “Discovering the Forest”hike with Ranger Mark, and “MountainMysteries” with Ranger Donna. Both chil-dren and adults learned a great deal fromthe rangers, which really enhanced ourvacation. My 9-year-old son followedRanger Mark so closely that he was almostin his back pocket. He has “the best jobin the world” according to Peter. RangerMark was personable and entertaining, aswell as knowledgeable, and our woundsfrom his hands-on porcupine quill demon-stration are healing nicely.

Ranger Donna’s program was attendedby family members from 6 to 69 years old,and we were all impressed by her abilityto explain geology and glaciation in a

manner we could all understand. The kidsloved her hands-on demonstration andmystery questions.

I believe we enjoyed our hikes and bikerides in the park much more after attend-ing these programs. In this political era ofgovernment cutbacks in all areas of envi-ronmental protection, I hope such programswill be spared. They really were great andaffordable. Thanks again to the NationalPark Service and their rangers for provid-ing us with great memories of Maine andyour beautiful park.

By the way, I made an erroneous entryin the “wildlife sighting log” at the Sieurde Monts Nature Center. The three bobcatcubs I saw on August 5 turned out be reg-ular housecat kittens that someone hadabandoned. Could someone scratch thatout?

—Ann SchleckmanLakewood, Ohio

This note was excerpted from a letter sent toAcadia National Park. Due to limitedCongressional funding for park operations,more than a quarter of the interpretive pro-grams, including ranger-led programs likethose described above, were cut from the 2004summer season. Funding in 2005 is stilluncertain. — Editor

A Magazine about Acadia National Park

and Surrounding Communities

Friends of Acadia is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural distinctive-ness of Acadia National Park and the sur-rounding communities, and thereby ensur-ing a high quality experience for visitorsand residents.

The Journal is published three times a year.Submissions are welcome.

Opinions expressed are the authors’.

You may write us at43 Cottage Street / PO Box 45

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609or contact us at207 288-3340

1 800 625-0321www.friendsofacadia.org

email: [email protected]

EDITORMarla Stellpflug O’Byrne

POETRY EDITORPhilip Dane Levin

DESIGNPackard Judd Kaye

PRINTINGPenmor Lithographers

PUBLISHERW. Kent Olson

This Journal is printed on chlorine-process free, recycled,and recyclable stock using soy-based ink.

Winter 2004/2005

Volume 9 No. 3

Notes from Friends

Correction: With apologies we notethat in the Summer/Fall issue of theJournal, we misprinted a line ofAnnaliese Jakimides’ award-winningpoem, “Dragon of Light in the Water.”The line should have read: “She boogieswith Che and Martin Luther and JackieO.” You will find the complete, and cor-rected, poem on our website atwww.friendsofacadia.org/journal.shtml,under the Poetry Competition link.

Snowstorm on Somes SoundCover photographs by Tom Blagden

Dorothy Kerper Monnelly photo

Sand Beach and Cadillac Cliffs


The carriage roads and their ditchesreceived some loving care inNovember when hundreds of Acadia

National Park enthusiasts gathered forFriends of Acadia’s annual Take Pride inAcadia Day. This and many other Friends-sponsored activities represent our work onbehalf of the land — an important part of ourmission. Friends’ donors have contributedmillions of dollars and built endowments fortrail and carriage road rehabilitation. Our vol-unteers and ANP staff have spent thousandsof hours digging, raking, clipping, and haul-ing in our efforts to care for the park. And wehave assisted in protecting treasured viewsand halting the clear-cutting of more than athousand acres of forestland abutting theSchoodic unit of Acadia. Now the park needsFriends of Acadia to work for the land in adifferent way.

With our conservation partners, Friends iscommitted to assisting Acadia in securingmany of the unprotected parcels within thepark boundary. In 1986, Congress directedthe National Park Service to buy, from will-ing sellers, private properties inside theAcadia National Park boundaries. Twentyparcels are available now. These propertiesinclude 340 acres of wooded areas, marsh-es, rocky outcroppings, fields, and waterfront.They share common denominators: each iscurrently available from a willing seller; each,if abused, has the potential to be damagedthrough obtrusive structures, light and noisepollution, vehicle access, and/or the destruc-tion of wildlife habitat; each is onSuperintendent Sheridan Steele’s list of threat-ened properties.

Friends of Acadia is planning a program topurchase land or obtain conservation ease-ments on these parcels. Friends and our con-servation partners, including Acadia NationalPark and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, will pro-vide the land protection expertise. We lookforward to keeping you informed of progresson this project. ❧

Dianna Emory, Board Chair

WORKING FOR THE LAND

Chairman’s Letter

This past November, nearly 450 Take Pride in Acadia Day volunteers raked along the 44 miles of carriageroads in the park.

In a partnership effort this past summer, 175 acres within the environmentally sensitive Northeast Creek water-shed was purchased by Maine Coast Heritage Trust. About a mile of shoreline was protected from develop-ment, and the land within the legislated park boundary will be held for eventual sale to Acadia.

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With our conservation part-ners, Friends is committed toassisting Acadia in securingmany of the unprotectedparcels within the parkboundary.

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WAYS OF GIVING

Acadia

We gratefully acknowledge giftsreceived in the memory of:

Robert AbelsonJacob Barter

Emily Morison BeckWendy Beck

Matthew Steven BertolacciniDaniel Robert Bonney and

Roberta Hatch BonneyClarence Bridges

Wilmer J. BradburyPeggy Byrne

Gregory CahillBenjamin Cogen

David and Kitzi CrofootJack Cutter

Jean ElsemoreFrancis C. and Rachel W. Evans

Barbara E. FoleyJoseph FreemanRobert GasconPatty Guyton

Brenton S. Halsey, Jr.Barbara HenryCharles Hesse

Donald HigginsGeorge E. Hill

Benjamin HinckleyAberdeen LaddiePenny LongmaidGeorge L. Manos

Evelyn “Lynn” McNultyBetty Meiklejohn

Jeanette Farrar MelcherRev. and Mrs. Harry Meserve

Bobby MickschutzCarl G. NowackNicene Pascal

Martha “Marty” PhillipsLucille Pfister

Gordon RamsdellKitty and Clinton Rapp

Eleanor and Lawrence ReeveAlfred J.K. RidgeHenry H. Smith

Caroline SimmonsMary Trimble

Barbara K. TysonSohier WelchNancy Young

IN NOMINE

We gratefully acknowledge giftsreceived in the name of:

Lorraine AronsonBen and Dianna Emory

Linda Hamor and Rick SavageHelen S. Longton

Leah Panuccio and Andrew GutherzGeorge Peabody

Meg Riggs and Gib BrownSusan Roehl and David Kunz

Pat StanleyRobert Kinsey Taylor

IN MEMORIAM

The future of Friends of Acadia depends to a large degree on the foresight and

generosity of today’s visionaries — our members — who are willing to consider

new ways to make gifts. Here are a few suggested methods of making a difference

for Friends of Acadia:

Gift of Cash or Marketable Securities Gifts may be restricted to a designated program or applied to FOA’s general operating fund.

Gift of Life InsuranceName FOA as policy owner and beneficiary, and receive immediate taxdeductions on your premium payments.

Gift of PropertyGifts of real estate, boats, or artwork provide FOA with marketable assetsand may enable you to avoid capital gains taxes.

Named Endowment FundThe principal of a fund established in your name — or for someone youwish to honor or memorialize — is managed for growth, while the incomefrom the fund supports programs.

Charitable RemainderTrust /Charitable LeadTrustProvide FOA or yourself with a steady income stream and, with a remaindertrust, leave a significant future gift to FOA. Both arrangements entitle you toconsiderable tax savings.

BequestsName FOA as a beneficiary in your will and make a lasting contribution to the organization.

For more information about any of these suggested methods of giving to Friends of Acadia, please contact us at 207-288-3340.

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Winter 2004/2005 7Friends of Acadia Journal

LAURANCE S. ROCKEFELLER1910–2004

Laurance Rockefeller was a premier conser-vation leader of the 20th century. Long-timeassociate Henry Diamond notes that he “par-ticipated in his father’s [John D. Rockefeller,Jr.] contributions to [the creation of]Redwood, Shenandoah, Mesa Verde, Acadia,and other parks,” and created Virgin Islandsand March-Billings-Rockefeller nationalparks. With his brother David and other fam-ily members, Laurance was a major donorto Friends of Acadia’s landmark carriage roadendowment.

