Eastern Maine Conservation Initiative

We’re currently accepting grant applications for 2023. The deadline is Feb. 1, 2023. Please refer to our application guidelines.

Please note: EMCI supports projects in the Downeast Maine region, specifically east of Frenchman’s Bay, and give priority to projects with a focus on Washington County.

We are grateful to have been able to fund so many excellent projects this year! In 2022 we granted over $20,000 to support research, conservation, and preservation efforts initiated by local organizations in the Downeast Region of Maine. The projects include: 

1. A project to educated local landowners and their communities about rockweed harvesting, including how to recognize it, and their options for legal response. (Center for Ecological Training)
2. Support of acquisition of a drone to help in monitoring remote easements. (Downeast Coastal Conservancy)
3. A project, in cooperation with NERACOOS, to monitor the water quality in the Saint Croix River. (Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries)
4. A survey of owls in Downeast, Maine both to understand migration and habitat ranges.  (Maine Natural History Observatory)
5. Support of an intern to help with the digitization of historical records. (Sullivan Sorrento Historical Society)
6. The hiring of an independent archeologist to review a historical tide mill. (Tide Mill Institute)
7. Financing support for final phase of a significant restoration project of Civil War murals. (Tides Institute)
8. Water quality monitoring in the Chandler Bay Area.
9. Development of a CEM ROMS tidal current model for areas of coastal Washington Country from Machias Bay to Moosabec Reach.

We are grateful to have received so many excellent grant applications this year! The following projects have been funded in our 2021 grant cycle.

1. A project to gather and assess the concentrations of floating microplastics and understand their associated risks to seabird colonies in Eastern Maine. (Shaw Institute)
2. An experiential learning program for high school students focusing on water quality monitoring. (Cobscook Institute)
3. The production of a digital resource for identifying and classifying the seaweeds of eastern Maine. (Glen Mittlehauser, Maine Natural History Observatory)
4. A survey of steams–focusing on water quality and density of aquatic organisms–to be completed by the Passamaquoddy Wildlife Department and be used as input in the management plan for a 55,000 acre protected forest.  (Downeast Lakes Land Trust)
5. Production of a short documentary film to help communicate the model of a successful community-based marine research facility that has achieved national recognition while addressing the local economic and environmental conditions. (Downeast Institute)
6. Development and dissemination of an “Environmental Stewardship Guide” for Taunton Bay Watershed which can be used as a model for other communities. (Friends of Taunton Bay)
7. Hardware upgrade and software support for small local historical society in the process of digitizing their archives. (Jonesport Historical Society)
8. An immersive study by local high school students to gauge the “true impact and value of lobsters” to their local community. (Jonesport High School)
9. Interviews and meetings with a cross-section of stakeholders in Washington Country, ME to understand the social complexities of the local fishing communities, their economic dependencies, and their deep knowledge of their local marine ecologies. (Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries)
10. Supplies and storage solutions to support the archiving of historical documents in a small community that had previously not had any historical society. (Roque Bluffs Historical Society)

We were thrilled with all the great applications we received this year, and proud of the great work communities and individuals in Downeast Maine are doing to conserve and preserve their environment and culture! We will open the grant application cycle again in December of 2021. Have a great summer!

We’re currently accepting grant applications for 2021. The deadline is Feb. 1, 2021. Please refer to our application guidelines.

EMCI awarded approximately $21,000 in grants in 2019, all going to great projects that directly support the Eastern Maine region.

We wish the best of luck to all applicants, and look forward to seeing the progress reports of our grant recipients as they come in.

2019 Awards

Washington Academy, Atlantic Salmon Conservation School Network. A school program in Washington county that will allow local children to participate in a cross-cultural program – with children from other ‘northern’ nations – focusing on the sustainability and conservation of Atlantic Salmon in Eastern Maine.

