EDGECOMB, Maine — The unofficial start to summer is this weekend, which means it's time to make some outdoor plans. The first episode of this summer's Outside Edge series brings us to the midcoast for an evening paddle under the full moon.
Hosted by the Midcoast Conservancy, their mission is to protect and restore vital land and waters in the region.
Founded in 2016, the conservancy is the result of a merger of several smaller groups with roots back to the 1960s. Buck O’Herin, board chair of the Midcoast Conservancy, said there are over 90 land trusts in the state of Maine all looking to achieve the same goal, which led to five of them coming together.
"The idea was to have a little more capacity, be able to do more, not have everybody kind of repetitiously doing all the same things, pool resources, staff, so it’s been good," O'Herin said.
The merger created a land trust of over 1,000 acres, a true gem of the midcoast region.
"It’s one of the few places, really in the region, where you can go and you’ve got 25-plus mile trail network where you can hike, run, ski," O'Herin said.
There are also cabins and yurts to stay in overnight, which allow people to explore one region, stay overnight, and move to another region.
The wealth of options attracted people like Chris Essler, a Brooklyn transplant who bought a home here shortly before 9/11, and now calls Maine home.
"I was very happy I had a refuge up here," Essler said. "Although I didn’t live here for quite a few years, I’ve been here now for three years."
Living in Waldoboro, Essler found the conservancy online while looking for places to walk and hike. Through the programs offered, she also learned how to kayak.
"They would help you get into the water; it was the first time I ever got into the thing," Essler explained. "And it was scary at first, but getting out on the water was just the most wonderful thing. It really made me feel like I was really in Maine."
Essler is involved in many activities at the conservancy and especially enjoys the music festival in the fall. She often partakes in the full moon paddle, a program typically booked to capacity each month. The canoe launch site is about one mile from the Hidden Valley Nature Center, connected by trails.
For those who have never ventured out in the evening by foot or on the water, it’s a very calming, serene experience. Though some canoeing knowledge is preferred, the excursion itself is laid back and relaxing as the moon rises above the horizon and provides endless light for the adventure. The sounds and sights of nature at night are captivating, and the conservancy says it's important to keep these lands forever protected.
"We know how imperative it is to protect land, [and] to climate it's really important. And we also know that more people will be moving to Maine because it’s a cooler region with a lot of water," O'Herin explained. "And we have an opportunity now to do that. So I hope more people get involved in protecting land to keep our communities resilient and life more sustainable."
It's something that's become increasingly important, and the reason O'Herin became involved in this work years ago.
"Up in my neighborhood in Montville on the headwater of the Sheepscot River, a group of friends was working on protecting land up there, and one time asked me if I wanted to be on the board, and I said yes. Then I got the bug – once I was part of a land project in protecting a piece of land, and finish the project and you realize, this land is protected forever, for as long as people are around," O'Herin said.