Laurance chaired the Outdoor RecreationResources Review Commission under presi-dents Eisenhower and Kennedy. This body

gave birth to the federal Land and WaterConservation Fund, which has helped pur-chase thousands of now-protected areasacross America, including the AllagashWilderness Waterway, additions to AcadiaNational Park, and many other Maine parksand recreation sites. The commission spurredsome of the greatest conservation legislationever enacted, including the Wilderness Act.

In Laurance Rockefeller: Catalyst forConservation, biographer and Yale historyprofessor Robin W. Winks wrote thatLaurance’s “persistence in espousing reason-able change within the system helped moveconcern for nature from obscurity to a fullplace at the cabinet table, the congressionalcaucuses, and the corporate boardroomswithout the rancor or revolution.” All whoenjoy the grandeur and quiet sustenance ofAmerica’s wilder places owe much to thevision, drive, and generosity of LauranceRockefeller. ❧

Memorial

Poem

AND NOW

Already afternoon, already that afterlight, not yet bluebut sunless, already this day backing away, rolling out of reach,all the morning’s busyness — e-mail, phone messages, the runalong Bayview, sunlight across the road, the smell of wet earth,snow, manure and pine along the cow pasture; earlier, too,those whispers, sparrows at first light, intimations, a breathin my hair, the brusque crow of love, all the heart’s kindling — now this moment’s words.

The cats find us, the calicostretching out on top the sofa, idling like a Mercedes,the ginger and white asleep on the rocker. You, on a chairacross from me, reading Anam Cara and writing notes,don’t look up, say nothing I can use to turn this into a poem. 4:20, already the light dark as blue coal.

Martin Steingesser

MARTIN STEINGESSER lives in Portland, Maine. His poetry has appeared in many publica-tions, including The American Poetry Review, Dogwood, The American Scholar, and PoetryInternational; and in anthologies, such as Poetry Comes Up Where It Can: An Anthology and The Maine Poets.

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Winter at Acadia is quiet. Unlikemany islanders, for whom thefirst drifting snowflake and skin

of ice on the Tarn signals a long rest, snow-fall is the beginning of the busy season forSarah Nelson, a doctoral student at theSenator George J. Mitchell Center forEnvironmental and Watershed Research atThe University of Maine. Nelson will be sam-pling snow — and the pollution carried withit — at Acadia National Park this winter.

Due to its prominent topography, MountDesert Island is often immersed in clouds and

coastal fog that can be loaded with pollutants,including mercury. Acadia has some of thehighest rates of mercury deposition and accu-mulation in the Northeast. The highest con-centration of mercury ever documented in aMaine fish was at Hodgdon Pond, on thewestern side of the island. The entire state ofMaine is under a fish consumption advisory,because toxic forms of mercury accumulatein humans and wildlife when they eat con-taminated fish.

Nelson is part of a team of scientists whohave been trying to account for the mercurythat enters and leaves Acadia’s ecosystems.Pollutants fall out of the sky attached to dryparticles or are washed out by rain and snow.But deposition is not an even blanket acrossthe landscape. Since 1998, researchers havebeen studying how pollution varies depend-ing on the season, topography, and forestcover at two watersheds in the park, CadillacBrook and Hadlock Brook. Cadillac Brookruns off the southeast slope of Cadillac

Mountain, which burned in the great fire of1947 and so has younger, hardwood treesand thinner soils. Hadlock Brook drains anunburned watershed of spruce and cedar.Recent research by Nelson created a budgetthat showed how water and materials, likemercury and other elements, enter and leavethe two watersheds. She found that 80 per-cent of the mercury flowing out of the water-sheds was exported in winter by streams andspring snowmelt.

More than half of Acadia’s annual precipi-tation, which averages 140 cm, falls as rainand snow in the winter, and stream flowsare also highest in late winter and early spring.As Nelson was finishing her master’s degree,she realized monitoring data for the growingseason might not be enough. “We don’t knowif the 80 percent leaving in winter and springis the result of more mercury coming in atthose times, or if something else is going onin the watershed,” says Nelson, who hadbegun to wonder how much mercury wascoming in with snow. “Scientists have oftensaid that there’s no mercury in snow. We’retrying to figure out if that’s true or not atAcadia,” she says.

Nelson and the Mitchell Center researchgroup describe the research as working onpieces of a puzzle. “We’ve been studying thesewatersheds for six years, filling in pieces andgaps,” says Nelson. “It’s a good example ofhow science works: research to answer aquestion leads to more questions. We start-ed out with watershed monitoring, and thepark’s resource managers have been so sup-portive of the science that we’ve been able toexpand the project to answer the new ques-tions that arose.”

In order to calculate the amount of mer-cury that comes in during the winter, Nelsonneeds to measure how the forest canopy inter-cepts snowfall, which is no easy feat. It’s dif-ficult to get to the sampling sites — most are

off the trail, in the woods on steep hillsides.Nelson will have to rush down to Acadia theday after a snowstorm to catch the snowbefore it starts to melt. She’ll be watching theweather closely, not wanting to miss a snow-fall of opportunity to help solve the mercu-ry puzzle at Acadia.

The international Canon National ParkScience Scholars Program is funding Nelson’sresearch. Her 2003 award was the only onebased on work in a U.S. national park. ❧

CATHERINE SCHMITT is a science writer atthe Senator George J. Mitchell Center forEnvironmental and Watershed Research andMaine Sea Grant at The University of Maine.

Catherine Schmitt

Science in Acadia

PIECING TOGETHER ACADIA’S MERCURY PUZZLE

Sarah Nelson positions a camera to photograph andmeasure the forest canopy above the snow collectors.

The winter canopy over the snow collectors, throughthe lens of Nelson’s snow research camera.

Winter 2004/2005 Friends of Acadia Journal

“I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem tohave been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myselfin now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordi-nary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”

— Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)

Heart of the Matter

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The visitor experience in AcadiaNational Park is very different todaythan it was in the 1970s, and much

of this difference can be attributed to theinfluence of David Woodside. Woodside hasserved the needs of tourists for 28 yearsthrough employment with Acadia Cor-poration, a private company and park con-cessionaire.

“We’ve come a long, long way since 1976,when there were rubber lobsters for sale inpark stores,” he said.

Woodside has come a long way himself.

While earning a bachelor’s degree in businessadministration at the University of Maine inOrono, he worked summers at a restaurantin Trenton. That’s where he met his wife,Kathy. They married in 1974 and opened afudge shop in Boothbay Harbor before mov-ing to Georgia. But southern living didn’t suitthe Woodsides.

“My heart was tied to this area, and we bothwanted to come back,” says Dave. He andKathy returned to Maine in 1975 and Davehelped manage the IGA in Ellsworth, then ran

the general store in Otis. “That’s when we kindof quickly decided we didn’t want to make acareer of that,” he says. Dave landed a job withAcadia Corporation as seasonal manager of thegift shop on the summit of Cadillac, andenjoyed using his business skills in a parksetting. He is now president of the successfulcompany. Kathy works at the Jesup Libraryand does volunteer work in the community.

In addition to the Jordan Pond Houserestaurant and gift shop and the gift shops atCadillac and Thunder Hole, Acadia Corpora-tion operates businesses outside of the park:

the Acadia Country Store, the Acadia Shop,Acadia Outdoors, and Acadia Park Wear inBar Harbor. How does he balance it all? “Withthe wonders of computers, and hiring theright people,” he explains.

In the late 1990s, the merchandising in giftstores inside Acadia became more educa-tionally oriented. “There are some interpre-tive displays — it’s a quasi-visitor centerapproach that has been really fun and suc-cessful,” Dave says. “Acadia is not about redlobsters. It’s trying to get folks to understand

what is so wonderful about this place.”Dave has been to most of the well-known

national parks, and while places likeYellowstone, Yosemite, and Glacier are amaz-ing, he claims Acadia is the best. “The qual-ity of the visitor services in Acadia is defi-nitely something I feel good about,” he says.“I’ve been here so long I take an intense,personal interest in it.”

