The Wrack

The following was originally published in the Biddeford-Saco Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 7/21/13.

In Maine, we’re continually blessed with nature’s beauty and its bounty. Our forests, our Gulf, and our thousands of miles of rocky and sandy coast are major drivers of our economy and the envy of the Northeast. Our summer population quadruples because, “yes, life’s good here,” thanks in large part to our environment.

But science indisputably tells us that the Maine we know is not the Maine that has always been, or will be. Even our rich cultural history is but a millisecond in our environment’s life.

If our accustomed way of life was, climatologically-speaking, born on third base, should we be blamed for thinking we’d hit a triple? What if instead of playing baseball, we’ve been surfing a wave that must, as all waves do, break?

Alas, dogs have been barred from the Wells Reserve trails since the early 90's. Why? The short answer is: to preserve nature. But here's my longer answer.

Sending a big thank you to the generous team of children and adults who participated in yesterday's Laudholm Beach clean-up! We found cans, bottles, cigarette butts, fishing/lobster gear, a brush, comb, dock float, rope, ribbon, styrofoam, plastic bits, and some beach stabilization debris.

Prior to the clean-up, some of us watched the public film screening of "Bag It" in the auditorium. I hope that everyone (we recommend ages 12 and up) on the planet sees this film! It really does a fantastic job of presenting a global picture of the effects that our plastic waste has on the environment...and inspires its viewers to take action!

Below are photos of the Laudholm Beach stewards doing their part yesterday…