Graduates of Coastal Rivers’ Midcoast Stewards program will soon be directing their interest and enthusiasm for the natural world and conservation to volunteer efforts in the Midcoast area.

Offered by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust every two years, Midcoast Stewards is a 40-hour course covering coastal ecology, Wabanaki culture, geologic history, sustainable fisheries management, seabird restoration, water quality monitoring, lobster biology, and estuarine studies, among other topics.

The program is co-sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program and involves partnerships with area conservation organizations as well as state agencies. Participants learn about natural and cultural history from a number of professionals in natural resource management fields.

In turn, graduating Stewards commit to volunteering a minimum of 40 hours of service with a local conservation organization of their choice. Between now and next June, program graduates will collectively donate at least 880 hours of their time to work on projects like trail maintenance, nature education programs, water quality monitoring initiatives, and more.

Coastal Rivers’ Midcoast Stewards program will be offered again in April and May of 2025.

Coastal Rivers is a non-profit, member-supported, nationally accredited land trust with active programs in land conservation, water quality, trails and public access, and nature education in the Damariscotta-Pemaquid region. For more information, email info@coastalrivers.org or visit coastalrivers.org.