He and Kathy enjoy Acadia by walkingtheir dogs — both rescued from animal shel-ters — on the carriage roads in the earlymorning or after work. They also enjoy hik-ing in the off-season.

“For me it really hits home when I’m driv-ing to work,” says Dave. “I drive downNorway Drive onto the Eagle Lake Road withall these other cars heading into Bar Harborto go to work. Instead, I turn into the parkto go to work, and am immediately struck byhow quiet it is, and how lucky I am.”

Over the years, Acadia Corporation hascontributed more than $70,000 to Friends ofAcadia in contributions and in-kind gifts.Acadia Corporation and Friends of Acadiawere founded under some of the same prin-ciples, he says. “We’re both interested in thebetterment of the island and the park.”

Acadia Corporation was recycling beveragecontainers and cardboard for years before it wasrequired to do so, and has systematically beentrying to find ways to reduce the waste stream.Lemon rinds from Jordan Pond House are com-posted with wood chips to make soil used foron-site landscaping, and leftover popovers aredonated to a local farmer for pig feed.

Acadia Corporation has formed a team tohelp at Friends of Acadia’s Earth Day Road-side Clean-Up, and Dave has also volunteeredat Friends’ Take Pride in Acadia Day. Heserves on the board of directors for BarHarbor Bank & Trust, the Abbe Museum, BarHarbor Congregational Church, and the MDIYMCA, where he enjoys playing basketballat noon.

Friends of Acadia salutes this environmen-tally conscious businessman and the ways hehas enhanced the MDI experience for visi-tors and year-round residents alike. ❧

—Kelly S. Dickson

Special Person

DAVID WOODSIDE President of Acadia Corporation

David Woodside outside his Acadia Corporation office with Hunter and Leila.

Winter 2004/2005Friends of Acadia Journal

10

As I climbed and then stood on top ofSchoodic Head, several things becameobvious to me. First, my son Michael’s

eyes for spotting insects certainly are now bet-ter than mine. He quickly picked out three orfour different day-flying inchworm moths aswe made the climb. Having him along on abeautiful June day was a wonderful additionto our effort to document the butterfly andmoth species of the Schoodic District of AcadiaNational Park. Second, this was a gorgeousview of the rocky Maine coast. Places likeAcadia National Park renew my motivationas a field biologist and remind me of the rea-sons I love learning about the living world.

Finally, I was reminded how gratifying it is towork with such an enthusiastic group of vol-unteers. Efforts such as this survey requiremany dedicated and knowledgeable people.Our two-day effort in early June 2004 defi-nitely had plenty of both.

Acadia National Park is unique in having anexcellent baseline of information about its bio-logical diversity. The Proctor collection housedat the park documents over 1,400 species ofLepidoptera from the park. These records arelargely from the 1930s and 1940s and focuson the diversity of Mount Desert Island. Forboth of those reasons, our current surveyprovided valuable information for the park. Itwas the beginning of an effort to reexaminethe diversity of Lepidoptera in the park, sev-eral decades after the initial survey. It also pro-vided a snapshot (albeit at only one time ofyear) of the diversity of the Schoodic Districtsection of the park.

A survey such as this one is an intensiveeffort and always results in interesting find-ings. Several teams spent the first afternoonand most of the next day searching for but-terflies and day-flying moths in the various

Schoodic Inventory

Brian Scholtens

Noctuid moth, Lepipolys perscripta.

LEPIDOPTERA BLITZ IN ACADIA

ON JUNE 12–14, 2004,the National Park Service, MaineEntomological Society, and Maine ForestService hosted 35 professional and ama-teur entomologists who volunteerednearly 1,500 hours to conduct the first-ever moth and butterfly blitz at theSchoodic District of Acadia NationalPark, Maine. Participants were basedat the park’s Schoodic Education andResearch Center (SERC), where theysorted and identified specimens. SERCis one of only 13 National Park ServiceResearch Learning Centers.

Considering that the blitz took placeduring downeast coastal Maine’s latespring/early summer and that nighttimetemperatures were in the mid-40s, par-ticipants were pleased with the record-ed species diversity. The event wasextensively covered by local media,including filming by the Maine PublicTV science series “Quest.” A programon our “blitz” will be broadcast nextwinter.

Vouchers for most of the collectedspecies have been deposited in theWilliam Otis Sawtelle Collections andResearch Center, Acadia National Park’smuseum collection facility. Given theinterest and success of this blitz, parkstaff and the Maine EntomologicalSociety are hoping to conduct futureannual collecting efforts for Lepidopteraand/or other invertebrate species atAcadia National Park. The followingpersonal account of the event was writ-ten by Dr. Brian Scholtens, who servedas one of the moth identification experts.It has been adapted from an article pub-lished in a recent issue of the MaineEntomological Society newsletter.

David Manski, Chief of Resource Management, Acadia National Park


AN

P ph

otos

Volunteers sort Lepidoptera samples.

11

habitats on the peninsula. Multiple traps andlight sheets were put out at night with sam-ples from these traps coming into the sortingroom the next morning. An army of volun-teers catalogued, sorted, and recorded the datacollected. Cool weather kept the volume ofsamples down, but with many teams lookingand many habitats sampled, a respectable 168species were identified, with several othersawaiting identification. Of these species, 150were moths (mostly Geometridae andNoctuidae) and 18 were butterflies and skip-pers. One particularly interesting find wasthe noctuid moth, Lepipolys perscripta (seephoto). We recorded what might be the mostnortherly records for this species, with the restof its distribution stretching down the EastCoast, across the Gulf Coast, and into thePlains States. The occurrence of this species inthe Acadia area might be an indication of itsspread northward, since it was not recordedby the Proctor survey.

Our survey originated with the Maine

Entomological Society, inspired partly by sim-ilar efforts in Great Smoky Mountains NationalPark. The Society had previously done an antsurvey at Acadia and was interested in con-tinuing work in the park. After participatingin my microlepidoptera class at HumboldtField Research Institute in Steuben, Maine, theprevious summer, Charlene Donahue from theMaine Forest Service suggested that Lepidop-tera be the focus of this year’s trip, and askedif I would be willing to help out with the effort.Dick Dearborn of the Maine EntomologicalSociety ably organized the effort and recruit-ed volunteers. Reggie Webster, an ecologistfrom New Brunswick, Canada, headed up theefforts of the butterfly survey and providedinvaluable help with moths. The Maine ForestService provided equipment for the effort, andthe staff at Acadia National Park provided sup-port, encouragement, and excellent food andfacilities. Obviously, such an effort takes manypeople, not the least of whom are the volun-teers. All who participated made this a great

success, and set the stage for similar efforts atothers times of the year or with other groupsof insects. ❧

DR. BRIAN SCHOLTENS is an associate pro-fessor at the College of Charleston in SouthCarolina. He has taught “The Biology ofInsects” for 11 summers at the University ofMichigan Biological Station and courses onLepidoptera (butterflies and moths) for threesummers at Humboldt Field Research Station(Eagle Hill) in Steuben, ME. He is co-coordi-nator of the Lepidoptera survey in GreatSmoky Mountains National Park (part of alarger survey of all living organisms called anAll Taxon Biodiversity Inventory – ATBI) withDr. Dave Wagner of the University ofConnecticut. Over the course of the ATBIsurvey, researchers have documented over1,600 species of butterflies and moths fromthe park (about 800 as new records) andexpect the total number to reach between2,000 and 2,500 species.

A Lepidoptera Blitz volunteer identifies and catalogues a sample.


12

Art for AcadiaKelly Dickson (left) and Ken Olson of Friendsof Acadia flank Jim Counihan of the EasternMaine Camera Club at the “Art for Acadia”photography exhibit held this August inBangor. One of the winning entries, submit-ted by Joel Holcomb, is displayed on the easel.Winning prints were exhibited August 27 atthe By Design gallery, 20 Harlow St., Bangor.Contest entry fees and poster proceeds ben-efit Friends of Acadia (see poster below).

