Completing The Vision

A new year has begun. The snow is falling softly, blanketing the fields of the Emmons Preserve. A fire crackles in the fieldstone fireplace of our headquarters. It’s a quiet time, a time for reflection, a time for dreaming of what could have been, or what could be.

As a child growing up in Cape Porpoise, much of what I cherished most was derived from the land: adventures on the islands, swimming in the back cove channel, picnics by the waters edge, discovering the wonders of tide pools and the woods, playing in the brilliant sunshine at Goose Rocks Beach, fond memories of days well spent with friends and family. We took for granted then such simple pleasures, assuming that the quality of life they represented would always be there. Great was our dismay when we grew to realize that the preservation of our town’s essential character came with no guarantees. The landscape was changing and with it the traditional uses of the land. Only our involvement would allow our children, and our children’s children, the opportunity to share in the rich experiences we had known. Only our participation would insure access to the islands of Cape Porpoise, the crescent shape of Goose Rocks Beach and protect our farms, fields and forests, those special places that have inspired all those who have come before us, just as they should for all those who will follow.

And so, since 1973, the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust has been working to protect the beauty and character of this community we all love. Through instinct and inventory we have located areas worthy of protection and have set them aside so that all generations will be able to share the joys this special place has offered us.

Ours was a grassroots organization when we started. We met around the kitchen table, in the living room of a member, or sat on milk crates in the back room of the local market. Our membership was small but our goals were large. We dreamed of a community in which wildlife habitat would be maintained even as the town grew, where no one would be shut out from traditional places of recreation and where scenic vistas would not be blocked by unwise development. We dreamed of having local parks where townspeople could gather for Fourth of July concerts, where non-profits could raise funds for their own worthy causes and where weary travelers could simply find a beautiful place to sit and rest. We dreamed of a community in which all supported a common cause in a common place, something that would bring us together, rich and poor, native or newcomer, that of protecting the shared values and the natural beauty of the place we all call home. We dreamed of creating an educational program where children would be introduced to the lands around them, where they would learn the wonders of nature and take pride in the accomplishments of those who shared this land before them. We hoped that along with the knowledge they gained, a sense of place would also develop, one which would allow them confidence in knowing where they came from, and a desire to protect it as others have. We wanted seniors to be able to take comfort from the land, observing the beauty and cycles of nature and finding their own place in God’s world.

In short, we dreamed not only of saving land, but of building a community and instilling the values that such an environment would create. And perhaps, if we were able to put the pieces of the puzzle properly together, other people in other towns might be able to learn from our example for the benefit of people, places and causes far removed from our shores. Ours were ambitious goals, perhaps far too large for our modest beginnings. But time has granted us some major victories and taught us some significant lessons. We have learned that with a supportive public we can accomplish great things. Our collection of preserved properties to date proves that, from the islands of Cape Porpoise to the beach at Goose Rocks. And we have been able to bring people together. A 91% favorable rating on the growth planning committee survey and an 84% vote in favor of donating a thousand acres of town owned land to the Trust proves that. We have traveled a long way together. We can all take pride in the path we have taken and in that which has been accomplished. And yet, though many of our waist lines have grown larger and our hair thinner and grayer the dream still lives on, undimmed by the passage of time. Those of us who have been with the Trust for so long are approaching the end of our years of stewardship. But before we fade quietly into the night, we have a few major tasks before us. We have to acquire those last remaining pieces of land that will fill out our holdings. We want the lighthouse work completed so that it remains a source of community beauty, pride and learning. We want to create those programs that will connect young and old to the land, instilling in them the wonders of nature, programs that will be rewarding enough to make them lasting. We want to be sure to leave that which has been created adequately financed, with enough endowment in place to see the organization through good times and bad, ensuring that all that has been created will always remain so. To accomplish all of this we ask for your help.

In years past, land preservation wasn’t an issue in Maine. Growth was slow, the land was large, relations were plenty, lawsuits didn’t exist and access was not an issue. Not too many years from now preservation will again not be an issue, for all that can be lost will be lost. Thus, we are the deciding generation. We will be the ones to choose which lands will be saved and which will not. We are now the stewards of this special place. Our decisions will shape the look and spirit of Kennebunkport for generations to come. The pages which follow will outline our goals and the approximate costs to complete the vision of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. Its accomplishment would leave a priceless legacy for all those who will follow.