Midcoast Conservancy is thrilled to announce that Pete Nichols will become its new executive director in April of 2021. A seven-month national search drew an impressive slate of candidates but Nichols’ experience, vision and strong roots in Maine make him the right person to lead Midcoast Conservancy to new levels of effective and imaginative restoration, conservation and protection work in the Midcoast area. Originally inspired by the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters of Maine, Nichols has always been a committed advocate for the environment. For nearly 30 years, he has worked to protect the world’s waters and wildlands from the redwood forests of northern California, to the majestic Tigris River in Iraq, and the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya.

Most recently, Nichols worked as the organizing director for Waterkeeper Alliance, an international network of 350 clean water advocates in 46 countries around the globe. Prior to that, Nichols co-founded his own Waterkeeper program in northern California, Humboldt Baykeeper, where he served as baykeeper and executive director.

Lissa Widoff, Midcoast Conservancy’s interim executive director, said, “Pete’s experience with the Waterkeeper Alliance and other conservation efforts is a great fit for the diversity of work that we do as a land trust in the Midcoast.  Development pressures are increasing in our region and with Pete’s leadership we will continue to be a passionate voice for conserving the ecological values of the lands and waters around us, as well as be model stewards for others. We look forward to his leadership and bringing his commitment to watershed conservation to the Midcoast.”

Nichols obtained a degree in conservation biology from Humboldt State University and developed landscape-level conservation planning projects in the Sierra Nevada and Central Coast regions of California with the University of California, Davis. He also serves on the boards of many environmental and social justice non-profit organizations, has served in the U.S. Coast Guard, is an avid outdoorsman and backpacker, and enjoys skiing, cooking and playing music with the family and friends he has encountered throughout his life experiences and travels.

Nichols says, “Midcoast Conservancy embodies all of the values that the people of Maine cherish: protection of wild spaces, free-flowing rivers, and engaging our coastal communities for the good of the environment, wildlife, and all  who respect and enjoy these amazing places. I am truly honored to become part of the Midcoast Conservancy community, and look forward to what lies ahead."

For more information, go to www.midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.