Bus Passengers CommentEach August, Tom Crikelair Associates con-ducts a survey of Island Explorer passengersto solicit feedback on bus operations and tounderstand rider demographics. This year,

passengers were asked two open-ended ques-tions: 1) whether they had any comments orsuggestions for improving service, and 2)whether they had any comments about L.L.Bean’s million dollar gift to Friends of Acadiain support of Island Explorer operations. Thefollowing are a few of the quotes recordedon the 2004 survey:

• Public transport is vital to reduce car traf-fic. Car traffic is the least desirable thing in anatural area or a delightful small town...EdenSt. passenger from St. Andrews, New Brunswick

• More bike capacity...Sand Beach passengerfrom Long Island, NY

• Excellent idea. I can finally see somethingother than the rear of the car in front ofme...Sand Beach passenger from Latham, NY

• Increase the number of buses to Sand Beachand Jordan Pond. The free service is the bestthing since sliced bread...Jordan Pond passen-ger from Philadelphia, PA

• Make sure you have service at trailheadsuntil sundown...Sand Beach passenger fromNew Jersey

• I think [the gift] is very nice of [L.L. Bean].I use the bus almost every day and have forover 5 years now. I am very grateful for thefree service...Blackwoods passenger from SealHarbor, ME

• [L.L. Bean’s] corporate citizenship is exem-

Owner: Jeff Butterfieldauthor of Acadia: A Climber’s Guide24 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

207-288-2521www.acadiaclimbing.com

“Acadia is in our blood”PO Box 52

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

Updates


To purchase a poster, send a $19 check or

money order to the Eastern Maine Camera Club,

c/o Jim Counihan, 52 Grant Street,

Bangor, Maine 04401.With questions,

contact [email protected].

13

BRUCE JOHN RIDDELLLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

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plary! Thanks...Sand Beach passenger fromAlberta, Canada, and Vermont

• [L.L. Bean contribution] is O.K. But [IslandExplorer] should also try to raise own fundsso it doesn’t fail if L.L. Bean pulls out lateron...Southwest Harbor passenger from Brisbane,Queensland, Australia

• Thank goodness for [L.L. Bean]! I think theservice should be expanded and mandato-ry!...Jordan Pond passenger from St. Albans, VT

• Wonderful P.R.! Nice to see a business withintegrity that shows sincere concern forAcadia National Park. Everyone wins...SandBeach passenger from Lunenburg, MA

MDI Loon Study NeedsVolunteersThis past summer, the Gorham-basedBioDiversity Research Institute (BRI) com-

pleted the third year of a five-year projectstudying common loon breeding activity onMount Desert Island. This study is a collab-orative effort involving BRI, The SomesMeynell Wildlife Sanctuary, and AcadiaNational Park.

In 2004, 11 MDI lakes and ponds were sur-veyed to determine: 1) return rates for color-marked birds, 2) the presence of territorialpairs, 3) nest attempts, 4) eggs laid, 5) eggshatched, and 6) chicks fledged (alive at sixweeks of age).

Common loons were observed on all 11water bodies, but only six were inhabited bybreeding pairs. Four of the six lakes andponds had one pair of loons, and two hadmultiple pairs (up from one in the previoustwo years). In all, nine breeding pairs of loonswere found on the island.

Of the nine breeding loon pairs, six nestedand laid a total of nine eggs. Three of the nineeggs hatched, three were abandoned and col-lected for scientific analysis, and three wereeaten by predators. Of the three chicksobserved alive, two survived to be at least sixweeks of age.

Human disturbance appears to be a signif-icant factor in the pressures loons on MDI faceto successfully nest and hatch young. In 2003,BRI documented cases of human disturbanceon two nesting pairs, and in 2004, three nestswere affected.

In the final two years of this study, it willbe important to continue to monitor the inci-


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island during the summer, and you are inter-ested in learning more about volunteeringwith the BRI monitoring efforts next summer,please contact Lee Attix at the BioDiversityResearch Institute, 207-839-7600, ext. 103,or via email at: [email protected].

Friends of Acadia’s Advocacy Network GrowsThe Acadia Advocacy Network is a groupestablished by Friends of Acadia to inform cit-izen volunteers of opportunities to getinvolved in park issues, such as funding short-falls, threats to natural and cultural resources,and park planning. Members receive occa-sional alerts via email, such as these three sentout this fall:

• In September, Friends learned that CianbroCorporation, the largest construction com-pany in the state of Maine, was proposing aliquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal for theformer Navy facilities in Prospect Harbor, justfive miles east of the Schoodic section ofAcadia National Park and three miles east ofSpruce Point on which Acadia holds a con-servation easement. The site would have beenvisible from Cadillac Mountain and SchoodicHead inside the park. Ocean tankers servingthe facility would have navigated throughislands and around mainland areas protect-ed by Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge, AcadiaNational Park, and private land trusts. Friendsalerted the Advocacy Network to a publicmeeting at which Cianbro was scheduled topresent its plans to the town selectboard.

• At Friends’ request, a high-placed inter-mediary contacted the president of Cianbroto indicate our desire to discuss the issues.While Friends was working behind the scenesto find out more about the proposed LNG ter-minal, Cianbro scheduled an additional meet-ing with the fishermen from the SchoodicPeninsula. Due to vocal opposition to theproject, Cianbro elected not to proceed withits plans. Friends alerted the AdvocacyNetwork that the LNG terminal had beenabandoned and thanked Network membersfor their efforts. (For more about this topic,see page 1.)

• In mid-September, Acadia National Parkreleased its draft General Management Plan(GMP) Amendment and EnvironmentalImpact Statement (EIS) for the SchoodicEducation and Research Center. Acadia inher-

ited the land and facilities of the former Navybase on the Schoodic Peninsula in 2002.The park is converting the site to a researchand education center and proposed threealternatives in the EIS for managing the facil-ities. Friends supported the park’s preferredalternative — to cooperatively manage the sitewith a new nonprofit that would assist withrecruiting researchers to work in Acadia,scheduling programs, establishing partner-ships, and raising funds. Friends also sup-ported the overarching goal of maintainingSchoodic as a quiet, natural place and rec-ommended removing unneeded buildingsand replacing the water tower with a less vis-ible structure. Friends outlined the organiza-tion’s position to Advocacy Network mem-bers and encouraged them to submit publiccomments.

To sign up to be a member of the AcadiaAdvocacy Network, contact StephanieClement at [email protected] orconnect through the Friends of Acadia web-site, www.friendsofacadia.org. Email address-es of activist network participants are confi-dential, and participants can remove theirnames from the list at any time.

FOA Continues the Battle for Long CoveFriends of Acadia has continued steadfast inits opposition to a 90-foot dock proposedfor Long Cove, on the northwest side of Mt.Desert Island. The dock was planned forproperty adjacent to parcels under conserva-tion easement, including The Nature Conser-vancy’s Indian Point Blagden Preserve, andthe ledges in Long Cove are known excellenthabitat for nesting terns and pupping seals.Friends is an intervener in the case, along withseveral residents of the area.

In October 2003, the Maine SupremeJudicial Court remanded the case to the Boardof Environmental Protection for further con-sideration and documentation of findings. InJune 2004, The Board ruled for a second timeagainst the landowner, stating, “[the dock]would unreasonably interfere with existing sce-nic and aesthetic uses in that the project wouldcause an unreasonable adverse impact to aquat-ic life and the aquatic habitat supporting sealsand terns in the cove, and would unreasonablyinterfere with the existing public viewing ofthose wildlife species.” The Board also feltthat the landowner had not adequately demon-strated that other alternatives to constructingthe dock were not practicable.

The landowner has appealed the Board’s


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Additional Support for IslandExplorer SystemAssistant Secretary of the Interior LynnScarlett visited Acadia National Park onAugust 25, 2004, to announce a $1.2-million

grant from the Federal Lands HighwayProgram toward the 2006 purchase of addi-tional propane Island Explorer buses. MaineDepartment of Transportation CommissionerDavid Cole announced an additional$900,000 from a state bond and USDOT. Thesecretary and the commissioner thanked thebus partnership for creating a national modelfor alternative, low-emissions public transit.Island Explorer has prevented tons of pollu-tants and eliminated 557,807 automobiletrips on MDI since 1999.

