The Damariscotta River Association (DRA) has issued an invitation for applications for the Midcoast Stewards Program.

Coordinated by the DRA, co-sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program and maintained through partnerships with many area conservation organizations and state agencies, the Midcoast Stewards Program offers participants the opportunity to learn natural and cultural history from a variety of professionals in the field and a chance to serve local conservation organizations as a volunteer.

The program provides citizens with the knowledge they need to protect and conserve the coastal environment, and also creates a network of educated and committed volunteers working together to protect the natural and cultural resources of Midcoast Maine.

DRA Education Director Sarah Gladu has coordinated the program for 10 years.

“Many people come to the program committed to making a difference to local conservation organizations and in the process, they are welcomed into a community of individuals with similar intellectual curiosity and the social component of the experience is highly rewarding,” Gladu said.

The 40-hour curriculum includes coastal ecology, Wabanaki culture, geologic history, sustainable fisheries management, seabird restoration, water quality monitoring, lake functions, lobster biology, estuarine studies, a bog walk and much more. The course finishes with a trip to Monhegan Island for a natural history tour.

“The Midcoast Stewardship program was an amazing experience, opening up to me the deep culture and history of the area, as well as the plants and animals that thrive in the Damariscotta estuary and beyond,” Midcoast Steward Alumnus Bob Barkalow said. “The ‘classroom’ for most of the course was the outdoors, from Damariscotta Lake to a Jefferson gravel pit to Monhegan Island. A tremendous bargain that truly deepened my understanding and appreciation for the Midcoast environment.”

Following the program, Barkalow began volunteering for DRA and recently became a board member of the organization.

This year, the Midcoast Stewards program will meet April 14 through May 26 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m., as well as a few Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Class format includes lectures and discussions as well as many field trips and hands-on experiences. Classes meet at the DRA Heritage Center in Damariscotta though there are a number of field trips that meet from Washington to South Bristol.

Participants will learn directly from professionals in a variety of organizations including local land trusts, scientists from the Darling Marine Center, the Maine Natural Areas Program and the Maine Geological Survey.

Many local conservation organizations come together to enrich the Midcoast Stewards program including Boothbay Regional Land Trust, Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Medomak Valley Land Trust, Pemaquid Watershed Association, and Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association.

After completing the course, participants commit to a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer service over the next year with a conservation organization of their choice.

The program application deadline is April 3. The materials fee for the 40-hour course is $100 payable to the Damariscotta River Association. Limited scholarships are available. Applications and the program brochure can be obtained by contacting the DRA and they are available on the DRA website.

For more information call 207-563-1393, email dra@damariscottariver.org, or go to www.damariscottariver.org.