Summer 2017 Volume 22 No. 2 A Magazine about Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2017 a PURCHASE YOUR PARK PASS! Whether driving, walking, bicycling, or riding the Island Explorer through the park, we all must pay the entrance fee. Eighty percent of all fees paid in Acadia stay in Acadia, to be used for projects that directly benefit park visitors and resources. The Acadia National Park $25 weekly pass and $50 annual pass are available at the following locations: Open Seasonally: Bar Harbor Village Green Blackwoods, Seawall, and Schoodic Woods campgrounds Annual park passes are also available at certain Hulls Cove Visitor Center Acadia-area town offices and local businesses; Jordan Pond and Cadillac Mountain Gift Shops contact the park at 207-288-3338 to find Sand Beach Entrance Station additional pass sales locations. Thompson Island Information Center Open Year-Round: Acadia National Park Headquarters (Eagle Lake Road) Park passes are now available online. Visit www.yourpassnow.com President’s Message Helping Acadia to Adapt and Endure o many of us, Acadia and other na- year-round positions at Acadia. The Second tional parks serve as a reassuring Century Campaign has allowed all of these Tconstant in our lives that are other- efforts to advance despite the uncertainty of wise full of change. I often hear from park a new administration in Washington and employees that “being part of something the hurdles of the federal hiring freeze. permanent” is the most rewarding part of FOA itself must adapt as we grapple with their job. Likewise, donors to Friends of transitions within the organization. This Acadia are inspired in part by the knowl- Journal pays tribute to two dear friends edge that their contribution adds to a leg- no longer with us—David Rockefeller acy of lasting public benefit. Families re- and Aimee Beal Church—and includes turn here year after year and feel rooted in reflections from Ed Samek who is passing places or traditions that are handed down the leadership of the organization to his from generation to generation. Having my successor Anne Green following six stellar feet firmly planted on one of Acadia’s gran- years as our committed and hard-working ite summits never fails to ground me when board chairman. We are thrilled that Ed will my mind or emotions or email in-box are continue to serve as an FOA board member, over-loaded. FOA as his hard work, quest for excellence, and As our planet and our society face change his understanding and even enthusiasm for at an unprecedented pace, however, is the for our organization to step up like never change, embody the qualities that will allow permanence we have long admired in our before. In the following pages, you will find FOA and Acadia to continue to be leaders parks more important than ever, or is it an more stories about the stresses and changes and forces for good in our community and illusion? facing the park—some long-standing and our world. Friends of Acadia is working closely with some more recent and rapid. Aimee, David, and Ed have each had a our partners in the National Park Service on Global forces such as climate change, profound impact on this organization that a number of projects that support our belief population growth, and advancing began with their deep personal connections that preservation and protection of Acadia’s technology are affecting our parks well to Acadia, but that grew exponentially as resources remains the constant, critical beyond the control of park managers, they joined forces with others, exchanging core of our mission—but we also recognize prompting the NPS Director to issue a new ideas and gaining, and inspiring, new the need to consider new approaches and directive last fall, “Resource Stewardship in perspectives. Think of the history that adaptive management if we are to succeed the 21st Century,” that calls for adaptation, David Rockefeller shared with this park in achieving this mission today and in the partnership, and innovation to anticipate during the last century! And yet among future. multiple possible future scenarios and to his most amazing qualities was his curiosity Two articles that appeared in our Spring deal with “continuous change that we do and willingness to try new things, even at Journal earlier this year provided updates not fully understand.” age 101. on work under our Wild Acadia and In facing these challenges, Friends of All of us at Friends of Acadia draw Acadia Experience initiatives; I have been Acadia provides resources, ideas, and inspiration for our work from both the extremely gratified that these pieces have the ability to respond more quickly than honored past of our park as well as the generated more questions, feedback, and otherwise might be possible at a government future potential that is possible, given your discussion from our readers than any other agency like the Park Service. We have involvement and support. in my time here at