Intern Studies Year-round TransitSystem Concept for MDIFriends of Acadia was privileged to host MikeMahoney, a McGill University student, whodonated his time this summer as an intern forMount Desert Island (MDI) Tomorrow. MDITomorrow is a forum bringing citizens togeth-er to work collaboratively toward goals forthe future of the MDI area. Friends of Acadiahas served on the Steering Committee for thiseffort, ranging in topics from transportation,community design and land use, communi-

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Poem

2004 FRIENDS OF ACADIA POETRY AWARD2nd Prize

LUNAR ECLIPSE, OBSCURED BY SNOW

There is always the chanceit will clear — the cat is crying, maybethe small stove of her heart will melt everything.

On the table between us,a plate of apples, cups of vervaine tea, tarot cardswrapped in red silk. Lift, clouds,

let the white stone free itselfand put on new clothes. Outside, branchesthicken, sounds vanish; invisible,

the moon slips its caul.we wanted to see it — not this driftacross the bricks on the front walk.

Not this unswept sky.

Robin Pelzman

ROBIN PELZMAN’S poems have appeared in The Antigonish Review, Salamander,and The Comstock Review, among others, and in Mercy of Tides: Poems for a BeachHouse. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with her family.

From left: Secretary Scarlett; Janet Wyper, Managerof Community Relations, L.L. Bean, which donated $1million to Friends of Acadia for Island Explorer; andKen Olson, President, Friends of Acadia.


ty housing, and MDI’s youth. As a student inUrban Planning and Geography, Mike’s skillsfit nicely with several MDI Tomorrow projects.

Mike explored the concept of replacing theyellow school bus system on MDI with acommunity bus system that would serve bothstudents and residents. The MDI Tomorrowtransportation group wanted to know if, bycombining school transportation withDowneast Transportation’s year-round busservice, operating dollars could be stretchedfurther while improving transportation serv-ices for commuters, youth, and transit-dependent residents. The idea gainedmomentum at an April MDI Tomorrow con-ference where approximately half of the con-ference participants selected this concept asthe most worthwhile option for improvingyear-round transportation services on MDI.

Anecdotally, students call the yellow schoolbuses “loser cruisers,” and have been morelikely to opt for rides with family, friends, orto drive themselves. Between the years1992–2001, youth (ages 16–21) were invol-ved in just over 1,000 crashes (includingseven fatalities) on MDI and in Trenton andLamoine. Several of the youth centers on MDIhave been looking for ways to improve after-school activities, but they lack means of trans-porting students to those offerings.

With Mike, Genell Vashro, a VISTA volun-teer with the Greater MDI Communities forChildren and Youth, interviewed a numberof community members, school principals,town managers, transportation officials, andyouth center leaders to try out the idea andidentify any barriers. Mike also contacted

other areas of the country, includingBurlington, Vermont, and Minot, NorthDakota, to understand how they successful-ly implemented combined bus systems.

The concerns and barriers Mike and Genellheard from interviewees centered on questionsof legality, safety, planning, and cost. Schoolbuses are uniquely designed to meet federalsafety requirements for student transportation— flashing lights, arms that swing out to stoptraffic, and seat and aisle standards designedto prevent injury to schoolchildren duringaccidents. If community buses were to replacethe yellow school bus system on MDI, thesedesign features would have to be taken intoaccount before the state could approve the sys-tem for student transport.

Some community members intervieweddidn’t like the concept of elementary-age stu-dents riding buses with unfamiliar teenagersor adults. Some worried that a communitybus system would be overwhelming to youngstudents, providing them with too manyoptions, rather than directly delivering themto school or home.

Mike’s report proposes alternatives toaddress these concerns, which include imple-menting a “bus host” program with commu-nity volunteers or paid employees monitor-ing each of the buses and assisting young stu-dents during school hours. Also, seats clos-est to the driver could be reserved for youngpeople. Preliminary research revealed that,ultimately, if MDI communities were to decideto retain the yellow school bus system for ele-mentary students, all cost savings of com-bining bus systems would be lost.

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From left: Tom Crikelair, transit planner; Shawn Gorman and Betsy Perry, L.L. Bean; Paul Murphy, DowneastTransportation (the nonprofit operator of Island Explorer); Tammy Davenport, L.L. Bean; Ken Olson, Friendsof Acadia; Sheridan Steele and Len Bobinchock, Acadia National Park.


Another potential barrier is the difficulty ofdesigning a bus system convenient for com-muters that also picks up students in the tra-ditional door-to-door fashion. Transportationofficials pointed out that commuters ridebuses only if the service is close to the con-venience and time of driving personal auto-mobiles. If buses stop in multiple locations topick up students, time savings may be lost.Multiple bus routes and relatively frequentservice would be needed to cover the entireMDI region and make the system attractivefor commuters.

All in all, the barriers to implementing acombined year-round transportation systemon MDI are significant. The MDI Tomorrowtransportation committee has recommendedfurther study, specifically to survey studentand parent opinions about eliminating theyellow school bus system. Mike’s early workhas helped identify the considerations forimplementation and will carry the conceptinto the next phase.

Outstanding ContributionsDebbie Weatherly, Majority Staff Director ofthe U.S. House Appropriations Subcommitteeon the Interior, received the Friends of AcadiaAward for Distinguished Public Service forher “outstanding contributions over manyyears to the protection of America’s classiestreal estate, the National Park System; for her

balance, judgment, and good cheer in the faceof ceaseless withering fire from all politicalquarters; and not least for her special atten-tion to the financial needs of Acadia withouther being unfair to other parks.”

Volunteer of LettersPhilip Dane Levin has served as the poetryeditor of the Friends of Acadia Journal since1995. His influence is tangible in every jour-nal. Philip initiated the Friends of AcadiaNature Poetry Competition in 1998, whichhas attracted talented poets from NewEngland and nationwide. His poems andessays have appeared in numerous journals.

For the Cause and theEnvironmentA pair of 2004 Toyota Prius hybrid cars,donated by Downeast Toyota of Brewer, gar-nered the highest bids — $31,000 — at the15th annual Friends of Acadia Benefit Galaon August 14. Powered by gasoline and elec-tricity, the low emissions Prius is rated at 50mpg on the highway.

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FOA Ken Olson (left) and Acadia SuperintendentSheridan Steele presented the award on September 9,at the House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

Pictured are (from left) FOA Development ChairmanCharles R. Tyson Jr.; FOA President Ken Olson; TimMorrison of Toyota Motor Sales USA and KathyMorrison; Ed Darling of Downeast Toyota and MaryEllen Darling; and Barbara Steele and AcadiaNational Park Superintendent Sheridan Steele.

Philip Dane Levin takes the sun on Blue Hill Bay.

“The Sea Isn’t a place, But a fact, and a mystery.”

— Mary Oliver, “The Waves”

Heart of the Matter

18

On June 26, 2004, four hundred yearsafter Pierre Dugua and his expeditionfirst set foot on Saint Croix Island,

French, Canadian, Passamaquoddy, andAmerican officials participated in a solemn cer-emony commemorating the anniversary ofFrench settlement on the island. Officials weretransported to the fog-shrouded island onboats piloted by local volunteers.

The ceremony highlighted the cooperationbetween the French settlers and thePassamaquoddy during the 1604–1605 set-tlement, and officials expressed their hopesfor continuation of good relations among thefour nations present. The PassamaquoddyNation was presented with the French Medalof the Legion of Honor, Commander Rank,and two ceremonial swords. HandmadePassamaquoddy baskets, a reproduction of a17th-century petroglyph, and a letter to

President Jacques Chirac to begin the processof renewing a centuries-old concord of peaceand friendship were presented to the Frenchdelegation by the Passamaquoddy.

Passamaquoddy elders Joan Dana andBlanche Sockabasin provided a welcome andled the procession to the ceremony.

In 1604, Pierre Dugua led a French expe-dition that landed on Saint Croix Island inthe middle of the river that would one daymark the boundary between the United Statesand Canada. From 1604 to 1605, 79 mem-bers of the expedition, including explorerSamuel Champlain, spent a harsh winter onthe 6.5-acre island. The settlers were friend-ly with the Passamaquoddy, Native Americanswho had lived in the area for thousands ofyears, and traded European goods for gameand furs. During the severe winter, the set-tlers were cut off from this vital contact and35 men died, apparently of scurvy, before thePassamaquoddy were able to reach them withfresh game in the spring and assist in theirrecovery. The French left the island whenships returned from France in early summerand established a new settlement at PortRoyal, Nova Scotia.

