Summer 2007 Volume 12 No. 1
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:
• HULLS COVECOVE VISITOR VISITOR CENTER CENTER (off(off Rte. Rte. 3 in3 inHulls Hulls Cove) Cove) • THOMPSON ISLANDISLAND INFORMATION INFORMATION STATION STATION (Rte. 3 before crossing onto MDI) • SAND BEACHBEACH ENTRANCE ENTRANCE STATION STATION (on(on the the Park Park Loop Loop Road) Road) • BLACKWOODS CAMPGROUND CAMPGROUND(off(off Rte. Rte. 3 in3 inOtter Otter Creek) Creek) • ACADIA NATIONAL NATIONAL PARK PARK HEADQUARTERS HEADQUARTERS (on the Eagle Lake Road/Rte. 233 in Bar Harbor) • SEAWALL CAMPGROUND CAMPGROUND (off (off Rte. Rte. 102A 102A in in Southwest Southwest Harbor) Harbor) • JORDAN PONDPOND AND AND CADILLAC CADILLAC MTN. MTN. GIFT GIFT SHOPS SHOPS • MOUNT DESERTDESERT CHAMBER CHAMBER OF OF COMMERCE COMMERCE • VILLAGE GREENGREEN BUSBUS CENTERCENTER (next to the Bar Harbor Village Green and Island Explorer transfer location)
Your park pass purchase makes possible vital maintenance projects in Acadia. John Cipriani President’s Column
SEA CHANGE
he news from Washington is full of Other partnership efforts have recon- promise for our national parks. In per- structed the carriage roads and provided Thaps the most welcome sea change in for their ongoing upkeep, supported the decades, the Administration is making a work of thousands of volunteers, and strong commitment to increasing funding to established the propane-powered Island our national parks. Late last summer, Explorer shuttle bus system—a low emis- President Bush and Secretary of the Interior sion, high-volume success. In their eight Dirk Kempthorne announced the Centennial years of rolling through Acadia and MDI Initiative, a program designed to send an communities, the buses have carried more additional $3 billion over ten years to our than two million passengers, reducing traf- parks and prepare them for the centennial fic and resulting emissions. Partners are anniversary of the National Park Service in now seeking to ensure a thriving future for 2016. A successful initiative will set them the system by creating the Acadia Gateway up to thrive through a second century of pro- Center, providing a convenient location for tection, education, and public enjoyment of day visitors to visit and learn about the all they offer. park and the region. The Centennial Initiative proposes to These are just a few examples of what provide an increase of $100 million per public/private partnerships have already year for National Park Service (NPS) oper- accomplished in Acadia. We can accom- ations—an increase of $1 billion across the plish so much more with the incentive of Noreen Hogan Noreen national park system when all is said and additional funding to match our private Peter Travers done. And, recognizing the concern and contributions. What Friends has accomplished, and ability of citizen stewards, the Initiative The Centennial Initiative is still in the what we have the potential to still accom- proposes to match, dollar for dollar, private planning phase. Congress must authorize plish through the Centennial Challenge, is donations from national park partners, up legislation that will allow the NPS to com- a credit to our members and volunteers. If to $100 million per year—potentially mit to the challenge. Friends of Acadia and you are a Friends of Acadia member, thank bringing an additional $2 billion into our other national park partners are tracking you. You demonstrate the best of citizen parks over the next decade. the legislation to ensure that it will enable stewardship. If you are not a member, This is a challenge America’s friends partners to make the most of this historic please consider joining. Your contribution groups can meet. Over the past twenty initiative. And the Initiative must have sig- will strengthen the message that Americans years at Friends of Acadia alone, our mem- nificant successes over the next few years care deeply about preserving our cherished bers, donors, and volunteers have enabled to convince the next Administration and national parks. the organization to establish eight endow- Congress to continue the commitment. ments, totaling more than $15 million, to Right now, however, we see the promise ensure the ongoing protection, upkeep, of the centennial vision in the proposed and enjoyment of Acadia’s trails and car- funding for the NPS in the coming Fiscal —Marla S. O’Byrne riage roads. Year 2008. At this writing, the House of Walking, biking, riding a bus through Representatives is considering a budget Acadia—the partnership is tangibly thriv- increase of $222 million over FY2007— ing. The Gorham Mountain Trail is a more the largest increase proposed for the enjoyable hike because of restoration work National Park Service in history. Although funded through Acadia Trails Forever. The we don’t know what it will mean for $13 million partnership effort has also Acadia, it seems likely that the park will restored several abandoned trails; con- receive an increase to help address its structed village connector trails in local annual shortfall of $400,000. We continue communities; and restored well-loved to monitor and support passage of this trails like the Jordan Pond Trail, Spring budget in the House, and will follow the Trail, and Long Pond Trail, among many budget proposed in the Senate later this other projects. summer. Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dianna K. Emory, Chair Joseph Murphy, Vice Chair Edward L. Samek, Treasurer Lili Pew, Secretary
Jeff Charland Gail Cook John Fassak Sheldon Goldthwait Lee Judd Summer 2007 Debby Lash Volume 12 No. 1 Linda Lewis Ed Lipkin Stan MacDonald A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities Liz Martinez Julia Merck Marla O’Byrne Jeannine Ross Michael Siklosi Howard Solomon Sherry Streeter Noni Sullivan Ann Waldron Dick Wolf Bill Zoellick
HONORARY TRUSTEES Eleanor Ames Robert and Anne Bass Edward McCormick Blair Curtis and Patricia Blake Robert and Sylvia Blake Frederic A. Bourke Jr. Tristram and Ruth Colket Shelby and Gale Davis Nathaniel R. Fenton FEATURE ARTICLES Frances Fitzgerald Neva Goodwin 8 Investigating Acadia’s Flora and Fauna Stephanie Clement Paul and Eileen Growald The first class of L.L.Bean Research Fellows seek answers in Acadia. John and Polly Guth Paul Haertel 10 The Salters of Stanley Brook Catherine Schmitt Burnham Litchfield What it means when brook trout wander into Seal Harbor’s salt water. Gerrish and Phoebe Milliken George J. and Heather Mitchell 11 2007 BioBlitz: Arachnacadia! Ginny Reams and Stephanie Sutton Janneke Neilson A race against the clock to find spiders in Acadia National Park. Nancy Nimick Jack Perkins 12 Coming Home to Acadia Jack Russell Nancy Pyne An island native-at-heart finds peace in his Acadian homecoming. Louis Rabineau Nathaniel P. Reed 13 Two Islands, Two Parks, One Vision Carl Little Ann R. Roberts A Mount Desert Island resident takes on Virgin Islands National Park. David Rockefeller Patricia Scull 14 What Should We Leave Behind Eileen Rockefeller Growald Erwin Soule John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s granddaughter reflects on family legacy. Diana Davis Spencer Don and Beth Straus ACTIVITIES/HIGHLIGHTS EMERITUS TRUSTEES W. Kent Olson 7 Save the Date: Friends of Acadia Benefit Gala Charles Tyson Jr. 20 Updates FRIENDS OF ACADIA STAFF 26 Book Reviews Mike Alley, Senior Field Crew Leader Theresa Begley, Projects & Events Coordinator Sharon Broom, Development Officer DEPARTMENTS Sheree Castonguay, Accounting & Administrative Associate 1 President’s Column Sea ChangeMarla S. O’Byrne Stephanie Clement, Conservation Director Erin K. Hitchcock, Communications Coordinator 3 Superintendent’s View No Kid Left Inside Sheridan Steele Lisa Horsch, Director of Development Diana R. McDowell, Director of Finance & Administration 5Poem5 Poem Misplaced Landscape with Sandhill Cranes Douglas W. Woodsum Marla Stellpflug O’Byrne, President 6 Special Person Margaret “Peg” Lawson Lisa Horsch Cliff Olson, Field Crew Leader Mike Staggs, Projects & Systems Coordinator 27 Friends of Schoodic The Unexpected Schoodic Garry Levin
2 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal Superintendent’s View
NO KID LEFT INSIDE
ongratulations to Friends of Acadia finds freedom, thoughtful stimulation, a sense for creating the first annual “Acadia of wonder, and privacy—a place distant from CAdventures: Family Fun Day” held at the adult world, a separate peace. Children Little Long Pond last summer. All those chil- need nature for the healthy development of dren having fun outside was a welcome sight. their senses and, therefore, for learning and There is certainly life beyond television, the creativity. computer, and the cell phone, but you would “When children choose TVs over trees, hardly know it today. Kids need to learn to they lose touch with the physical world out- experience life, not just watch it…. It is time side and the fundamental connection of those for kids to turn off the electronics and turn places to our daily lives,” said Steve on the natural and cultural environment that McCormick, president and CEO of The is all around them. Nature Conservancy. No electronic world can One beautiful morning in a Rocky replicate the wonder of nature, whether it is Mountain National Park campground, I saw standing on a mountain summit after a good a large motor home pull in with a family hike, looking over the great expanse below, that included two young boys. Just as the riding along a whitewater river in a raft, or father had completed backing into the camp- watching a bull moose grazing near a pond. site, the two boys began, “Turn on the gen- When asked if he would read a popular erator, Dad. Turn the generator on; we want book, a friend of mine would typically to play video games.” Instead of suggesting respond that he would “wait for the movie,” that they go explore the spectacular sur- presumably because it took less time and
roundings, the father complied, and the boys Peter Travers effort. He was always looking for short cuts. disappeared into the motor home to play. Much of society today is looking for short They could have had the same experience “When children choose TVs cuts—the easier and faster way. Some would anywhere. I was saddened by the missed rather see a picture of a distant lake rather opportunity to enlist more life-long fans of over trees, they lose touch than hike the three miles uphill to enjoy it national parks. with the physical world out- in real life. Being in nature is about the direct Kids aged 6-11 spend 30 hours a week side and the fundamental experience, not about being a spectator. No using the computer or watching TV. Currently electronic environment stimulates all of the fewer than 25 percent of school-aged chil- connection of those places to senses. dren participate in daily physical activity. our daily lives.” I am a proponent of “no kid left inside.” Because of habits like this, an estimated 15 We need to develop many new opportuni- percent of adolescents aged 6-19 years are —Steve McCormick, president and ties to establish connections between youth overweight. Adult outdoor activity patterns CEO of The Nature Conservancy and nature and the outdoors. I hope the begin in youth; 90 percent of the people who National Park Service and other land con- engage in physical outdoor activities began nature are better thinkers, are more creative, servation organizations can take on this chal- that participation between the ages of 5 and and can deal better with complex issues. lenge with great zeal. The future of America’s 18. We need to reach out to children before Unfortunately, many parents today believe natural heritage depends on it! their patterns are set. that the woods down the street is a place to California research shows that children fear, with “strangers,” Lyme disease, West Nile who participated in outdoor education activ- virus, wild animals, and even dirt (i.e., ities improved their aptitude for science and germs). Parents would rather their kids stay math and increased their social and person- inside where they can keep an eye on them. —Sheridan Steele al skills, including motivation to learn and Louv quotes a fourth-grader in San Diego as ability to solve problems, and they had an saying, “I like to play indoors, because that’s improved sense of stewardship of the envi- where all of the electrical outlets are.” Lacking ronment. Richard Louv, author of the book direct experience with nature, children begin Last Child in the Woods, Nature Deficit Disorder, to associate it with fear and calamity rather contends that children who spend time in than with joy and wonder. In nature, a child
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 3 Notes from Friends