Downeast Salmon Federation. A project with the goal of determining a holistic approach to ecosystem-based Atlantic Salmon habitat restoration in the Machias River. The results of this project will be disseminated to key state agencies to help in developing management processes.

University of Maine Machias. William Otto. Seventh Annual Roque Island Lecture.

Jonathan Keller. A novelist in Addison, Maine who writes about local fishermen, their lives on the coast of Eastern Maine, and the challenges they face. This novelist engages closely with the local community, elevating their sense of self-worth through his literature. 

Project Share, Eastport. Restoration of riverine processes and habitat suitability in the Upper Narraguagus River and Northern Stream.

Maine Natural History Observatory. The final layout and preparation of a multi-volume Field Guide to Maine Wildflowers that will be published in 2019. 

Tides Institute. Support of a local historical society to restore a rare book that includes first-hand accounts of Eastern Maine’s soldiers’ involvement in the Civil War. 

Schoodic Institute. A research project assessing the effects of rockweed on the physical characteristics in the rocky intertidal zone. Rockweed is the most common seaweed in Eastern Maine, providing a vital habitat for marine animals. 

Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society. Support of local historical society to hire a local student intern to reorganize their collection and develop displays for school children to become familiar with their historical heritage. 

EMCI is now accepting grant applications for 2019. The deadline for submission in January 15, 2019. Please review our guidelines and requirements before submitting.

 

EMCI awarded approximately $26,000 in grants in 2018, all going to great projects that support the Eastern Maine region.

We wish the best of luck to all applicants, and look forward to posting the progress reports of our grant recipients as they come in.

2018 Awards

Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Jane Warren. Petroglyph Interpretive Panels for Long Point, Machias Bay. ($3,000)

Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District. Zack Steele. Marine Sediment Monitoring. ($2,400)

University of Maine Machias. William Otto. Sixth Annual Roque Island Lecture. ($2,000)

Downeast Salmon Federation. Reducing Aquatic Acidification. ($3,033.50)

Project Share, Eastport. Steven Koenig. Habitat Restoration in Downeast River ($3,000)

Maine Natural History Observatory. Glenn Mittelhauser. Expand wildflower guide to include Hancock Country. ($5,000)

Washington Country Historical and Genealogical Society. ($1,725)

Marine and Environmental Research Institute. Johanna Barrett. Ecosystem Impacts on Keystone Species: Coastal Mussels Bed Loss. ($3,000)

Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries. Paul Anderson. Costs for new graduate intern and funding round table effort of 2017 successful interviews of local fishermen. ($3,000)

Tyrone Preston. Roque Bluffs. Offshore bird monitoring. ($600)

George Stevens Academy. Sara Bushman. Wild Bee Populations in Maine Islands. ($2,468)

Dr. Harold Borns. A model for coastal erosion monitoring. ($1,510)

 

EMCI is thrilled to announce that the 2016 grants have been awarded!  Many interesting and worthwhile proposals were submitted and we are happy to be have been able to award a total $17,100 in grants. We wish the best of luck to all applicants, and look forward to posting the progress reports of our grant recipients as they come in.

2016 Awards

• Maine Natural History Observatory (Glen Mittelhauser) ::  Vascular Plants of Washington County, support for publication. | $3,000 |
• Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District :: Marine sediment monitoring project. | $3,000 |
• Rockweed Coalition:: General support for legal case.  | $2,000 |
• Beals Historical Society :: Lobster boat preservation project. | $2,000 |
• University of Maine at Machias :: Fourth Annual Roque Island Lecture on Conservation. | $2,000 |
• Lubec Landmarks Inc. :: Creation of Lubec History Film. | $2,000 |
• Washington Country Historical and Genealogical Institute :: Acquisition of computers and a printer-copier-scanner for research purposes. | $1,500 |
• Downeast Institute, Beals Island :: Clam research restoration of unproductive clam flat. | $1,000 |
• Tyrone Preston, Roque Bluffs :: Offshore bird monitoring. | $600 |