Dugua’s outpost on Saint Croix Island wasone of the earliest European settlements inNorth America, and the first attempt by theFrench to establish a year-round colony inthe territory known as l’Acadie (Acadia). Theevents on the island led to a lasting Frenchpresence in North America that continues tothis day.

In recognition of its historic significance,the island became part of the National ParkService (NPS) in 1949. Saint Croix IslandInternational Historic Site was establishedin 1984 and remains the only internationalhistoric site in the NPS. The site has units inboth the NPS and Parks Canada. It includesSaint Croix Island, as well as two parcels ofland on the U.S. and Canadian mainlands.Because of the fragile nature of the island, vis-itors are encouraged to explore the mainlandsites. The U.S. site on Highway 1 at Red Beachfeatures an interpretive trail with cast figures

of the French and Passamaquoddy, as wellas displays that discuss historical events andthe interaction of the two cultures, a picnicarea, and outdoor restroom facilities. ❧

GINNY REAMS is the writer-editor at AcadiaNational Park.

Ginny Reams

Acadian History

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CEREMONYMARKS 400TH ANNIVERSARY

St. Andrews Passamaquoddy Chief Hugh Akagi readsa letter to the French President expressing hopes forcontinued cooperation, while Indian TownshipGovernor Robert Newell looks on.

THE MEETING OF TWO WORLDS: 400 YEARS LATER

LA RENCONTRE DE DEUX MONDES: 400 ANS PLUS TARD

Representatives of four nations — Passa-maquoddy, Canada, France, and theUnited States — joined to commemoratethe 400th anniversary of French settlementon St. Croix Island. Participants included:

Mark Altvater, Lieutenant Governor, Pleasant Point (Siyaki) Passamaquoddy

Robert Newell, Governor, Indian Township(Me-doc-me-duc) Passamaquoddy

Hugh Akagi, Chief, St. Andrews (Qonasqamkuk) Passamaquoddy

Viola Léger, Senator, New Brunswick

Bernard Lord, New Brunswick Premier

Carol Sheedy, Director, Atlantic Region, Atlantic Parks for Parks Canada

Xavier Darcos, Minister Delegate of Cooperation, Development, and Francophony

Philippe Guelluy, French Ambassador toCanada

Paul Cellucci, American Ambassador to Canada

Michael Michaud, U.S. Congressman, Maine

Gail Kelly, representing U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Maine

Marie Rust, Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service

Sheridan Steele, Superintendent, Acadia National Park


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19Winter 2004/2005

The Perfect Companion

The American BirdConservancy Guide to the500 Most Important Bird

Areas in the United States,by Robert M. Chipley,

George Fenwick,Michael J. Parr, and

David N. Pashley.Random House Trade Paperbacks,

New York, www.atrandom.com. 560 pp, $25.95, softcover.

Sure Acadia is one of the most beautiful spotson Earth, but it is also one of the most impor-tant bird habitats in the United States. In itsguide, the American Bird Conservancy pres-ents an A-list of the 500 best bird places,which include some of the country’s best-known National Parks, such as Great SmokyMountains and Acadia, more than 160National Wildlife Refuges and 60 NationalForests; and hundreds of state, local, and pri-vately owned lands.

Unlike a field guide that focuses on species,this book identifies and describes placesessential to rare, declining, or migrating birds.Each entry includes highlights about the sites,information about ownership, descriptions ofthe habitats and land use, a guide to thespecies to look for, and an overview of con-servation issues.

It’s a unique source of information for natu-ralists, conservationists, and birdwatchers — aperfect companion to the traditional bird guide.

— Pipit Sprague

Coast Guide

Living on the Edge, by RuthGortner Grierson and

Thomas F. Vining. V.F. Thomas Co.,

Bowdoin, ME 04287,www.vfthomas.com.

150 pp, $37.50, twin-wire binding.

The author of several books and essays,including the weekly column “Nature,” RuthGrierson has a talent for making the naturalworld familiar and understandable for allaudiences. In Living on the Edge, author TomVining has joined Grierson to compile anunusual guide to the habitats, seaweeds, sea-side plants, and tidepool animals along the

Atlantic coast of New England. Color photographs accompany descrip-

tions, which include essays on habitats andtidepools, at least one recipe, and a little NewEngland history — “Years ago [eelgrass] wasused as packing or insulation around housesnot far from the beaches... In old ice housesit was placed between the 18" insulating spacethat separated the inner and outer walls ofsuch buildings.”

The introduction provides good instruction— take your time. Time to browse the book,time in the habitats, time to go back andwatch with more awareness. You don’t needto be a naturalist to appreciate this guide,but you just might feel like one after using it.

— Marina Zostera

Underwater

Discovering Whales of the EastCoast, by Stephen Mullane.

Elan Publishing,Charlottesville, VA 22911,

elanpublishing.com. 70 pp, $10.95, softbound.

Some of the best cetacean and marine pho-tographers, including the author, are broughttogether to create an absolutely stunning pres-entation in Discovering Whales of the East Coastby Stephen Mullane. The photographs anddrawings show the various whales and dol-phins that reside along the east coast.Stationed on Mount Desert Rock for four yearsas part of Allied Whale, Mullane is uniquelyqualified to expound on the subject of whales.The waters around Mount Desert Rock —located 25 miles off Mount Desert Islandand Acadia National Park — mark the south-ern range for several northern whale speciesand the northern range for some southernwhale species.

The book provides good physiologicaldetails. For instance, whales have a body tem-perature of around 98.6 degrees, maintainedby a blubber layer up to two feet thick. Theshape and distribution of the blubber layer isdesigned to reduce drag and help the whalemove efficiently through the water. Com-munication, hunting, feeding, and repro-ducing are all discussed.

Field identification drawings, maps, and achart of the best whale-watching places andtimes are included The book also discussesthe effects of history on the whale populationand current problems and population restora-tion efforts.

— Rose O. Sharon

Book Reviews

Friends of Acadia Journal

ROSECLIFF COTTAGES

Shore Acres RoadBar Harbor, Maine 04609

207-288-9223www.rosecliffcottages.com

Oceanfront cottages with a pebble beach andwonder sunsets.

“Where the roses come to watch the sea”

WINE & CHEESE244-3317

353 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679

Main Street, Northeast harbor276-4006

Neighborhood Road, Northeast Harbor276-4005

MICHAEL L. ROSSAttorney at Law

953-1 Bar Harbor RoadTrenton, Maine 04605

Telephone 207-667-1373Fax 207-667-3427

1 Summit RoadNortheast Harbor

By appointment only

A BOOKLOVER’S HAVENOpen year-round

Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30; Sunday 12:00-6:00Website: www.portinastormbookstore.com

Main St. Rt 102 in Somesville,Mount Desert, ME 04660

207 244-4114 • Toll Free: 800 694-4114Email [email protected]


ACADIA FOREVER

Your Will Can Shape the Future

Preserving and protecting those things that we all hold dear — our quality oflife, a distinctive heritage, and the integrity of Mount Desert Island’s naturalwonders — is a wise investment. You can help us protect Acadia Forever.

It’s simple. You need add only one sentence to your will, or a codicil:

1. I hereby give _____% of my residuary estate to Friends of Acadia, Inc.,a Maine charitable corporation, PO Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, forits charitable purposes.

2. I hereby bequeath $_____ to Friends of Acadia, Inc., a Maine charitable corporation, PO Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, for its charitable purposes.

3. I hereby devise the following property to Friends of Acadia, Inc., a Mainecharitable corporation, PO Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, for its charitable purposes: [description of property].

Your concern and appreciation for Acadia and Mount Desert Island willextend far beyond your own lifetime. It will be a lasting legacy, enriching thelives of millions now and in the future.

Please call us at 207-288-3340 for more information.

Cattails, Upper Hadlock Pond“The idea of wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders.”- Edward Abbey, The Journey Home

Heart of the Matter


On July 25, 1985, hikers on a ranger-led walk discussed the need for cit-izens to help Acadia National Park.