A Dog’s Life We find distasteful the vision of a park Summer 2007 ranger gesturing to a stand of redwoods, for Volume 12 No. 1 example, and proclaiming, “Got a great set of trees, here, only walked through on A Magazine about Acadia National Park Sundays. What am I bid?” and Surrounding Communities About 12 percent of the park service’s budget now comes from private donors, Friends of Acadia is a private, nonprofit including many large corporations. Park organization dedicated to preserving service Director Mary Bomar has said that and protecting the outstanding natural one of her goals is to increase private beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural support. distinctiveness of Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities, and Again, fine—within limits. But public thereby ensuring a high quality experience funding has not covered needs in the park for visitors and residents. system for many years. Members of The Journal is published three times a year. Stuart, “The Backpack Dog,” enjoys a carriage Congress shouldn’t use Bomar’s plan as an Submissions are welcome. road tour with owner Joanne. excuse to neglect our nation’s crown jewels Opinions expressed are the authors’. —arguably the most wonderful national Thank you for spending your time with us park system in the world—even more. That You may write us at when we recently visited your office. We were would be a terrible disservice to Americans 43 Cottage Street / PO Box 45 Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 taken aback when Friends of Acadia staff rec- now, and to those of future generations. or contact us at ognized Stuart and that he had the moniker Printed with permission of 207-288-3340 “The Backpack Dog.” This was his seventh Tribune Chronicle. 800-625-0321 year touring the carriage road system in his www.friendsofacadia.org backpack. We are surprised by how many email: [email protected] people remember him from year to year. Doing AYCC a Favor Also, when we walk the streets of Bar Harbor EDITOR Erin K. Hitchcock in the evening, it is fun to hear someone exclaim “Hey, there is Stuart.” The people POETRY EDITOR usually do not remember our names but they Philip Dane Levin do remember his. We enjoy having him be DESIGN able to ride with us when we cycle. We do Packard Judd Kaye point out to people that his pack was made PRINTING for dogs and purchased at a pet store. He also Penmor Lithographers uses his own paw power when we take to the hiking trails in the park. This year he hiked PUBLISHER Marla Stellpflug O’Byrne Acadia, Beech, and Champlain Mountains, pulling the whole way up and all the way back down…. Ah, the life of a roving Scottish Newlyweds Steve and Gretta Mieczkowski gra- Terrier. ciously recognized Friends of Acadia on their wed- ding day. The couple made a gift to Friends in honor — Joanne, Scott, and Stuart Hemenway of their wedding guests and in lieu of traditional via email favors. Steve and Gretta, a teacher, specified that the gift was to support the Acadia Youth Private Funding Needs Limits Conservation Corps program. Friends of Acadia Editorial from Tribune Chronicle thanks Steve and Gretta, and wishes them all the best in their new life together! (Warren, OH), January 17, 2007 We see nothing wrong with soliciting pri- vate support for America’s national park Acadia’s Next Generation I have been waiting to [become a mem- system—providing the possibility of it is Morning Light on Floating Bladderwart not used as an excuse for Congress to ber] for so long and I have been going to and Pond Lily at Beaver Dam Pond underfund the parks. Acadia for 17 of my short 23 years! I love Cover photographs by Tom Blagden And, we would add, providing that the all that you do for my favorite place in mission of the National Park Service the world! remains conserving our country’s natural —Michael Rockett This Journal is printed on chlorine-process free, recycled, and recyclable stock using soy-based ink. and historic heritage—not salesmanship. New York
4 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal Give the Gift of Acadia Poem
FRIENDS OF ACADIA POETRY AWARD 2nd Prize
Misplaced Landscape with Sandhill Cranes Looking for the perfect gift idea for a birthday or anniversary? Out of place, like a cyclist on a winter road Introduce someone you care about to at dusk, two cranes bend then straighten their bony legs Acadia with a gift membership in stepping over rows of thick brown stalks, frosted stubble: Friends of Acadia. a chopped corn field touched with snow. Beside them, a flooded ditch, iced-over; so they eat gleaned corn, a deer mouse, Please send a special $40 gift package* to: and a lost half-frozen woolly bear. ______Name The farmlands stretch for miles, but the cattle have been called in. ______Only the cranes, dusky in this light, graze. I’m used to Currier ______And Ives landscapes with stocky turkeys emerging Address from the woods to scratch and peck a living under ______the old apple trees. In these parts, meandering turkey flocks ______sometimes hold up traffic on the rural highways. ______City, State, Zip Code, & Telephone Number But these cranes are far from the road, easy Message you would like on the card: to miss, despite being tall as the surrounding fence posts. ______Svelte and large-framed, they are graceful for all their angles and bones. ______Yes, graceful, because when I stop pedaling to be part ______of the spare brushstrokes of this oriental winter scene, * Gift package includes: the cranes take off, taking the whole world away with them. • The Rusticator’s Journal, a delightful book of essays and photographs of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park With ease, their legs bend then straighten; their wings gesture across • A one-year subscription to the Friends of the landscape of fields, darkening woods and outbuildings. Acadia Journal, published three times They take off as the sun takes light at dusk, as a brush runs out of paint. annually • A Friends of Acadia window decal — Douglas Woody Woodsum • The satisfaction of knowing that membership in Friends of Acadia helps to preserve the remarkable beauty of Acadia National Park
To give a gift membership, simply mail the DOUGLAS WOODY WOODSUM teaches high school English in rural Maine. above form, along with a check made payable to He has published poetry, prose, and cartoons in many newspapers, magazines, Friends of Acadia, in the envelope provided or and anthologies. His first success as a writer came when he lived for a winter visit www.friendsofacadia.org. in Corea Harbor, Maine. All contributions to Friends of Acadia are used to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural distinctiveness of Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities. All gifts are tax deductible. Friends of Acadia P.O. Box 45 • Bar Harbor, ME 04609 www.friendsofacadia.org 207-288-3340 • 800-625-0321
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 5 Special Person
PEG LAWSON, AN ALL-AROUND FRIEND
ome people join Friends of Acadia by summer and Peg graciously dedicated making a membership gift, other peo- much time to three important activities: Sple become involved through volun- assisting the FOA staff with member mail- teerism, and some individuals come to ings, staffing the Islesford Museum weekly, Friends of Acadia with a willingness to give and working on the Bar Island sandbar their time, talents, and resources. Margaret monitoring project. “Peg” Lawson is one of those good friends. Friends of Acadia augments its nine Peg’s love affair with the coast of Maine full-time staff members with volunteers began when she and her late husband during the peak season. Peg’s help with a Harry traveled up the coast as newlyweds. particularly large mailing allows Friends They lived in Poughkeepsie, New York, to leverage her time to help raise thou- with a modest travel budget, but they sands of dollars in annual support that loved the rocky coast and the beautiful will be granted to the park and local com- outdoors. Over the years, Peg was a repeat munities for conservation projects. visitor, making each trip different—longer Friends’ dog-friendly office made it easy and shorter stays, sleeping in a camper and for Heidi to accompany Peg on these vol- living in a condo, visiting along with Harry, unteer outings. her daughters, and her dog, Heidi. The one Last summer Peg made a weekly ferry constant is Peg’s love for Acadia National trip from MDI to Little Cranberry to vol- Park. unteer for Acadia National Park’s Islesford It was on one of her camping trips at Historical Museum, dedicated to the history Blackwoods Campground on Mount of the Cranberry Isles and the lives of Desert Island that Peg learned about their hardy inhinhabitants.abitants. The museum relies Friends of Acadia. She quickly became a heavily on volunteer support to staff the member so that she could be a part of pre- exhibits and answer visitor questions. Peg Peg and Heidi enjoying a beautiful Bar Harbor serving and protecting Acadia. In recent enjoyed the work so much that she made serving and protecting Acadia. In recent enjoyed the work so much that she made afternoon. years, she joined the monthly giving pro- an exception to her volunteer rule about gram. In the spring of 2006, Peg increased including Heidi. On Wednesdays, Heidi analysis of the usage will be used in plan- her dedication even further by including stayed home while Peg volunteered at the ning for future management of the bar. Friends of Acadia in her estate plans as a museum. Conservation and love of the outdoors beneficiary of a retirement account. She has been a common thread throughout attended her first George B. Dorr Society Peg mentioned that she Peg’s life. When living in Potomac, event last August, joining other Friends Maryland, Peg was active in the Friends of planned giving donors for a carriage ride would love to volunteer for Historic Great Falls Tavern, a nonprofit and special luncheon at Jordan Pond outdoor stewardship of the established to preserve a historic tavern House. along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. An While on the phone discussing her park, but she had one condi- avid hiker, Peg was also an active volunteer recent gift, Peg mentioned that she would tion—she must be able to with trail maintenance along a local por- love to volunteer for outdoor stewardship bring her constant compan- tion of the Appalachian Trail. During the of the park, but she had one condition— early 1990s, Peg and her husband sold she must be able to bring her constant ion,ion Heidi.Heidi. their house in Maryland and moved to companion,companion Heidi.Heidi. PegPeg hadhad already investi- Florida, where Peg served on the board of gated the Friends of Acadia-sponsored vol- Last summer, Peg also had the unique directors for Friends of Guana River State unteer program at Acadia National Park, a experience of monitoring the usage of the Park; she is still active with its fall training drop-in volunteer program held seasonally sandbar to Bar Island. This project was for school programs. each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but coordinated by Stephanie Clement, FOA Friends of Acadia and Acadia National dogs are not allowed on work outings. The conservation director, to count the number Park salute Peg and Heidi for all they do park and Friends of Acadia had many of pedestrians, kayakers, automobiles, and for the park and local communities. l❧ other volunteer opportunities available last other users of the sandbar. The statistical —Lisa Horsch
6 Spring 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal Save the Date
FRIENDS OF ACADIA BENEFIT GALA SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007 Peter Travers Peter Travers 2006 Gala guests dine under the big tent at the Asticou Inn.
The 18th Annual Friends of Acadia Benefit Gala & Auction will be held on Saturday, Volunteer! August 11, beginning at 6:15 p.m., under the big tent at the Asticou Inn. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Last year’s event was the most successful event to date, grossing just over $600,000, mornings in Acadia, and attracting more guests than all of the previous galas. This signature fundraising June – October event raises significant funds that provide critical grants to park projects and help For information, underwrite FOA’s general needs. call 288-3934, or Plans are well underway for the 2007 Benefit Gala. Organizing chair Dianna check our website at Brochendorff and her committee have been working hard all winter making plans www.friendsofacadia.org for the event, including acquiring exciting auction items and strategizing to keep the event fresh and exciting.
“Acadia is in our blood” PO Box 52 Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 Peter Travers Peter Travers Guests peruse their bidding options at the 2006 Benefit Gala.
We encourage our friends to join us for an exciting evening of spirited bidding, delicious food, and dancing in a tent decorated in the hues of an Acadian sunset. To purchase a ticket or request a formal invitation, contact Terry Begley at 800-625-0321 or [email protected], or visit www.friendsofacadia.org and click the Benefit Gala sidebar.