FOA. Even more than the helped convene climate change scenario comments from our readers, your generous planning workshops, funded pilot projects response to our Second Century Campaign on Cadillac Mountain, undertaken visitor and our spring membership drive clearly use modeling at some of Acadia’s busiest indicate that our friends and neighbors are locations, advocated for new options to well-attuned to the profound challenges purchase park passes on-line, provided new —David R. MacDonald facing Acadia from our warming climate technology to help enhance park programs, and our growing visitation, and the need and added capacity through seasonal and Friends of Acadia Journal Summer 2017 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Anne Green, Chair Bill Eacho, Treasurer Hank Schmelzer, Vice Chair Cookie Horner, Secretary Mark Amstutz Linda Jensen Summer 2017 Emily Beck Jan Karst Volume 22 No. 2 Brownie Carson Jack Kelley Gail Clark Story Litchfield Hannah Sistare Clark Meredith Moriarty Andrew Davis Lili Pew Dave Edson Jack Russell John Fassak Edward L. Samek Elsie Flemings Nonie Sullivan Jill Goldthwait Christiaan van Heerden C. Boyden Gray Bill Zoellick HONORARY TRUSTEES Eleanor Ames Phoebe Milliken Robert and Anne Bass George J. and Heather Curtis and Patricia Blake Mitchell Sylvia Blake Joseph Murphy Frederic A. Bourke Jr. Janneke Neilson Tristram and Ruth Colket Nancy Nimick Gail Cook Jack Perkins Shelby and Gale Davis Nancy Pyne FEATURES Dianna Emory Nathaniel P. Reed Frances Fitzgerald Ann R. Roberts 8 Twenty Years of Stewardship on Acadia’s Summits and Ridges Sheldon Goldthwait David Rockefeller* A talented summer team adds to the care and understanding of Acadia Neva Goodwin Jeannine Ross By Marla O’Byrne Paul and Eileen Growald Howard Solomon Paul Haertel Erwin Soule Lee Judd Diana Davis Spencer 10 Place and Direction: A Short History of the Bates Cairns Debby Lash Julia Merck Utsch More than a pile of stones, these cairns are a distinctively Acadian way to guide and protect Linda Lewis Dick Wolf By Moira O’Neill Liz Martinez * Deceased 12 Rising Seas at Acadia: Implications and Strategies for a Changing Landscape EMERITUS TRUSTEES Scientists and conservationists respond to rising seas and erosion to protect vulnerable lands W. Kent Olson Charles R. Tyson Jr. By Catherine Schmitt FRIENDS OF ACADIA STAFF 14 Fire and Fog Mary Boëchat Diana R. McDowell Contrasting influences that nurture what is unique in Acadia Development Officer Director of Finance & Administration By Tom Wessels Sharon Broom Development Officer Carol Potter Finance & Development Stephanie Clement Assistant p ERS p ECTIVES Conservation Director Mike Staggs Lisa Horsch Clark 1 President’s Message Helping Acadia to Adapt and Endure Office Manager Director of Development & 3 Superintendent’s View Parkitecture in Acadia Donor Relations Paige Steele Conservation Projects 5 In Memory David Rockefeller: A Remembrance Sarah Curts Manager Accounting & 6 Special Person Nancy Howland: An Extraordinary Volunteer Administrative Associate Julia Walker Thomas Communications Associate 7 Trailblazer A Walk with Hank Chary Shawn Keeley Senior Development Officer 18 In Tribute Remembering Our Friend Aimee David R. MacDonald 30 Advocacy Corner Budget Far from Meeting Park Needs President & CEO 31 Chair’s Letter Reflections . 32 Why I’m a Friend of Acadia Acadia: Inspiration for Artists, Exhilaration for the People PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE DE pARTMENTS PAID LEWISTON, MAINE 4 Where in Acadia? PERMIT #82 21 Updates 28 Recommended Reading 2 Summer 2017 Friends of Acadia Journal Superintendent’s View Parkitecture in Acadia n its earliest days Acadia was shaped shoulders, or modify a bridge could cumu- by the sensitive, thoughtful design pri- latively destroy their historic character. We Iorities of George Dorr, Charles W. Eliot, also look at our own practices carefully, re- and John D. Rockefeller Jr., who led its es- viewing signs along the Park Loop Road, for tablishment. Acadia’s roads, carriage roads, example, in a struggle to tastefully provide and trails were all designed to lie lightly enough information for visitors while not on the land, to blend into the landscape, overwhelming the vistas. and to emphasize the use of natural, locally In addition to the park’s historic trails, sourced materials. The park’s early vision- carriage roads, and motor roads Acadia fea- aries wanted these roads and trails not just tures several iconic buildings beloved by to allow people to access the scenery but to visitors. This summer Friends of Acadia is inspire a sense of wonder and reverence by raising much needed funds for the park’s maximizing the natural environment’s im- historic buildings. Funds from the auction pact on visitors. Mr. Rockefeller hired re- will help repair the historic lighthouse on nowned landscape architect Fredrick Law Baker Island and fund interior and exterior NPS/Kristi Rugg Olmsted Jr.