Stephen K. Koster, a lawyer, suggested toMarianne Edwards, a teacher, that an organ-ization be formed. Park Superintendent RonWrye approved the idea.

In 1986, Edwards, conservationist JohnKauffmann, ecologist William Drury, JohnMarch, Erwin Soule, Sandra Haggett, andattorney Michael Ross became the first boardmembers of a new nonprofit called Friendsof Acadia. The Park Service appointed LoisWinter as its liaison, with Joe Abrell and GaryStellpflug pitching in. The young organiza-tion provided volunteers, made small cashgrants, and promoted an ethic of apprecia-tion. In July, the treasury held $254.

The IRS granted tax-exempt status toFriends on January 6, 1988. Jim Batchelder,a College of the Atlantic graduate, becamehalf-time executive director in February.The October fund balance was $17,900.

Duane Pierson, Ph.D., became the full-timedirector in 1989 and later assumed the titleof president. In 1990, Friends had revenuesof $85,000. Board chairs Jeannine Ross,Charlie Tyson, and Linda Lewis launched theorganization into a new stratum of conser-vation activity. Philanthropists DavidRockefeller and Rick Bourke, Senator GeorgeMitchell, Representative Olympia Snowe,Acadia Superintendent Jack Hauptman, andFriends of Acadia formed a plan by whichFriends raised $4 million to match a $4-mil-lion Congressional appropriation (which was

subsequently raised to $6 million). The pub-lic funds reconstructed the carriage roads,and Friends’ money endowed their annualmaintenance.

The acclaimed partnership was a water-shed for Friends of Acadia. By virtue of theendowment, Friends had become a perma-nent element in park financial and policymatters. The multimillion-dollar projecttransformed the tiny organization into a pow-erful nonprofit force.

Pierson left in early 1995 and Tyson agreedto serve as interim president until a perma-nent replacement could be hired. Ken Olsonbecame president and chief executive inOctober. FOA had 1,500 members, a budg-et of $512,000, and endowments worth $4.5million.

The mid-90s saw significant growth.Successive chairmen Linda Lewis and LeeJudd initiated strategic plans, financial audits,and the $13-million Acadia Trails Forevercampaign. The goal included $4 million inpark entry fees authorized by AcadiaSuperintendent Paul Haertel and Park ServiceDirector Bob Stanton. Friends received thefirst-ever $5-million gift to a Maine conser-vation organization, from philanthropistsRuth M. and Tristram C. Colket, Jr., for a ten-year rehabilitation of the park’s 130-mile trailscomplex. Acadia Trails Forever became thelargest such effort since President FranklinRoosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corpsworked here in the 1930s. Interior SecretaryBruce Babbitt, during a 1999 visit, praisedAcadia as the only national park with an

endowed trail system. By 2004, Friends of Acadia revenues were

$4.2 million, membership had doubled to3,000, and endowments had tripled to $14million. Guided by Chairman Dianna Emory,Friends has built up its fundraising, outreach,and governance capacities. Today a full-timestaff of seven manages a $1.4-million budg-et, whose grants make possible the employ-ment of nearly a hundred people working inor directly serving Acadia National Park.Project Tranquility raised $1.2 million to pro-tect Friends’ investments and plan an IslandExplorer transit center off-island. The objec-tives are to further reduce congestion andrestore a measure of “islandness” to MDI.

Friends of Acadia has granted $4.6 millionto the park and communities since 1995.Proceeds from the annual Benefit Gala duringthe period totaled $2.3 million, contributingsignificantly to the organization’s conservationactivities. Gala and other revenues helpedFriends ban jet-skis on all MDI ponds, limita timber cut at the park’s edge, protect threat-ened land inside the boundary at Schoodic,advocate successfully for Acadia’s retention ofentry fees, create the Acadia Youth Conserva-tion Corps and Ridge Runner programs,attract a $1-million L.L. Bean grant to theIsland Explorer, and underwrite the park’snew easement monitoring program.

Friends of Acadia’s enduring mission is topreserve the outstanding natural beauty, eco-logical vitality, and cultural distinctiveness ofAcadia National Park and surrounding com-munities. The organization does so bydefending park lands, lobbying for publicfunds, mobilizing volunteers, and harness-ing private wealth.

From the inspired vision and early gen-erosity of a handful of hikers, Friends hasbecome an award-winning philanthropy rec-ognized nationally for its innovative endow-ments, effective conservation and advocacyprojects, strong volunteer programs, and pos-itive influence within the National ParkService and Congress.

Friends of Acadia is grateful to all who con-tinue to make possible this important work.❧

History

A SHORT HISTORY OFFRIENDS OF ACADIA: 1985-2004

“The land belongs to the future . . . We come and go but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it — for a little while.”

Willa Cather, O Pioneers!

Heart of the Matter

22

Trail and Carriage Road Volunteer Crew LeadersBucky and Maureen BrooksAnna and George BuckBetsy ChamplinRod FoxMike HaysStephen and Yvonne JohnsonAlan KingVesta KowalskiBob SandersonJulia SchlossDee and Howard SolomonAl and Marilyn Wiberley

Take Pride in Acadia Day SponsorsBar Harbor Bank & TrustMachias Savings BankThe Swan AgencyThe ScreenprinteryTake Pride in AmericaUnion Trust Company

Take Pride in Acadia Day In-Kind DonorsAnonymous — transportation Acadia Corporation — door prizesAcadia National Park Tours — transportation Janet Anker — dessert Graves’ Supermarkets — breakfast, coffee,

and pastriesMorrison Chevrolet — transportationMount Desert Spring Water — water Take Pride in America — door prize

Other In-Kind DonationsTom Blagden — cover photographsBill Lawless — photograph Dorothy Kerper Monnelly — photographsOutside the Lines — website design services Betty Tiedemann — photograph

2004 BENEFIT GALAUnderwriting SponsorSotheby’s Auction House

Corporate Underwriting PatronW.P. Carey & Co., LLC

Corporate Underwriting FriendsBar Harbor Bank & TrustFirst National Bank of Bar HarborPeter Forbes, FAIA, Architects

Individual DonorsAnonymousCharles Butt

Carol and Paul Fremont SmithMary MorganEleanor and John SullivanKate and Nicholas Vanoff

Individual Underwriting PatronsKathryn W. DavisSydney and Andrew DavisCleveland H. Dodge FoundationMarilyn Calderwood and Dodge OlmstedAnne Roberts RockefellerKim and Francis Wentworth

Individual Underwriting FriendsMaura and William BenjaminJill and Richard BlanchardW. Morgan ChurchmanGail and Hamilton ClarkDonna and William EachoDianna and Benjamin EmoryC. Boyden GrayLaura and Bernard HamiltonDebby and Jim LashLiz and Arthur MartinezJulia H. MerckCharles MerrimanHeather and George MitchellJanneke Seton NeilsonSusan and Stephen PaneykoGale and Ferguson PetersBarbara and John RobinsonMartie and Edward SamekJane and Dennis ShubertMary Ann and Michael SiklosiLynne and Allen Wheat

Administrative CommitteeChairpersonDiana Hambleton

DecorationsJean Lipkin and Julie Merck

DinnerLydia Kimball

OperationsGail Cook, Dianna Emory, and

Story Litchfield

Auction ItemsLiz Martinez and Lynne Wheat

DisplayDianna Brochendorff

CatalogueDebby Lash and Susan Warren

HostessesChrissie Strawbridge, Phil Dennis, and

Lanie Lincoln

FOA Staff LiaisonTerry Begley

Gala CommitteeAnne BassNatasha BeadlestonMaura BenjaminPatricia BlakeJill BlanchardCallie BrauerIldiko ButlerMarilyn CalderwoodElizabeth CareyGail ClarkTanny ClarkRuth ColketLucy DanielGale DavisSydney DavisPhyllis DennisLinda DouglassSunny DupreeDonna EachoSusan Ferrante-CollierLeslie FoggWendy T. FoulkeLinda Levy GoldbergHelen GoodhueWinkie GummeyPolly GuthLaura HamiltonMararet HamnerMeg HarveyMuffie HocheAllison JohnsonLydia KimballEthel KinsellaWilhelmina KippSydie LansingBambie Lyman delaGueronniereAdrienne MaxwellSuzanne Folds McCullaghHeather MitchellBetsy MooreNancy NimickLinda O’LearySusan PaneykoSheila PullingJennifer RichardsonBarbara RobinsonDeborah RobinsonMartie SamekBethany SavageEllen ShaferBarbara SteelChrissie StrawbridgeNonie SullivanSusan Utsch