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 7 L.L.Bean Research Fellows
INVESTIGATING ACADIA’S FLORA AND FAUNA Stephanie Clement cadia National Park is not only a Friends partner organization, Acadia Partners and help determine the effects that this inva- recreational gem on Maine’s coast; it for Science and Learning, augmented sive crab might have on native crab and shell- Ais also a unique ecological resource— L.L.Bean’s gift by funding an additional two fish species. a mix of flora and fauna at the edge of two proposals, with support from the Davis Holly Ewing, an assistant professor in the bioregions. Much of the scientific knowledge Conservation Foundation. These additional environmental studies program at Bates about Acadia’s natural and cultural resources projects had a special component of involv- College, is working with Dr. Kathleen comes from researchers who conduct field ing citizens and high school students in field Weathers, senior scientist at the Institute for experiments or gather population data at science. I was fortunate last summer and fall Ecosystem Studies, on a model designed to Acadia. Outdoor retailer L.L.Bean has begun to join three of the fellows as they explored predict the response of terrestrial and aquat- a new small grants program, the Acadia some of Acadia’s unique flora and fauna and ic ecosystems to atmospheric deposition. Two Research Fellowship program, designed to examined environmental factors influencing Bates College seniors, Lois St. Brice and further invest in basic understanding of park these species. Sam Taylor, worked with Drs. Ewing and resources and to help solve environmental Aimee Phillippi, an adjunct professor at Weathers throughout the fall and winter to questions at the park. Unity College, spent the summer with two complete senior theses related to this model. The L.L.Bean Acadia Research Fellowship students conducting shoreline censuses along Taylor examined metals in soils as indicators program is part of L.L.Bean’s historic $2.25 transects at the Schoodic Peninsula. The of deposition, and St. Brice tested the model's million grant and pledge to Friends of Acadia objective of Dr. Phillippi’s study is to research sensitivity to the various assumptions made for the Island Explorer and other park the Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, about the structure and function of the research and education needs. In the spring an invasive crab that was found for the first ecosystem. Together these projects will help of 2006, seven research proposals were select- time at the Schoodic Peninsula in 2005. us better understand the possible responses ed from a field of twenty-three applications Schoodic appears to be the northern end of of Acadia’s forests, soils, and watersheds to to be the first class of L.L.Bean Acadia the range of this species and Dr. Phillippi’s air pollution. Research Fellows. L.L.Bean’s generous gift study will help characterize the Schoodic Nat Cleavitt, a research associate with the provided support for five of the proposals; shoreline prior to the invasion of the crab, department of natural resources at Cornell
Dr. Aimee Phillippi (center) and Unity College sophomores, Meg Anderson (right), and Alyssa Marvel, examine a transect line at the Schoodic Peninsula for crab species. All crab species were recorded, along with specimen size, weight, moult stage, sex and reproductive status, and any injuries. Thankfully, no Asian shore crabs were seen last summer. 8 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal contribute to the long term health of Acadia’s resources. Congratulations to all the fellows, and our thanks to L.L.Bean and Acadia Partners for Science and Learning for aug- menting the knowledge base at Acadia. ❧
STEPHANIE CLEMENT is the conservation director at Friends of Acadia.
The following is a complete list of the 2006 L.L.Bean Acadia Research Fellows and their projects, which were completed in the past year.
Natalie L. Cleavitt, Cornell University Bryophytes and lichens in select habitats of Acadia National Park: Does substratum chemistry explain distribution? Dr. Holly Ewing (center) and Bates College seniors, Sam Taylor (left) and Lois St. Brice, examine the organic layer of a soil pit dug in a primarily coniferous forested watershed in Acadia. Holly A. Ewing and Kathleen C. Weathers, Bates College and the Institute University, has been working for at least two have the greatest influence on where, and for Ecosystem Studies years examining lichens and bryophytes in what abundance, they are found. Further- Soil as a mediator between atmospheric (mosses and liverworts) on tree bark in more, the findings from this study are chal- deposition and streamwater. Acadia’s coniferous forests. The L.L.Bean lenging basic understanding of expected Amanda Little, University of Minnesota, funding enabled Dr. Cleavitt to expand this lichen and bryophyte populations, as well Duluth study to include four deciduous study sites as the overall process for inventorying forest- Sphagnum in Acadia National Park. and three rock cliff sites. Each of the tree level ecosystems. study sites is a large 70-meter diameter cir- L.L.Bean’s support of field research in Katherine McPhee, University of Maine cular plot, which is the area generally used Acadia has stimulated additional funding and The significance of relationships and invasive by the U.S. Forest Service for forest health received broad attention across national parks species: the European fire ant and inventories for lichens. Within the decidu- and other public land management agencies. Homopterans. ous plots, Dr. Cleavitt, Dr. Alison Dibble, and Such investments in people and science will Sarah J. Nelson, University of Maine Howard Prescott recorded size class, canopy How much is enough? Developing a citizen- position, health, and species for all trees based monitoring plan for mercury in gauged greater than 5-centimeter diameter at breast watershed streams at Acadia National Park. height (1.37 meters from tree base). The main data set was a full inventory of lichen and Aimee Phillippi, Unity College bryophyte species found on the trees (includ- Monitoring the abundance and distribution of the invasive Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus ing those outside the range that is normally sanguineus, on the Schoodic Peninsula and its sampled during a Forest Service inventory). effects on intertidal crab and bivalve population. Bark samples were collected at one meter off the ground, one-third the height of the tree, Nishanta Rajakaruna, College of and two-thirds the height of the tree to exam- the Atlantic ine correlation between bark chemistry and Conservation biology of rare plants of Acadia lichen flora. The information from this study National Park: A proposal to conduct ecological and physiological studies to better inform rare will help Acadia better understand which Dr. Nat Cleavitt (left) and Dr. Alison Dibble exam- plant monitoring and management protocols. species grow in the park, and what factors ine tree bark for lichens and bryophytes in Acadia.
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 9 Sea Run Trout Study
THE SALTERS OF STANLEY BROOK Catherine Schmitt Catherine Schmitt tanley Brook begins as rain that flows fish are residents of the stream and simply down the slopes of The Triad, Redfield like to wander into the sea once in a while— SHill, and Day Mountain, then tumbles likely for food, as sea-run trout grow much unimpeded through a forest of fir, cedar, and faster than their freshwater counterparts. In birch before flattening out and running like salt water, trout take on a rainbow of hues a ribbon of freshwater across the sandy beach that distinguish them from fish that stay in of Seal Harbor, where it then meets the tide. fresh water; Stanley Brook salters are purple, This natural phenomenon of rivers emptying green, brown, and silver when they return to into the sea is rarely observed in the East, as upstream reaches. By fall, their colors have fad- so often rivers are forced through culverts and ed as they put all their energy into spawning. straightened channels, under roads, or Letcher has tagged the fish with little wires between rock jetties. And so, it has been easy that send out unique signals, which are to forget that the land was once connected to detected by two receivers placed beneath the Courtesy Ben Letcher/USGS Conte Laboratory Courtesy Ben Letcher/USGS Conte Laboratory the ocean in many intricate ways, and that A sea-run trout from Stanley Brook. Route 3 bridge. By tracking fish movement, some species continue to move between fresh Letcher is hoping to gauge how much time and salt water. (IFW), which focuses on freshwater fisheries. they spend in Seal Cove and whether their Even brook trout, commonly considered Perhaps the only individuals who notice are migration is driven by genetics. “I’m really a fish of remote, cool mountain rivers, wan- the handful of anglers who seek out salter interested in life history; how early genes get der into the sea on occasion. These sea-run streams. Participants in this “cult fishery” expressed that make trout go to the ocean,” brook trout, also known as salters, histori- don’t like to share their secrets, though, pre- says Letcher, who has spent the last decade cally ranged as far south as Cape Cod, coastal senting a challenge for those charged with studying trout and salmon. Connecticut, and Long Island, although managing the state’s fisheries. “Salter trout use From the perspective of the National Park many populations have disappeared. Mount these smaller streams and their estuaries to Service, part of its mission is to maintain Desert Island once was home to sea-run pop- varying degrees, but these fish are not well- and perpetuate natural populations and ulations of brook trout, alewives, smelts, and known,” said Merry Gallagher, a fishery biol- processes to their full integrity, which requires eels, and yet little is known of the present day ogist with IFW, who needs to determine if the an initial understanding of what resources populations, or how current human activi- recreational fishery should be managed on exist in the park, says Bruce Connery, wildlife ties and uses may be threatening them. a stream-by-stream basis or with statewide biologist at Acadia National Park. “We think Three or four major areas in Acadia are regulations. we have a problem and we’re trying to fig- known to host salters today, including Stanley While Stanley Brook is not under an ure out how big it is, but we also hope to Brook, where a team of scientists from fed- abundance of fishing pressure, it’s possible learn more about the biology of these ani- eral and state agencies and the University of that anglers have already taken all the big mals. Even a small population of sea-run trout Maine are studying the movements of sea- fish; if so, the stream has lost a significant could play an important role in maintaining run brook trout in an attempt to better man- part of its life history, according to Ben the larger fabric of coastal ecosystems, and so age the species and understand the overall Letcher, a fish population ecologist at the the results will apply to small coastal streams health of small coastal ecosystems. Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory in throughout the region,” says Connery. Maine contains the greatest extent of Turners Falls, Massachusetts. “In order to Perhaps the best indicator of the study’s remaining wild brook trout habitat in the answer this question, we have to know the relevance are the diverse partners participat- eastern United States, according to a recent mechanisms of migration,” says Letcher, who ing in the project, which include Maine Sea assessment by the Eastern Brook Trout Joint is leading the project. Grant, U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Venture. Yet much remains unknown about Brook trout in clear, cool, clean coastal Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Maine the species in the state, especially sea-run streams such as Stanley Brook occasionally Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, populations. Salters are not a commercial venture into salt water, especially when they University of Maine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife species, so their numbers are not tracked as are young. Last July, Letcher and his crew Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the closely by the state Department of Marine caught 40 sea-run trout off the beach at Seal National Park Service. l❧ Resources as other marine food fish. Nor have Cove. In October they didn't catch any. His salters traditionally been of interest to Maine’s theory is that the fish are heading upriver to CATHERINE SCHMITT is a science writer Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spawn in the fall. But it’s also possible that the for the Maine Sea Grant. 10 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal Research in Acadia
2007 BIOBLITZ: ARACHNACADIA! Ginny Reams and Stephanie Sutton
