In 1983 the relatively young non-profit, Boothbay Region Land Trust, received a donation of land from Nathaniel Porter, which would become Porter Preserve, the organization’s first public nature preserve. At the time BRLT was an entirely volunteer run organization. A committed board of directors led by founding member and president, Lois Barge, oversaw operations. Eventually Barge became BRLT’s first Executive Director, though her position remained voluntary.

Volunteerism and community participation were essential to BRLT’s early success. Volunteers cleared and built the shoreline trail at Porter, and since that time have supported trail maintenance as well as improvements including the rebuilding of Roberts Wharf and the addition of the memorial grove. Without sustained volunteer engagement, BRLT’s nature preserves, including Porter, would struggle to provide the recreational trails and public access that have been central to the land trust’s work over the past 40 years.

Today Porter Preserve continues to benefit greatly from dedicated volunteers. Paul and Louise Cowan moved to Barters Island eleven years ago from Michigan, and the preserve was a major draw. They found themselves at Porter nearly every day, where they enjoyed walking their dog, Brody. Their regular visits to Porter quickly encouraged them to become volunteers with BRLT. “We were there all of the time,” Paul notes, “we figured that we could do something to help.”

As close neighbors to the preserve, the Cowans made ideal Preserve Stewards at Porter--a group of volunteers who act as the land trust’s eyes and ears on the trails. The Cowans provide routine maintenance of the trails at Porter and upkeep of the kiosk. While Paul clears minor trail blockers, such as branches or small trees, Louise can be seen with her hedge clippers trimming the trail throughout the growing season. “Anything that touches me on the trail gets trimmed back,” she notes.

Early on the Cowans made an effort to haul out trash that had been left at the preserve. “We quickly noticed that after our initial clean-ups, people became more respectful of the preserve,” says Paul.” They could see how nice and pristine it was, and wanted to keep it that way. Little efforts can go a long way in changing people’s perspective and habits. “We frequently meet visitors who are amazed at what a nice place Porter Preserve is,” notes Paul. He and Louise feel great satisfaction in witnessing the enjoyment and appreciation of neighbors and visitors to Porter.

While Paul and Louise provide year-round support for the daily upkeep at Porter, Cyrus Lauriat is BRLT’s go-to volunteer for larger maintenance issues and improvements at Porter Preserve. Cyrus grew up in Southwest Harbor, where, he recalls, “The ocean was my backyard.” Having spent his life at sea as a commercial fisherman, shipbuilder, and engineer on everything from factory trawlers, to ferries, to tugboats and oil barges, Cyrus has a great love for the sea. “I worked at sea for forty-two and a half years,” he notes. “I calculated that my days at sea over that time amount to twenty-five or more full years on the water.” While his work brought him to every corner of the globe, Cyrus always associated Maine with home. In 1975 Cyrus first moved to Boothbay. It was here that he purchased his home, started his family, and spent more than a decade fishing the waters, working in shipyards, and building his life. Though work opportunities eventually drew him to other regions throughout the world including Alaska, Russia, Iceland, and many others besides, when he finally retired from work at sea, Boothbay was where Cyrus returned.

Cyrus has long been a BRLT volunteer and more recently has become engaged as a member of BRLT’s Stewardship Committee, providing guidance on matters of preserve management. Working at sea often demanded creative problem solving, and Cyrus prides himself on his ingenuity and ability to find a fix no matter the challenge. “Having run my own boats, every dime I spent came out of my pocket,” he explains. “I had to be able to find a way to keep my boat moving because any day I couldn’t get out on the water was money lost.” Cyrus brings this same creative problem solving to his volunteerism. He is well known for his ability to see a need and find a solution. Last year he worked to rebuild the float at Roberts Wharf. He has also installed countless bridges across the preserves, including a beautiful new bridge at Porter, and has led the way in designing and installing several sets of stairs at Porter this summer in an effort to make the shore more accessible to visitors. Cyrus also worked with volunteer Alan Bellows to handcraft a number of new benches that have recently been installed at Porter. One hallmark of Cyrus’ work is his commitment to repurposing materials as much as possible. New benches were crafted from blowdowns, bridge lumber has often been repurposed from usable old bridging or other lumber that has been salvaged. Cyrus sees it not only as cost saving, but also as sensible stewardship of the environment.

“Making places like Porter more accessible to people is rewarding,” Cyrus notes. “We’ve got a lot of beautiful pieces of property in the region that people come to see. Simple things like adding steps or a bridge can help open these places to so many people.” Cyrus recounts a recent workday at Porter, “As I was coming back from checking on heights at the [newly installed] 'Well Cove' stairs, an older couple was descending the stairs by the oak at the end of the boardwalk and continued on down the next set of steps directly to the shore. They certainly wouldn’t have gotten to the shore [without the steps], and with the ledges being wet and slippery them might have had a complicated time getting down over the ledge by the oak. Witnessing that one moment is worth more than any dollar amount I could ever be paid!”

These community volunteers represent just three of the more than one hundred individuals who volunteer with BRLT every year. Volunteers have always been essential partners in the land trust’s public service mission and their engagement and commitment over the years exemplify the value of BRLT’s lands for the community. Porter Preserve and the adjacent Roberts Wharf have always been locations where conservation and community have come together. At a moment in time when the coast of Maine was becoming increasingly privatized, Porter represented BRLT’s first effort to ensure public access to the shores of our region, and to this day, it holds a special place in the hearts and minds of a community that has long recognized the benefits of this access.

In recognition of Boothbay Region Land Trust’s 40th anniversary, the land trust is releasing a series of four short films with companion articles highlighting the history, features, and environmental significance of some of its most iconic nature preserves. This article is the second in the series. To view the companion film featuring Porter Preserve and Roberts Wharf, as well as the other featured films and articles in this series, visit bbrlt.org/events-news/video