In Gratitude


23Friends of Acadia Journal Winter 2004/2005

Linda ValentinoKate VanoffAriane Wellin

Auction Item DonorsAbel’s Lobster PoundSuzy Abuza, Indo-Chic ImportsAcadia ShopsAcadia National Park Trail CrewAcoustic EnergyMary Ann Albright, Culinary JourneysAnimal CrackersAnonymousAquavit RestaurantASTICOU Chartering ServicesAsticou InnAtlantic Landscape ConstructionBar Harbor Bicycle ShopDean BargerBella Skin & Body BoutiqueBio Bio ExpeditionsTom Blagden, Jr.Patricia BlakeJill BlanchardBlue Hill AntiquesMichael Boland of HavanaCallie BrauerDianna BrochendorffBrunschwig & FilsBurdick & Booher Landscape DesignIldiko and Gilbert ButlerCadillac Mountain SportsMarilyn CalderwoodCaneel Bay ResortElizabeth CareyGail ClarkTanny ClarkThe Clay AngelGail ClevelandCollege of the AtlanticDanna CooperKathryn DavisSydney DavisKendall DemonlliPhyllis DennisDowneast ToyotaLinda and Robert DouglassDublin GardensDonna EachoElizabeth EakinsDianna and Ben EmoryRichard EstesFairwind FloristDan FaltPeter FasanoDesmond and Olda FitzgeraldLeslie and Joseph FoggFolly Farm

Wendy FoulkeFourteen CarrotsPerky FrazerGallery La SirenaDonna GannRob GardinerGeographic ExpeditionsGlin CastleLinda GoldbergHelen GoodhueGranville RentalsMichael Graves, Michael Graves AntiquesLinda GregoryWinkie Gummey

Lisa HallDiana and George HambletonLaura HamiltonHaynes BrothersThe Hinckley CompanyMuffie and John HocheSuzanne HopkinsIn the CountryJ & P’s Farm MarketCaptain and Mrs. Robert JohnstoneJordan Pond HouseFrances KellyLydia KimballThe Kimball ShopEthel KinsellaWilhelmina KippKeith Kroeger of Kroeger Woods AssociatesZachary KlyverSydie LansingLandmark VolunteersDebby LashTom LeddyJean and Ed LipkinLocal ColorSusan LyallBambi Lyman delaGueronniereMaine Coast Brewing Company

K.A. MacDonald Picture FramingMainescape Garden ShopCharlene and Tony MarshallLiz and Arthur MartinezDiana ROPER McDowellJulia MerckSally and Tom NewhallNew York Botanical GardenNortheast Harbor Golf ClubSusan PaneykoJoan Elliot PewPort in a Storm BookstoreSusan Porter of Les Jupes Diana PullingJennifer Craig RichardsonAnn Rivers, Acadia Wildlife FoundationLuther RobbBarbara RobinsonDeborah RobinsonRoxana RobinsonThe Romantic RoomJohn RosselliDiana Rowan RockefellerMartie SamekBethany SavageDiane ScottEllen and Robert ShaferSam ShawJohn Sheetz & SonsSimons Hancock FarmDon SmallidgeBarbara SouthworthBeth StrausChristine StrawbridgeClare StoneSweet Pea GardensPat ToogoodLucy TraceyBarbara Janney TrimbleGlen Tucker, Coastal Kayaking ToursCharles R. Tyson, Jr. Linda ValentinoKate VanoffCarol and Rolf van SchaikAnn WaldronWallace Tent & Party RentalsSusan WarrenAriane WellinAnn and Tom WestonLynne and Allen WheatWild Angels StudioWini Smart StudioDick WolfWooden Boat School

CORRECTION: In our gala catalogue, we incor-rectly identified sponsors Laura and BernardHamilton. We apologize for the error.


To accomplish our mission, 1. We advocate. We advance park interests before Congress and the Maine Legislature, within the National Park Service and

other federal, state or local bodies, and among the general public.2. We make grants. We raise private funds for select capital projects in Acadia and for its enlightened stewardship, creating

sustainable revenues through endowments where appropriate. We strive to supplement federal funds and services, notreplace them.

3. We nullify threats. We mobilize people and forge nonprofit alliances to neutralize threats to park and communityresources.

4. We promote excellent management.We speak for responsible users in the continual betterment of park operations. 5. We operate independently. We function as a free-standing nonprofit, supportive of the park but independent from it. We

reserve the right to differ respectfully.6. We seek a broad membership. We seek to maximize the number of park defenders, stewards, and donors. We encourage

every visitor to join Friends of Acadia as a means of giving something back to the park for the privilege of experiencing it.7. We enhance communities. We promote conservation in border communities through programs and grants that enhance

their natural character and complement park values.8. We support volunteerism. We supply a corps of motivated volunteers to meet designated park needs, including the upkeep

of footpaths and carriage roads.9. We produce tangible results. We achieve measurable results from programs and funds expended.

10. We leverage donated funds. We operate on a sound financial basis, leveraging member dues and other gifts to bring thehighest conservation return per donated dollar.

VISION Friends of Acadia seeks an Acadia National Park that is the best funded, best managed, and best maintained national park

for its size and volume of use. Mount Desert Island is distinguished by its intact natural character and the quality of village life.The air is clean, the water pure. Low-emissions public transit, funded primarily by park entry fees, contributes to conservingAcadia’s special qualities. Park visitation conforms to sensible carrying capacities. People feel a powerful reverence for theirgreat national park and its host island. They want to keep this place beautiful for all generations. They help protect its out-standing natural, cultural, and economic attributes by supporting Friends of Acadia.

FRIENDS OF ACADIAOPERATING PHILOSOPHY

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The Perfect GiftQuestion:

What’s the perfect gift for the person who is impossible to shop for?Answer:

A gift membership in Friends of Acadia!

Share your love of Acadia by giving a special gift membership in Friends of Acadia. For a limited time, we’re offering a special gift membership

package for only $40. Here’s what the recipient will receive:

• The Rusticator’s Journal, a lovely book of essays and photographs of MountDesert Island and Acadia National Park

• A one-year subscription to the FOA Journal• A Friends of Acadia window decal• A Friends of Acadia bookmark• The satisfaction of knowing that membership in Friends of

Acadia helps to preserve the remarkable beauty of Acadia National Park

We will send gift memberships with a card noting that the gift is from you. Be sure to fill in your name and address on the return envelope.

For more information about gift memberships, call Kelly Dickson or Terry Begley at 800-625-0321 or email: [email protected].

2005 Volunteer Events CalendarEarth Day Roadside Clean Up

Saturday, April 30, 9:00 – NoonHonor the spirit of Earth Day by removing polluting trash from MDI and area roadways.

National Trails DaySaturday, June 4, 8:30 – Noon

Kick off the volunteer season on Acadia’s trails and carriage roads with a project in the park.

Trails and Carriage Road VolunteersTuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, 8:30 – 12:30, June into October

Spend a morning clearing vegetation, rebuilding small stone walls or drainages, or a host of other projects on Acadia’s trails and carriage roads.

Take Pride in Acadia DaySaturday, November 5, 8:30 – Noon

Rake leaves along the carriage roads to reduce erosion.

To learn more about these and other volunteer opportunities, visit our website at www.friendsofacadia.org.

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Friends of Acadia

Mission

The mission of Friends of Acadia is to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty,

ecological vitality, and cultural distinctiveness of Acadia National Park and the surrounding

communities, and thereby to ensure a high quality experience for visitors and residents.

Friends of Acadia 43 Cottage Street PO Box 45 Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 207 288-3340 1 800 625-0321

A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding ... · 2 Winter 2004/2005 Winter 2004/2005...

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Transcript of A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding ... · 2 Winter 2004/2005 Winter 2004/2005...