f hairy, eight-legged creatures give you nightmares, you might want to stop read- Iing. On the other hand, if you have an appreciation for animals that weave intricate webs of silk, live on every continent except Antarctica, and come in 40,000 varieties (species), keep reading for an invitation to learn more. On July 20–23, the fifth annual BioBlitz will take place at the Schoodic Education and Research Center in Acadia National Park. A BioBlitz is an event in which dozens of sci- entists join in a race against time. Armed with sweep nets, pit traps, tweezers, and more, they fan out across a given habitat, collecting every specimen within an identified taxonomic group they can find in a 24-hour period. This year the intensive survey will focus on spiders. Acadia’s BioBlitz Series aims to establish a baseline inventory of lesser-known taxonomic groups while generating personal encounters with the natural world. Although BioBlitzes NPS/Todd Edgar NPS/Todd NPS/Todd Edgar NPS/Todd cannot provide a complete inventory of park Like these researchers during the 2006 Fly Blitz, participants of the 2007 Spider Blitz will search every resources, they can provide important infor- nook and cranny of the park’s Schoodic District for representative specimens. mation on species occurrence and estimates of species richness, and identify rare and unique species. This type of information is eral spider ecology and natural history, fol- invaluable as the national parks seek to ful- lowed by a field session where participants fill their mandate to “preserve the natural will collect spiders to contribute to the BioBlitz resources of the National Park System unim- effort. Registration is required. paired for future generations.” It is impera- For more information about this year’s tive that we identify and understand park BioBlitz or the Resource Acadia session, visit resources before we can hope to preserve the Schoodic Education and Research Center them, and the BioBlitzes have proven to be at www.nps.gov/acad/serc.htm. For addition- an effective tool in providing much-needed al information, contact Kelly Pontbriand at baseline information. Preliminary results from [email protected] or 207-288-1316. last year’s Diptera (Fly) Blitz counted 50 fam- Registration deadlines are June 22 for the ilies and approximately 261 morphospecies. weekend blitz and July 18 for the Resource Amateur and professional entomologists Acadia program. Whether you’re a beginner are welcome to participate in this year’s just discovering the fascinating world of spi- BioBlitz. For audiences interested in a short- ders or an amateur entomologist wanting to er and more general introduction to spider search for spider species, we hope to see you ecology and collecting, a free, public Resource in July! l❧ Acadia “Spiders for Beginners” workshop will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, GINNY REAMS is writer-editor at Acadia NPS/Todd Edgar NPS/Todd NPS/Todd Edgar NPS/Todd July 22. Led by Jonathan Mays from the Maine National Park. Resource Acadia workshops offered in conjunction Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife with the BioBlitz series provide citizen scientists Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife with an opportunity to learn more about park Invertebrate Group, the workshop will STEPHANIE SUTTON is a park ranger- resources while contributing to research efforts. include a classroom session discussing gen- outreach interpreter at Acadia National Park. Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 11 Living in Acadia
COMING HOME TO ACADIA Jack Russell
amiliar bridges marked my passage do to conserve Makenna’s wilderness heritage home this spring. The high span over and heard him promise his best. My friends Fthe Piscataqua to Kittery returned me will be watching. to my native state. The Route 3 hump over I have discovered that the gift conserved Mount Desert Narrows put me on island, in Acadia changes constantly. On carriage home at last after living away for 48 years. road walks and trail hikes, seaward vistas I At dawn the next morning, my first walk into knew half a century ago are now reshaped by Acadia under the Eagle Lake Bridge com- rising trees or reopened by fallen great ones. pleted the sacrament of return—or so I Familiar sojourns surprise, made new by believed at the time. the time of day or turn of season. A well- I was born in Bar Harbor in 1943. I grew known granite face or mossy slope can refresh up here but do not have deep island roots. in ways as intimate as a good marriage. My parents, both geneticists, came in 1937 Life in the surrounding communities has to join The Jackson Laboratory. I was an also changed. Could John Gilley, memorial- island boy for my first 15 years. The tide of ized by President Eliot a century ago, make life drew me out to school, work, and life a home today on any of these islands? Much away, but I returned every summer for treas- Jack Russell has found peace in his homecoming to of the change is welcome, though. One can ured reunions with family and the park. Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. see the brilliant art of Wabanaki children at For a half-century, whatever the zip code the Abbe Museum in the very room of the du jour, park memories were my path back “For a half-century, whatever old YMCA where I learned to shoot pool. to the one place I could call home. When you When I go now to our fine new YMCA, I grow up in Acadia, personal passages are the zip code du jour, park often pause on Park Street to survey the ath- remembered ‘in place.’ Part of you remains memories were my path back letic field where my late brother and I played forever an inholding claimed by the park. to the one place I could call baseball until twilight or fog ended our game. My first park memories are of the burn- Today, young women play soccer there. My ing time in 1947. Our divorcing parents gath- home.” field of dreams has become theirs. er us for a late night escape to the mainland Is my homecoming complete? As Enoch as great waves of fire flow over the moun- Boston, and the wider world of which I said to the magistrate, “Not yet!” I have tains. We return to a different house, burnt already dream. returned from away to the island of my youth woods, the drone of chainsaws gnawing at Place matters more than we can know to live the last, best third of life. I know now the wound, and a timely lesson in renewal. when we are young. We voyage outward that this homecoming will last as long as I Crunching through snow in December bound to explore. For the fortunate, when do. I will be coming home until my dust is twilight, carrying my papers and Weekly we are ready, a high tide brings us home. returned at last to lichen, moss, and ferns. Reader Cold War worries, I feel the sheltering Home now, living with the park each In Acadian grace, I have found paths back to presence of the great gray mountain masses. day, new passages blend with those of my family and community, and a trail ahead to High above, the last light from the west catch- youth. I have found new friends in Friends. what may be beyond the next bend. “Only es the contrails of SAC bombers homing down Most Tuesday mornings, Sandy and I volun- that day dawns to which we are awake,” he toward their bases in the north. teer on Mike Alley’s crew of regulars that tends wrote at the close of his Walden year. “There Amber August light slants through centu- the trails and carriage roads; I have not is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morn- ry evergreens above the Pretty Marsh shore as enjoyed good sweat and company as much ing star.” ❧ extended families gather for a last evening since I played on Captain Mike’s high school — Jack Russell at the end of their island summers. I am football team. bewitched by wood smoke and a golden I have taught my visiting granddaughter JACK RUSSELL and his wife Sandy Wilcox young aunt. to listen for wind songs in white pines, to live at the north end of Echo Lake. When not Hiking alone in spring up Sargent, flushed know the calls of loons, and to leave beach rediscovering Maine and his library, he flies with bright morning air and the muses of a stones undisturbed. Makenna has become an away to advise regional economic develop- young man, I stay at the summit to watch the island girl. Standing with Friends, I have told ment organizations on strategic planning and day roll on down the coast toward Portland, the Secretary of the Interior what he must political communication. 12 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal Beyond Acadia
TWO ISLANDS, TWO PARKS, ONE VISION Carl Little
t the southeastern tip of St. John lies 1956. That day, Laurance S. Rockefeller pre- Saltpond Bay, one of the natural treas- sented the deeds to 5,086 acres of St. John Aures of the Virgin Islands National land to Fred Seaton, secretary of the Park. After a rather wild ride across the top Department of the Interior, in a ceremony of the island on the public bus (the crossing held at Cruz Bay.2 We knew of the Rockefeller can be equally dramatic in a cab or rental car), tie-in between “our” two islands, but this one hikes a short trail down to a somewhat A panorama of Saltpond Bay. extra knowledge enhanced our appreciation scruffy and narrow expanse of beach framed wonderful variety of prospects around each of their foresight and public service. by Kiddel Point and Ram Head. corner. At one point we came out onto a cob- Like Acadia, the Virgin Islands National The amenities are minimal: one sauna-like ble beach—shades of Maine! Park has a Friends organization that adds sub- unisex restroom/changing room and a cou- Pushing on, we climbed to Ram Head, a stantial private support to preserving a pub- ple of picnic benches set in shady nooks in 200-foot-high cliff looking out on Flanagan lic resource. The mission is parallel: to work the greenery that grows quite close to the Passage and the Caribbean Sea. The broad with philanthropists, businesses, foundations, shore. Many visitors come for the undersea vista left us breathless, the sea stretching to and dedicated volunteers, in concert with the viewing, their backpacks filled with masks, the edge of the world. The wonder expressed park service, to protect the flora and fauna fins, and snorkels (and lunch, as there is no in the final lines of John Keats’ famous son- (from conifers in the north to coral in the eatery close by). The bay is one of the best net “On First Looking Into Chapman’s south) of these remarkable places. spots in the Virgins for spying rays and sea Homer” came to mind: turtles. Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes “…the only other outlooks on He star’d at the Pacific—and all his men the sea to compare with this, Look’d at each other with a wild surmise— Silent, upon a peak in Darien.1 in our humble opinion, are those astonishing views from More than a memory of poetry, we made a long-distance visual connection. The only Acadia that encompass the other outlooks on the sea to compare with A visitor stops to look at an information pavilion at Gulf of Maine.” this, in our humble opinion, are those aston- the Virgin Islands National Park. ishing views from Acadia that encompass the That new garden exhibit by the park head- My family discovered this special spot Gulf of Maine. Whether atop Champlain with quarters in Cruz Bay highlights private phil- while staying at an eco-lodge overlooking the its balcony prospect of the Porcupines and anthropy’s crucial role in preserving an bay about ten years ago. Accustomed to the Frenchman Bay or looking out on the island. It also serves to remind every visitor free-for-all of more frequented spots in the Cranberry Isles from the summit of Cadillac, that it takes gifts large and small—of time, islands, this remote site captured our fancy. the panorama demands you stop in your of money, of spirit—to maintain a special As on our home island of Mount Desert, we tracks and drink it in. beauty forever. ❧ tend to favor the trails less traveled. Late in the afternoon of our St. John visit, 1 As historians often note, it was Balboa, not Cortez, Since that first visit, Saltpond Bay has back in Cruz Bay, we noticed activity around who first saw the Pacific Ocean from the east become a place of pilgrimage. On a visit this the Virgin Islands National Park headquar- coast of Panama. past November, our appreciation of the place ters, an elegant yellow building that sits on 2 expanded, thanks to our discovery of the Ram the waterfront. As it turns out, the next day, The park on St. John will be expanding soon, Head trail. Taking a break from snorkeling December 1, 2006, the park would be cele- thanks to a campaign by the Trust for Public Lands. For more than five years TPL has been th and swimming, in the heat of the day, we brating its 50 anniversary with the unveil- working to acquire 415 acres on Maho Bay, one decided to hike it, never having ventured ing of a new garden exhibit honoring the role of the island’s most picturesque settings. before. of private philanthropy in the creation and Starting from the trailhead (with its famil- ongoing support of the park. CARL LITTLE’s most recent book is Ocean iar and comforting national park signage) at Reading up on its history, we learned that Drinker: New & Selected Poems. He is direc- the far end of the beach, we clambered our the Virgin Islands National Park officially tor of communications and marketing at the way up ridges and down gullies, taking in a came into existence on the first of December Maine Community Foundation. Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 13 Founder’s Legacy
WHAT SHOULD WE LEAVE BEHIND? Eileen Rockefeller Growald
he fog has just lifted its eyelid off Bracy Cove as I walk along the carriage road Tby Little Long Pond. On my way to the boathouse that my grandfather John D. Rockefeller Jr. built, I join other early walk- ers. Most of them have at least one dog. Not owning a dog myself, I look appreciatively at those who carry little plastic bags to remove their dogs’ droppings. It may seem a small thing, but to me it stands for much more— the possibility that we are beginning to under- stand what it means to actually take respon- sibility for our effect on the environment. It is a sign that we are willingly taking steps in our daily lives to come to terms with waste, or more broadly, with the by-products our lifestyles generate. The little plastic bags give me hope. Yet
we are still so selective in our efforts. Some Paul Growald people may pick up soda cans and candy Eileen R. Growald with her colt, Lucky. wrappers yet not clean up after their dogs. Even those who are vigilant about their dog’s For the first eight years of my life I knew days, some fifty years ago, his house was the waste may not have considered using com- my grandfather as a serious but kind man closest thing to a billboard. It advertised with- pact fluorescent lights in their homes to who played Chinese checkers. His summer out words that this was a place where peo- conserve energy. And most Americans drive “cottage,” named “The Eyrie,” overlooked ple from the city came for a view of the sea. cars that by themselves emit more carbon Sutton Island from the promontory above But to us squirming children among four dioxide than do whole villages in other parts Long Pond. Its massive Tudor beams spread dogs, a meowing orange cat, and a terrified of the world. over the cliffs like giant eagle’s wings. canary, it was the sure sign that summer and Many of us come to Acadia to leave urban Each summer, as my family drove down freedom were just around the corner. lives behind. We seek to be restored by the final hill towards Bracy Cove (opposite As soon as I unpacked my clothes I would immersing ourselves in Acadia’s wild beauty. Long Pond) my five older siblings and I race down the steps past the little Tudor Yet we remain primary contributors to a glob- would crane our necks, wanting to be the first house to Long Pond to look for minnows or al warming, which will flood Long Pond and to yell, “I see Grandfather’s house.” In those pick water lilies for my mother. On the way drain our spirits. There is really no escape from thinking more broadly and deeply about what we are leaving behind—both as waste Heart of the Matter and as legacy. What further steps can we each take to Every person deserves the option to travel easily in and out of the complex ensure Acadia’s pristine future for our future and primal world that gave us birth. We need freedom to roam across land generations? I think about what I can do. I resolve to owned by no one but protected by all, whose unchanging horizon is the same ask the Seal Harbor Village Improvement that bounded the world of our millennial ancestors. Only in what remains Society to supply plastic bags and service a of Eden, teeming with life forms independent of us, is it possible to experi- garbage can at the entrance to Little Long Pond. I drive a Prius and my husband and I ence the kind of wonder that shaped the human psyche at its birth. have tried to model our values to our sons. I wonder what my grandfather would have - E.O. Wilson, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth done had he been alive today. 14 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal ANNOUNCING THE DAVID ROCKEFELLER back I would eat handfuls of blueberries growing beside the pond. One summer day “ODYSEA” FUND I saw a deer frozen and unresponsive at the water’s edge. Terrified, I ran to tell our gov- erness, who promptly called a park ranger. He told us there had been an outbreak of lockjaw and advised we take a walk down the road. Soon thereafter we heard a gun shot. Another time I found a snapping turtle’s nest with ten eggs on the lower road to the boathouse. Everyday in Maine was a discov- ery in nature. On Sundays my grandfather often invit- ed my family for lunch. We put on our best clothes and were driven up the hill by our parents to keep our dresses and pants free of blueberry stains. Grandfather would invite us to sit in his living room filled with Asian art and furniture. There he taught me to play Chinese checkers, a game of leapfrog- ging marbles into opposite triangular homes. Today the Friends of Acadia have assumed the role of familial host and grandparent to this magnificent island of Mount Desert. My hus- band and I are grateful supporters of their role Cami Carter in protecting its beauty for all. Like the trian- Eileen Growald driving Odysea in a 4-in-hand. gular home-bases on the Chinese checker board, the future of Acadia National Park rests on three sets of shoulders: the National Park Eileen Rockefeller Growald has enthusiastically contributed Service and staff, Friends of Acadia, and every- $10,000 to Friends of Acadia for the creation of the David one who enjoys its natural beauty. Rockefeller “Odysea” Fund. This fund is given in gratitude for Seventy-five years ago, three men—my her father’s longtime generosity in sharing his private carriage grandfather and his friends Mr. Dorr and Mr. trails with both his family and the public, for their mutual love Eliot—had the foresight to preserve Acadia of carriage driving, and as an expression of gratitude for his for generations of their descendants and oth- recent gift to Eileen of one of his Morgan horses, as a match to ers. Today we have a moral imperative to do her mare. The horse’s name is Odysea, a fitting name for driving all we can to minimize global warming. This horses by the sea. Eileen welcomes other gifts to this fund from means thinking carefully about what we leave all who share her appreciation of the carriage trails and her behind, both on the trail and in our legacy. I father’s generosity. invite you to join in our founder’s footsteps, leaving no trace but the fog behind. ❧ For more information, contact Lisa Horsch at 207-288-3340 or EILEEN ROCKEFELLER GROWALD is the [email protected]. granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller Jr. As a venture philanthropist and writer, Eileen and her family split their time between their farm in Vermont and their summer home in Seal Harbor, Maine. Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 15 ININ MEMORIAM MEMORIAM Sally Kittross ININ NOMINENOMINE David J. Krieger We gratefully acknowledge gifts We gratefully acknowledge gifts Eric Lindermayer We gratefully acknowledge gifts Sally Lutyens received in the name of: received in memory of: Sally Lutyens received in the name of: Marlene Marburg Samuel David Amitin Ruth Bailey Samuel David Amitin Rosemarie Mathews Albert and Phyllis Bailey Dianna Brochendorff Albert and Phyllis Bailey Don and Betty Meiklejohn Matthew Baxter Barbara and Tim Cole Matthew Baxter Bobby Mickschutz Patrick Belknap Shelby M.C. Davis Patrick Belknap Elinor Favor Moore George Buck Jennifer Donaldson George Buck Harold Nolf Frank Buzynski Dianna Emory Frank Buzynski Selina Roberts Ottum Jane Caldwell Lore Ferguson Jane Caldwell Our Parents Rose Cantor Mr. and Mrs. James B. Francis Rose Cantor Nicene M. Pascal Margaret Gean The Reverend and Mrs. P. Perkins Peter Grace Dora Pierce Volunteers at the Harrison Middle School Virginia Pritchett Brett and Drew Ianucci Kate D. Quesada Ann, David, and Beth Ingram David Rabasca Susan Kahn Morris and Ida Rosen Anne Kimball Henry and Priscilla Smith Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kimball Evelyn Spindler Alan and Joan Kleiman C. Herbert Sprowls Debby and Jim Lash David Stainton Sue Leiter Jonathan Stein Dr. Ralph Longsworth Anne Stirrat Alex and Landon Lozada
John Cipriani Bob Suminsby John Cipriani Bob Suminsby John Luber Eunice Tillson Mr. and Mrs. William MacLaren Lynn Daly David A. Timmons Elizabeth Martinez Francis W. Dinsmore Jr. Bob Waterman Marla O'Byrne Joan Driscoll-Kelly Geraldine Weichselfelder Ken Olson Donald C. Esty Andrew West Barbara W. Peabody Benjamin Fisher Edith Fifield Whitman Margaret Pearson Carolyn Frost Fred and Elizabeth Wurdemann Jr. Richard Frost Jon Peirce Robert Gann Molly Irvin Peter Jeannette Gerbi Ursula Poland Grace Graham Susanna Porter Margaret Green Alisha Recholtz Brenton S. Halsey Jr. Steve Rush Alfred Hand Edward L. Samek Will R. Harrell Gary Stellpflug Nick Harris Carl Stockmal James R. Hooper Stewart and Elizabeth Strawbridge Laurie Horsch Kris and Tom Vinci Edith Jay Bob and Vera Warner Sue Kahn Jennifer Wishnie July 1, 2006 – March 31, 2007 John Cipriani Joseph Kelley John Cipriani July 1, 2006 – March 31, 2007
16 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal New Members
We are pleased to welcome our newest Friends:
Acadia Builders, ME The Madeline B. & Albert J. Brandi Douglas and Edith DuBois, ME Joe and Mary Guthrie, WI Acadia Partners for Science and Learning, ME Charitable Foundation, CA Larry Duffy, ME Joseph Hafkenschiel, CA Amos Acree, NY Steve and Doris Briggs, NH Rae Duval, ME Rhonda Hager, PA Jason Affourtit and Lori Gucciong, CT James Bright and Harriet Whittington, ME James and Marcia Dyne, RI Boyd and Susan Haight, Italy Barbara Aldrich, MA Karl and Aimee Broman, MD Jan Dyszel, PA David Hales and Barbara McLeod, ME Bruce and Linda Alexander, MA David and Deborah Brooks, MA David Dzurec and Brooke Mikesell, OH Lisa Hallee and Erick Sharpe, ME Kate Alexander, MA Dennis and Christine Brooks, NC Judy Eggleston, MA Wade and Marianne Hancock, ME Barbara Allen, TX Millie Brown, MD Mary K. Eliot, MA Scott Hannan, OH Kathleen Allen, MA James and Susan Buck, FL Sam Eliot and Carol Hotchkiss, WI David Hanson, NY Eric Allgaier, VA Robert and Hope Buckner, TX Peggy and Bill Enichen, NY Tracy Harding and Aimee Smith, ME Karen Almeida, MA William and Melinda Bunker, TX Dianne Eno, NY Bob and Stephanie Harris, NJ Caroline Alper, MA Patricia Burke, NY Elizabeth Esher, ME Ronald and Heather Hartman, RI Joseph Angyal, ME Gary Cahn, MD Howard Evans, ME Walter and Marilyn Hartt, NJ Christine Alcari, VA Mary Catherine Callisto, MA Martha Ewing, KY Drew and Vicki Haussmann, PA William and Jane Armfield, VA Mark and Martha Capardino, CT Susian Fabian and Shirley Galka, CT Dr. and Mrs. Hugh Hawkins, OH The Arrowhead Foundation, CT Donna Caputo, PA Timothy and Cynthia Fahey, NY Brian Haynsworth, NY Adrian Asherman, MA Ronald and Doris Carpenter, VA Joel Feinman, MA Pat Hays and Charlie Blatz, CT James Atkin, CT Suzanne Carroll, PA Raymond Feld, IL Ralph Hays, PA Richard and Sandra Auerbach, NY Liz Casey, NJ Connie Felt, ME Victoria Heim, CO Jane Bacon, NY James Cavanaugh, MA Charles and Lore Ferguson, ME Valerie Hendricks, NC William Bacon, CT Ellen Chadwick, KY Paul and Carolyn Ferguson, NJ Gordon Henley, MD Donald and Edna Bailey, FL Tom and Mary Anne Chapman, NH Mary Jo Fernandez, MA William and Emily Herman, ME Anne Bamford, ME Christine Chronis, ME Ann Ficks, CT Charles and Saragay Hight, MO Michael Bank and Jennifer Wachtl, MA Francesca Cistone, OH Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, MA James and Pamela Hill, PA Nicholas Baranowski, ME George and Ellen Citron, MA Fidelity Foundation, MA Jeff and Kelley Hoffman, WI Amy Bargeron, ME Merritt and Ellie Cleaver, CT Corinne Finckenor, VA John Hoffman, NJ Jann Barry, MD David Clemen, NH Harry and Eve First, NY Mrs. Joseph Hollander, IL The Bassney Family, NY Susan Clement, ME David Fleury, MA Elizabeth Horn, ME Scott Battles, MA Peter and Majorie Clifford, ME John Floyd, PA Allan and Gretchen Horner, TN John and Angela Bauer, NJ Betsy Cochran, CO Footloose Friends, ME Paula Horner, PA Kate Baxter and Stan Gillman, CA Sharon and Jeff Cohen, NJ Rafe Forland, ME Richard Horsch and Jane Friedensohn, NY Robert and Lesley Bechtold, ME Victor and Janet Coletti, MA Kevin and Kathleen Foster, MD Nancy Houghton, NM Gordon Beck, NY Eliza Day Collier, MA Maureen and Gerard Fournier, ME Thomas and Amy Howard, NJ Mrs. Herman F. Becker, FL Jim and Donna Conner, AL Alison Fox, CT James and Nancy Howren, VA Richard Beebe, CT Mary Connolly, NJ David and Deborah French, CO Valerie Huestis, CT Andrew Beekman, ME Timothy Connolly, MA Tom Friedman and Rosemarie Mullin, MA I Do Foundation, DC Grant Beeney, CT Richard Coolidge, MA David and Galya Frost, MD Industrial Development & Robert Behre, SC Michael and Carol Corker, NY Vance Frost and Elsie La Count-Frost, ME Brokerage LLC, LA Norman and Ledlie Bell, SC Donna Correll, NY Cassie Furguson, DC Barton and Shirley Isbell, GA Branton Beller, VA Donald and Rae Cousins, ME Richard and Lily Gagnon, ME Donald Jacobs, CT Elizabeth Belluscio, NJ Judy Smith Covin, CA Phil and Mary Galperin, NJ Ronald and Eleanor James, PA Jennifer Belmont, CA Margaret Crawford, MA Kirsten and Dennis Gatti, NJ Howard and Kristin Johnson, NY Alice Bennett, MD Richard and Betty Crawford, ME Richard Gays, DE Mark and Rhiannon Johnson, VT Karen Benore, ME Jay and Amy Crompton, FL Dennis Geller, MA Richard and Barbara Jones, IL Michael Bentinick-Smith, MA Gary Cummings, CT Duncan Gillespie, MA Loren and Sheila Kahn, CT Edward Benz, Jr. and Peggy Vettese, MA Jennifer Darling and Matthew Gorman, FL David and Andrea Gilmore, MA Sue Kahn and Daniel Kirschner, MA Greg and Ann Benz, MD Leticia Davis, VA Jared and Amanda Goldsmith, ME Maxanne Kass, CT Ben Beres and Ellen Eisenberg, VT Richard Decker, ME Joe and Claudia Gondolf, NC William Keefe, MD Norman and Adelaide Berk, MD Guy DeCorte, VA Eliza Goode, MT Diane Kelley, MA Celina and Brett Binns, VA Leslie DeSimone and Ken Descoteaux, MA Robert and Sonia Goodman, NY Shirley Kenneally, CO Crispin Birnbaum, MA Walter Devany, PA Norman Goodson, LA Paul and Robin Kenny, NJ Sally Black Properties, ME Mark and Aimee DeYoung, PA Robin Gordon, MD Larry and Toba Kerson, PA Farnham and Lynne Blair, ME Nancy Diessner, MA Peter Gorer, MA Aomer Kheddam, TN Ralph and Karen Blanchard, CT Frank Digialleonaro and Cheryl Huyck, MD Kate Goshorn, ME Terri Kingeter, MD Molly Bogue and Ray Vonder Haar, ME Michael Dimino, MA Joel Graber, ME Sibyl Kirby, VT Angela Bouchard, ME Jody Dixon, MD Ann Dinsmore Gralnek, CA Robert and Ellen Klawans, IL Hank Bouchelle, DE Pamela Dodge, ME James and Anne Green, CT Robert P. and Arlene R. Kogod Family John and Rebecca Boumil, ME Shirley Donaldson, MD Karen and Ron Greenberg, ME Foundation, VA Thomas Boyd, PA Judi and Kevin Donnelly, MA Martha Greenleaf, ME Ken and Chiaolin Korona, ME Susan Boyd-Stanley, WV Laurie Donnelly, NY Mara Griffin and Stephen Bagen, NJ Joelle Kovanic, NY Michael Bradford, MA Rick Dorfman, NJ Arlene Griscom, NJ Katharine Kraeck, PA Bruce and Sharon Bradley, DC Donna Dow, MD Robert Grivner, PA Jane Kreider, OR Kathleen Brandes, ME Ford and Page Crichton Draper, PA Wayne and Krystal Groff, VA Wayne and Karen Kruger, CO continued
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 17 New Members
continued Cynthia Krusell, MA Paul and Dale Murphy, MA Steve and Susan Rioux, ME Stephen Stroud, FL Marie Langlois, ME Richard and Melinda Murphy, CT David Ripley, IL John and Martha Sullivan, NJ Joseph and Constance LaPalombara, CT Alexandra Murray, NY William Robbins, NY Lois Sutton and Andy MacPhillimy, TX Karen Larson, ME Jim and Carol Murray, ME Bill Roberts and Lynn Riemer, CT Maria Svensson, DE Robert and Nora Gleason Leary, CT Thomas and Edith Nardone, VA Paul and Julie Roberts, MA Charles and Amanda Swanberg, ME Walter Lee, PA Linda Nasser, CT Brian Robertson, ME Ann Swazey, ME Ted and Lindsay Leisenring, PA Joseph Nattress, DE Diana Rowan Rockefeller, MA Richard and Charlotte Sweeney, ME Nancy and Pat Lemley, MD Gary Neilsen, ME Michael Rockett, NY John Taylor and Dianne Dubler, NY Edward and Sandra Leonard, ME Roxanne and Chris Neilson, FL Sam and Michelle Romero, MA Susan Taylor, MD Joseph and Elaine Leone, MA George Noddin, ME Kimmie Ross, ME George Terrien and Constance Hayes, ME Patricia Leopold, NJ Peter Nutting, ME Arthur and Peggy Rotunno, CT David and Charlotte Thibodeau, ME Judith Levenfeld, MA Richard and Katherine Ochab, PA Melisa Rowland and Scott Henggeler, SC Steve and Mara Thomas, VA Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant, ME Michael Olesky, NJ Leslie Rubin, NY Steven Thomashow, MA Allison Levy, WY Earl and Diane Oman, FL Adam Ruege, OH Adam Thorp, MO Vivian Lindermayer, NY Michael Optiz, ME William Ruger, Jr., ME Richard Thurston, ME Stan and Madelyn Linscott, ME Anne Owens, VA Bruce and Patricia Ruggeri, PA Rob Tillotson, ME Paul and Mary Jo Livgard, MN Cynthia Oxboel, NY Karen Ruth, PA Russell and Rita Timmons, MD Mary Lyman, ME Douglas and Kathryn Palandech, IL Brian and Colleen Rye, PA Meredith Toler, MA Carol Mack, OH David and Lynne Parker, MA J.R. Sandin, ME Ellen Trevors, AZ Kelleen Madden, NJ A.C. Parsons Landscaping, ME Jim and Beth Scammon, ME Mary Trifon, CA Carl and Marie Magnus, UT Camille Pascal, ME Norman and Hilda Schauss, CT Edward and Connie Trimble, MD Rosyln Mann, NY Roger Pasquier, NY M.J. Schepers, ME Robert Trites and Laura Schoene, NY Ryan Mann, MA Nancy Patterson, ME Eva Schiffer, MA Susan Upham, MA William Mansfield, CT Mary Patton, FL Charles and Vivian Schug, PA Cindy Urfer, WI Laurel Marchessault, MA David and Christine Pearson, MA Bobbie Schultz and Jean Phelps, NJ James Van Alen, Jr., MA Lori Martin, MA Keith and Karen Percival, MA Susan Schultz, NH Diana Van De Bogart, NY Martin Family Charitable Trust, VA Craig Perez, NH B.Z. and Michael Schwartz, NY Emory Waldrop, VA Patricia Matulaitus, ME Terry and Kaliopi Perperis, NY Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Scott, Jr., PA Robert and Anne Walmsley, LA Cynthia Mauch, RI Julie and Charlie Perry, NC Jeff and Meredith Selzer, NY Kent and Diane Walser, NY John McAdams, CT Molly Irvin Peter, NY Pathikrit Sengupta and Linda DiNunzio, NY Michael Walsh, NJ Mr. and Mrs. Charles McClure, NC Sarah Peter, NY Tracy Shaffer, NJ Linda Warika, NY Stephen and Kristen McCormick, NJ Robert Petrie, NY Richard Shapiro, TX Spencer Warnke, MA Suzanne McCoy, VA Lou Ann Pfeifer, NY Edward Shea, CT Michael and Lorrie Watts, PA Copey McEntee, VA Lynne Pharis, KY Terrie Shepard, FL Brett and Martine Webber, PA Maura McHugh, AZ Dolores Phillips, NJ Shepherd Community Foundation, LLC, NY Nancy Webster and Alexander Gleason, MA Christina McInerney, NY Mona Phillips, NY Tony Shepardson, VA Jonathan and Jacquelyn Weiss, PA Burtt and Linda McIntire, VT Benjamin and Cynthia Pierce, PA James and Ruth Shokoff, NY Peter and Judy Weston, ME Rusty and Marian McMullan, AR Mary Pierce, VT Kenneth Siloac, OH C.W. and Barbara Whalen, MD Julie Meltzer and Jonathan Bender, ME Jay and Lisa Pierrepont, CA Fabio Simao and Sarah Westley, NJ Stephen Whisenand, NY Linda Menard and Diane Boisvert, RI Joseph and Carol Pineda, FL Lisa Simonetti, PA Linda Whitenack, NH Mid-County Classic Mustang, PA Terry Pinsoneault and Kathy Kallman, OH Paul Simpson, FL William and Barbara Whitman, FL Steve and Gretta Mieczkowski, MA Beatrice Pisani, ME Lee Sirabella, ME Steve Wildermuth, VT Magdalena Miguens, CT Marsh Pitman, CA Dave Smith, MA Joseph Wiley, NJ Derry Miller, PA Steven Plissy and Catherine Mandis, CO David Smith and Jane Nozell, CT Sally Willcox and Dan Ross, CA Harvey Miller, NY Rick Polityka, PA E. Newbold & Margaret du Pont Smith Sheila Willer, MA Jane Miller, NJ John and Jean Popp, SC Foundation, PA Atrid Williams, MA Roger and Margot Milliken, ME William and Mary Joe Porter, PA Kirk and Nancy Smith, MA Megan Williams, MA Seth Milliken, CT Rachel Post, VA Laurence Smith, ME John and Averel Wilson, CA David Mitchell, VT Bertram and Anne Price, NY Harold Snow, WA John Wilwol, PA Elizabeth Mitchell, CT Alex Prud'homme, NY Barbara Snyder, VA William Wingert, ME Lois Monteiro, RI Julie Pytel, RI Cynthia Sortwell, ME Jennifer Wishnie, MA Kent and Beth Moorehead, MA David Quigley, NY Janet Soskin, CT Felicia Wiswell, ME Marilyn Morehead, MI Tina Quinn, ME Nancy B. Soulette, MA Timothy Wolf and Linda Pagani, CT Sandy Morehouse, CT Elizabeth Quirk, MA Steve and Danielle St. Peter Sabina Wood, ME Steve and Karen Leavitt Morris, MA Lucy Ragoza, NJ Frank and Julie Staggs, IL Charles and Edith Wright, GA Scott and Dina Morrison, MA Jane and Michael Rasmussen, PA James and Christina Stanton, NY Dianne York, DE Penney Moss, PA Scott and Debra Ream, ME Michael Starnbach, MA Richard and Julene Zaino, MA Robert Moyer and Cathy Lee, ME Karen Reardon, CT Alex and Heather Stephens, MA Ann Zugehoer, ME Jason Muccino, NJ Daniel Record, NH Margaret Stewart, ME Laura Muller and William Snyder, MA William and Gloria Rice, VT Scott Stinson, CA J. Rigby and Sara Mullin, MD Edith Richardson and Marc Berlin, ME Jean Stover, MA Bill Murphy, ME Paul and Marisela Richardson, NJ Charles Strange, FL David Murphy, MA Sandy Riggs, MA The Strange Family, FL July 1, 2006 – March 31, 2007
18 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal In Gratitude
STEWARDSHIP VOLUNTEERS Mount Desert Island Spring Water Crew Leaders Outside the Lines Bruce Blake Joe Pagan Bucky and Maureen Brooks Nicole Taliaferro Rod Fox Sierra Communications Mike Hays Emily Beck Stephen and Yvonne Johnson Geoffrey Young Alan King William Ferm Vesta Kowalski Rick and Becky Will Don Lenahan Jared Roberts Jim Linnane Dr. Joseph Hafkenshiel, Jr. Mark Munsell Betsy Roberts TAKE PRIDE IN ACADIA DAY Bob Sanderson Sponsors Julia Schloss The Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop Dee and Howard Solomon Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Al and Marilyn Wiberley Birch Bay Village Burdick & Booher Landscape OTHER VOLUNTEERS Architecture Barb Chase The First Peg Lawson The Knowles Company Carol Lindsey Stanley Subaru Jim Linnane Union Trust Company Andy McCaffrey Stan MacDonald In-Kind Donors Harriet Mitchell Acadia National Park Tours Bobby O’Brien Janet Anker Bob Raymond College of the Atlantic Mary Ann Siklosi Darling’s Auto Mall in Ellsworth Jean Smith Harbor House Anne Warner The Jackson Laboratory Burt and Suzi Zbar Morrison Chevrolet Mount Desert Spring Water IN-KIND DONATIONS National Park Kayaking Tours Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker Quietside Cafe Tom Blagden The Screenprintery K.A. McDonald Picture Framing Wal-Mart Ed Monnelly
BRUCE JOHN RIDDELL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
27 PINE STREET BAR HARBOR, MAINE 04609 207.288.9668
Creative & Innovative Landscape Architecture for Residential & Estate Gardens Tom Blagden Tom
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 19 vehicles, or an average of 16 vehicles per day, Updates were seen driving down Bridge Street and turn- ing around before they reached the bar (due Results of Bar Study Released to high tide, being lost, etc.). Last summer, 30 Friends of Acadia volunteers spent 15 days monitoring visitor use at the sandbar connecting Bar Harbor to Bar Island, which is wholly owned by Acadia National Park. The sandbar is exposed for two hours on either side of low tide and receives exten- sive use by pedestrians, kayakers, automo- biles, dogs, and others. Friends of Acadia undertook the study to: gain a better under- standing of visitor use at the bar, work with Volunteers counted the pedestrian, automobile, and partners to mitigate potential conflicts among kayak traffic on the sandbar that connects Bar users, and plan for the future of this impor- Harbor to Bar Island last summer; the results of tant recreational resource. their work will be used to make plans for future The days selected for study on the bar were management and usage of this recreational randomly chosen according to the progres- resource. sion of the tides. Because Friends wanted Kayakers were the next largest user group. information about bar usage during all tides, One-hundred-fifty kayak groups launched volunteers were stationed at the bar on good- at the bar during the summer, 59 percent of weather days from 6:00 a.m. to sunset. By far, which were commercial kayak groups, and pedestrians were the largest users of the bar, 41 percent of which were private. The total averaging 428 people per day and totaling number of commercial kayaks launched was 6,423 during the 15 days of monitoring. 522 and there were 105 private kayaks. Automobiles were the second largest user Of the 283 dogs that were seen at the bar, group, with 653 total or an average of 44 per 54 percent were on leashes. Forty-seven day. Of this total, 72 percent were vehicles that instances of dogs defecating were recorded, drove out onto the bar and parked while occu- but owners only cleaned up after their dogs pants got out and enjoyed another activity on 40 percent of the time. There were also at least site. Another 24 percent of the vehicles drove two instances where off-leash dogs disturbed out and back on the bar without stopping, and shorebirds resting on the bar. Tom Blagden Tom 4 percent were administrative vehicles, such The information gathered at the bar will be as park rangers or state or town vehicles. Eleven shared with the Town of Bar Harbor, Acadia vehicles were judged by volunteers to have National Park, area landowners, and other been driving on the bar in a fast or unsafe man- interested parties. A more formal report will ner, such as skidding in the gravel or driving be prepared this fall and posted to the Friends too fast around pedestrians. Additionally, 240 of Acadia website.
Bar Study Volunteers Friends of Acadia would like to thank the following dedicated volunteers for assisting with data collection at the bar:
Barbara Arter Tim Fuller Andy McCaffrey Sarah Richardson CLARK POINT GALLERY Tricia Blythe Lin Gould Doug Michael Stanley Jennifer Booher Liz Kase Paul Richardson Grant Wentworth 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY PAINTINGS Dorian Britt Anne Krieg Mary Ann Siklosi Mark Wentworth OF Bucky Brooks Allie Landry Jean Smith Harriet MAINE AND MOUNT DESERT ISLAND Maureen Brooks Peg Lawson Dee Solomon Whittington
46 CLARK POINT ROAD • SOUTHWEST HARBOR, ME 04679 Chris Dougherty Jim Linnane Howard Solomon Andrew Young 207-244-0941 • WWW.CLARKPOINTGALLERY.COM Linda Eddings Marsha Lyons Natalie Springuel Luis Zapata OPEN DAILY 10 - 5 We also thank Charlie Jacobi, Doug Michael, Jean Smith, and Natalie Springuel JUNE 15TH—SEPTEMBER 15TH who provided expertise in developing the project.
20 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal Earthquake Rocks Acadia boulders but not closed include the Ladder Maine residents are hardened to many natu- Trail, Kurt Diederich’s Climb on the east face ral phenomena—like Nor’easters and the of Dorr, Beachcroft Trail, and Homans Path, ocean’s tides—but few are accustomed to where approximately 200 tons of rock came earthquakes, which are extremely rare occur- down. rences in Maine. So Mount Desert Island res- While the earthquake damage is interesting idents were surprised this past fall by a series to see, please respect trail closure warnings to of earthquakes between the months of ensure your safety as you enjoy the park this September and November. summer. Courtesy Acadia National Park Acadia National Park trail crew remove a boulder dislodged by the earthquake from Kurt Diederich’s Climb, on the east face of Dorr Mountain, layer by layer.
The strongest of the quakes—4.2 on the 2007 Earth Day Roadside Cleanup Richter scale—occurred at approximately 8 Friends of Acadia would like to thank the more o’clock on the evening of Monday, October 2. than 300 volunteers who participated in its Tom Blagden Tom Tremors were felt throughout most of Maine 8th annual Earth Day Roadside Clean-Up. and caused a number of rock falls in Acadia Trawling through wet ditches and soggy National Park. Eager to survey the earthquake roadsides picking up trash, Earth Day volun- damage, Acadia National Park trail crews teers collected 12,000 pounds of trash from hiked east side trails the next day to assess 120 miles of road in the Mount Desert Island, damage from the previous night’s seismic Trenton and Schoodic areas. Participants activity. reported that there was less trash this year, so Two trails were closed because of the the annual clean-up is making a difference slides—the East Face Trail on Champlain and for the better. the Precipice Trail. A massive 50-yard wide We express our gratitude to: the individu- landslide, and several smaller slides, obliter- als who joined us, the many local business- ated whole sections of the East Face Trail. es who recruited volunteers, the Maine Many steps on the trail were destroyed or Department of Transportation for picking damaged and many trees were broken. The up the bagged trash, and to Hannaford Precipice Trail was also damaged by several Supermarket for all the water and snacks that slides and tossed boulders with rungs bent fueled the volunteers for this project. This and holes punched through the trail bridge. event is successful because of the ongoing Both trails remain closed but park trail crews support of our local businesses and generous are working on the East Face Trail this sum- community members. mer, and will begin work on the Precipice Remember to celebrate Earth Day year- when the Peregrine Falcons have fledged. round by keeping the roadsides trash-free. Other trails that were damaged by falling Please dump your trash appropriately. Recycle
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 21 what you can and put the rest in trash cans Mount Desert Island helped create Acadia fiancé Chris and their dog, Frankie. or dumpsters. We hope to see you “on the National Park. To learn more about includ- Erin holds a bachelor’s degree in commu- road” next year, on April 26, 2008, with ing Friends of Acadia in your estate plans nications and public relations from friends and family! or to share your existing estate provisions Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. with FOA, contact Lisa Horsch, director of While pursuing her education, she held development and donor relations, at communications internships at the An Afternoon in the Park 207-288-3340 or [email protected]. Pennsylvania Dental Association and the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, and she was a television news anchor for the col- New at Friends lege’s live evening newscast. Erin Hitchcock recently joined the Friends Erin can be reached at 207-288-3340 or of Acadia staff as communications coordina- [email protected]. tor, responsible for organization-wide out- reach and communications efforts, as well as serving as editor of the Friends of Acadia Kansas and Nevada Are Missing Journal. … Can You Help? A native of Vermont, Erin previously served Friends of Acadia has members from every as director of events for the Vermont state except Kansas and Nevada. Can you George B. Dorr Society members enjoy a carriage ride Chamber of Commerce, a position in which help us meet our goal of a member from around Jordan Pond during their annual society she was responsible for planning, executing every state? celebration. and marketing all chamber events, including If you have a friend or relative in Kansas or The 2nd Annual George B. Dorr Society cel- the Vermont Business & Industry EXPO, Nevada, please encourage them to join ebration took place on Monday, August 7, northern New England’s largest business-to- Friends of Acadia, or give them a gift mem- 2006, in Seal Harbor, Maine. The celebration business tradeshow. She brings to Friends bership. If you choose to give a gift of mem- began at Wildwood Stables with a carriage experience in creating strategic communica- bership, we will send your friend a copy of ride around Jordan Pond. Two buckboards tion and marketing plans, website develop- The Rusticator’s Journal, a delightful book of carried guests and featured interpretation ment, publication design and media relations, essays and photographs of Mount Desert from long-term park experts—Merle as well as writing and editing. Island and Acadia National Park, along with Cousins, road foreman for Acadia National new membership materials. Park, and Deb Wade, Acadia’s chief of inter- Please let us hear from you by August 31 pretation. Their presentations included the so we can end the summer season with every history, engineering, and future of Acadia’s state represented among Friends’ member- beautiful carriage road system. The carriage ship. Simply complete and return the form ride ended at the Jordan Pond House where on page 5, or visit www.friendsofacadia.org. guests enjoyed a lunch of lobster, salmon, curried chicken salad, and pasta. The lunch also featured a presentation by Chief Making Progress on Acadia Interpreter Wade about the carriage roads Gateway Center and the essential role John D. Rockefeller Jr. The Environmental Assessment (EA) of the played in the planning, construction, and Acadia Gateway Center project was published development of the nation’s premier crushed- for public comment in September 2006. The stone pathways. environmental consequences of a “no-build” The afternoon was a small way for alternative and the preferred alternative were Friends to show its appreciation to George considered in the document. The preferred B. Dorr Society members and other special alternative identified was the construction of friends. The Dorr Society was established Erin moved to Bar Harbor in January and the Acadia Gateway Center, including visitor in 2005 to recognize those members and temporarily worked in the advancement and information facilities, a bus maintenance friends who have made future provisions external affairs department at The Jackson and office area, bus boarding areas, roads, for Friends of Acadia in their estate plans. Laboratory before landing at Friends. She parking lots, and potentially theaters and The Dorr Society honors George Bucknam serves on the Sea Coast Mission’s gala plan- expanded information/display space. The EA Dorr, a gentleman, scholar, and lover of ning committee and enjoys exploring the proposed construction of the transit and wel- nature, whose dedication to preserving island and Acadia National Park with her come center in four phases to give the Maine 22 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal HANNAFORD SUPERMARKETS Department of Transportation and partners ners permission to move forward into the 86 Cottage Street time to secure funding and the necessary design phase. Friends of Acadia extended its Bar Harbor environmental permits. option on the 369-acre Crippens Creek par- In December 2006 and January 2007, the cel, on which the center will be built, for Where Shopping is a Pleasure. Federal Transit Administration and the one additional year. For more information National Park Service respectively issued their about the proposed Acadia Gateway ATM Major Credit Cards decisions on the Acadia Gateway Center EA. Center, contact Friends’ Conservation Both agencies issued “Findings of No Director Stephanie Clement at stephanie@ Significant Impact,” which gave project part- friendsofacadia.org or 207-288-3340.
for gifts and other fine things
Northeast Harbor 276-3300 1-800-673-3754
Secretary of the Interior Visits Acadia Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne visited Acadia National Park on Wednesday, September 20, 2006. Friends of Acadia staff and Acadia National Park Superintendent Sheridan Steele accompanied Secretary Kempthorne on his tour. Later that afternoon, Secretary Kempthorne held a listening session in Brewer at which Friends’ Conservation Director Stephanie Clement testified about the park’s needs for operating funds and Land and Water Conservation money. Several members of the Acadia Advocacy Network also testified in favor of the park. Pictured here are Friends’ Director of Development and Donor Relations Lisa Horsch, National Parks Conservation Association Regional Director Alex Brash, Secretary Kempthorne, and Stephanie Clement.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PENSIONS The Pension Protection Act of 2006, signed on August 17, 2006, contains a series of rules for reforming and funding pensions. Of particular interest to older taxpayers are the provisions that allow for tax-free distributions from individual retirement plans for charitable purposes. The Act provides that, in 2006 and 2007, a “qualified charitable distribution” that does not exceed $100,000 shall not be includible in the gross income of the taxpayer. A “qualified charitable distribution” is a distribution (i) made directly by the trustee of a plan to a qualified charitable organization, and (ii) which is made on or after the date that the individual for whose benefit the plan is maintained has attained age 70 1/2. The distri- bution is “qualified” only to the extent that it would have been includible in gross income without the new provision, and that a charitable deduction would have been allowable. There is no charitable deduction for the amount that has not been included in income. MICHAEL L. ROSS Attorney at Law This provision can benefit two groups of individuals who are over 70 1/2 and who want to help Friends of Acadia. First, it allows those who are not able to itemize deductions to direct 953-1 Bar Harbor Road IRA assets to Friends of Acadia and avoid paying the taxes that would eventually be due on Trenton, Maine 04605 those IRA funds. Second, individuals who may have designated Friends of Acadia to be the beneficiary of their IRA after their deaths can, in 2006 and 2007, direct IRA funds to Friends Telephone 207-667-1373 Fax 207-667-3427 of Acadia and see the tangible benefits of their gift during their lifetimes. —Stephen P. Koster 1 Summit Road STEPHEN KOSTER, a longtime Friends member, is an attorney with Vacovec, Mayotte, and Northeast Harbor Singer in Newton, Massachusetts. By appointment only
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 23 Thank you for Renewing Your Membership Thank you to all Friends of Acadia members who made our spring membership renewal drive a success. As of press time, we received nearly 825 new and renewed memberships since January,for a total of about $105,000 in membership gifts. We especially appreciate your response to our new membership renewal schedule. To simplify the process and help members keep track of their dates, we are now asking for all renewals in March, and memberships are effec- tive through December 31. The transition to the new schedule meant an early renewal for many members, and we thank you for your understanding. In addition to making renewals more mem- ber-friendly, the new system will help Friends of Acadia plan for the year ahead and budget for the projects FOA needs to support in Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities. If you have not yet renewed your member- ship, or would like to become a member, L.L.Bean Kids in Acadia please use the enclosed gift envelope or visit Acadia Ranger Pete Berquist, a former ridge runner for Friends of Acadia, displays examples of inter-tidal our secure website at www.friendsofacadia.org. life for students from the Quimby School in Bingham, Maine. The students explored the shoreline as part of If you have any questions or suggestions about their multi-day field education experience at the Schoodic Education Adventure (SEA). L.L.Bean has pledged $125,000 to Friends of Acadia over five years to grow SEA offerings through additional student internships, the new schedule, please contact Sharon teacher training workshops, and a competitive scholarship and transportation assistance program for Maine Broom, development officer, at 207-288-3340 middle schools (5th – 8th grades). The L.L.Bean Kids in Acadia program awarded funding to six schools in 2006, or [email protected]. including the Quimby School.
New Benefits for Members As a special way of thanking its members, Friends of Acadia is offering new benefits for each level of giving. Members will receive the following benefits during the calendar year of their membership: Sand Beach Member ($35) Gorham Mountain Society ($500) • Subscription to the Friends of Acadia Journal, published three All of the above, plus times annually • A $10 gift certificate for use at Jordan Pond House. • Friends of Acadia sticker • Invitations to events Acadia Mountain Society ($1,000) • E-mail alerts All of the above, plus • Invitation to special educational program and Otter Cliffs Member ($65) luncheon or reception All of the above, plus Beech Mountain Society ($2,500) • Summer issue of the Beaver Log (the Acadia National Park All of the above, plus newsletter and programs calendar) • Acadia National Park pass for one year Flying Mountain Member ($100) Parkman Mountain Society ($5,000) All of the above, plus All of the above, plus • Executive Bulletins • Invitation to a private reception and other special events • Acknowledgment in the annual report Pemetic Mountain Society ($10,000) Beehive Society ($250) All of the above, plus All of the above, plus • Special naturalist-led excursion • A $10 gift certificate for use in the shops operated by the Acadia Corp.: Jordan Pond Gift Shop at Jordan Pond House; The Acadia Shop, Acadia Outdoors, and The Country Store, all in downtown Bar Harbor.
Thank you again to all of our members. We hope you enjoy these benefits, as well as the most important benefit of all: the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping Acadia endure as one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
24 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal FORESIGHT & GENEROSITY Tom Blagden Tom WAYS YOU CAN GIVE
What will Acadia National Park look like one hundred years from now? Thanks to the passionate commitment of many people, Friends of Acadia helps to preserve and protect this magnificent landscape for today and for future generations.
As you plan your giving for 2007, please consider these options for providing essential financial support to Friends of Acadia:
Gift of Cash or Marketable Securities Mail a check, payable to Friends of Acadia, to PO Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, or visit www.friendsofacadia.org/annualfund to make a secure gift using your credit card. Call or visit the website for instructions on giving appreciated securities, which can offer income tax benefits as well as savings on capital gains.
Gift of Retirement Assets Designate Friends of Acadia as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or other retirement asset, and pass funds to Friends of Acadia free of taxes.
Gift of Real Property Give real estate, boats, artwork, or other real property to FOA and you may avoid capital gains in addition to providing much needed funds for the park.
Gift Through a Bequest in Your Will Port In A Storm – Somesville Add Friends of Acadia as a beneficiary in your will. Monday-Saturday 9:30-6:00; Sunday 12:00-6:00 Main St. Rt 102 in Somesville, Mt. Desert, ME 04660 207 244-4114 For more information, contact Lisa Horsch at 800-625-0321, Port Side – Bernard email [email protected], or visit our website at Monday-Saturday 11:00-6:00; Sunday 12:00-6:00 30 Steamboat Wharf Rd., Bernard, ME 04612 www.friendsofacadia.org/join. 207 244-9114 Website: www.portinastormbookstore.com
Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 25 Book Review Lobsterman Lore Working the Sea: An Artist’s Acadia Misadventures, Ghost Stories, and Life Lessons from a Maine Lobsterfisherman Intimate Views: Acadia National Park, by Wendell Seavey, Mount Desert Island, Maine North Atlantic Books, Main Street, Northeast Harbor by Phyllis Rees, 276-4006 Berkeley, CA, 2005, Eastern National Neighborhood Road, Northeast Harbor 275 pp., $15.95, 276-4005 Ft. Washington, PA, 2006, paperback. 56 pp., $17.95, paperback. For readers who As I leaf through keep a weather eye Intimate Views by out for books about Phyllis Rees, explor- Mount Desert Island ing each painting and its surrounding and reading the waters, Working the WINE & CHEESE line or two of Sea is a very spe- poetry-like-prose cial find. I was 244-3317 next to it, I am born two years 353 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679 struck by her before the author and have ability to pull since spent all or a part of every summer by the viewer into and on the very waters of which he writes. her paintings. As a boy, I was raised on the water by a Rees has a unique ability Jonesport man, who was the Bear Island to choose a section of Acadia National Park lighthouse keeper, and three local men—two or Mount Desert Island and make us focus on Spurlings and a Bunker—whose island fam- a small slice of its beauty. She uses color and ily roots were as deep and fascinating as those line, sunlight and shadow, composition and of Wendell Seavey. subject with dexterity. I look into lakes and I learned the sea first-hand from being with see the rocks on the bottom; the sun and trees these men as they went out for fin fish and reflected on the surface. I see grasses and lobsters, and as they built, sailed, and main- wind, water and trees, sky and sun. But don’t tained the boats that were an integral part of make the mistake in thinking that these are their lives. But more importantly, the time small paintings because they only show a por- spent with them and the unvarnished stories tion of a pond or lake. These are large can- they told of their lives allowed a boy “from vases that speak eloquently. They fill you up away” to feel a part of that which Seavey so with the peacefulness that we take for grant- eloquently writes. ed and leave you feeling like you have just Seavey helps me remember, as if it were gone for a long walk and thoroughly enjoyed yesterday, what it was like to bait and set it. Rees has truly captured the essence of trawl, to use the very landmarks he recites to Maine—its quiet beauty and tranquil places. find the best grounds to handline for 20- pound cod and haddock, and to go out just — Rose O. Sharon at daybreak to haul, bait, and set lines of lob- ster traps off the outer islands. Sadly, he also Tom Blagden Tom reminds me that lobstering is all that is left Heart of the Matter of that fishing, due to the destruction of habi- tat and breeding stock of fin fish wrought by the draggers. Indeed, as the author's imme- “Flowers were meant to be seen, diate world changed, so also was he moti- not overlooked. Their bright colors vated to leave it for a while. It is interesting to hear about his time in the military and imply eyes, spectators.” travels across the United States from the view- point of a local Downeaster, but, frankly, I — Henry David Thoreau was glad to return with the author to his Mount Desert Island life.
— Andy Pew 26 Summer 2007 Friends of Schoodic
THE UNEXPECTED SCHOODIC
couple of days ago Rosemary, Lucky, and I headed to the park for our ASunday walk. Like most visitors to Acadia’s Schoodic District, when we go we usually make the turn onto Moore Road, head up the hill, cross the bridge, and enter the park. We may stop at Frazer Point, but more commonly we drive to the gatehouse lot, the Point, or Blueberry Hill. Sometimes we hike up the Anvil to Schoodic Head or take the Alder trail up the Ranger Road. But normally we just walk along the shore road. Jesse Salisbury, project organizer of the Schoodic We enjoy the play of the water on the rocks. International Sculpture Symposium, posing in We find comfort in the currents, breezes, and front of one of his sculptures to advertise the boats that animate the coast. We take pleas- upcoming event. ure in watching the gulls, eider, eagles, posium will provide a collaborative forum Blagden Tom osprey, and other birds that bring life to the and serve as an educational event that will shore. We are inspired by the delicate wild- result in the creation of public art. It will be flowers and the stolid pines that line the road. an opportunity to learn about the process of This Sunday, however, as we headed to the making sculpture, showcase Maine granite park, we spontaneously decided to take the and its rich tradition, and provide public art left at MC’s Marketplace in Birch Harbor. We to Hancock and Washington County com- TENTS DANCE FLOOR LINENS CANOPIES BAND STAGES GLASSWARE/DISHWARE drove to Wonsqueak Harbor, parked, and munities. It will be a positive, enthusiastic TABLES & CHAIRS GRILLS CATERING EQUIPMENT walked into Schoodic from there. We were celebration of art, education, partnership, amazed at how different our experience was natural resources, and community. Telephone or Fax: 667-6210 entering the park from this—an “opposite”— Rosemary and I are eagerly await the 35 Commerce Park, Bar Harbor Road direction. The curve of the shore, the lay of Schoodic International Sculpture Sym- P.O. Box 552, Ellsworth, ME 04605 the islands in the water, the line of Schoodic posium. It is the kind of unexpected event Head and the Anvil—they were all fresh that makes Schoodic special to us and the coming from this perspective. It was sur- many other Schoodic Committee volunteers, prisingly and pleasantly unexpected. all of whom have an extraordinary level of Noting the first appearance of the great energy and commitment. The Schoodic blue heron in the spring. Spying a porcupine Committee welcomes new participants, waddling across the road or an eagle soar- helpers, ideas, and suggestions. To find out ing above the trees. Sighting the occasional more about our committee, visit us on the moose. Encountering a scientist doing web at www.friendsofschoodic.org or con- research or an artist creating pleine air. tact us at P.O. Box 194, Prospect Harbor, Running into a friend at the top of Schoodic Maine 04609. We invite you to join us—our Head. Unexpected occurrences make a visit only requirement is a love of Acadia National to Schoodic memorable. Park and a special passion for the undevel- YOUNG BECK LLP Attorneys A prime example of the unexpected is oped splendor that is Schoodic. Geoffrey P. Young ~ Emily M. Beck the Schoodic International Sculpture For further information about the Schoodic General practice, concentrating in Symposium scheduled for this year. From International Sculpture Symposium visit Trusts and Estates Planning and Administration, ❧ Real Estate, Business and Non-profit Law, July through September 2007, artists from www.schoodicsculpture.org. Land Use and Conservation Maine will work with other American and 1248 Tremont Road, Seal Cove, Maine 04674 international sculptors at Schoodic. They will GARRY LEVIN is the co-chairman of the Phone: 207.244.7729 ~ Fax: 207.244.7795 gather on the Schoodic Education and Schoodic Committee of Friends of Acadia. Email: [email protected] Research Center campus to engage individ- He and his wife, Rosemary, live in Corea, uals and communities in public art. The sym- Maine, with their dog, Lucky. Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2007 27 FRIENDS OF ACADIA OPERATING PHILOSOPHY Joe Pagan
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, not replace them. 3. We nullify threats. We mobilize people and forge nonprofit alliances to neutralize threats to park and community resources. 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 the highest 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 conserving Acadia’s special qualities. Park visitation conforms to sensible carrying capacities. People feel a powerful reverence for their great national park and its host island. They want to keep this place beautiful for all generations. They help protect its outstanding natural, cultural, and economic attributes by supporting Friends of Acadia.
28 Summer 2007 Friends of Acadia Journal VOLUNTEER THIS SUMMER… It’s Work You Could Love!
Each year, volunteers contribute thousands of hours to Acadia National Park. Visitors, residents, families, and groups of all ages help care for the trails and carriage roads of Acadia. The park needs your help and volunteering is a tangible way to say “thank you” for the beauty of Acadia.
Volunteers meet at Park Headquarters on Route 233 each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning, June through October, weather permitting.
Wear sturdy shoes and bring water, insect repellent, snack, and lunch.
For more information, call 207-288-3340 PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LEWISTON, MAINE PERMIT #82
Friends of Acadia Tom Blagden Tom
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 800-625-0321