MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
THE PLANETEERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE WELCOME YOU
ABOUT
Mission:
To organize, educate, and act on a local level in support of our planet.
Purpose:
The Planeteers of Southern Maine is a grassroots effort dedicated to creating a sustainable future
for the planet and more specifically for southern Maine. Join us.
We encourage, coordinate, and take action on climate change, clean oceans, and other environmental issues. Our founding members include individuals serving on local governing bodies along with citizen activists, and we collaborate with environmental and educational groups within the state. We have established an annual Earth Day event; and we seek to expand local communities’ use of alternative energies, to increase energy conservation, to reduce solid waste, to engage local municipalities and businesses in developing sustainability plans, and to engage area students in sustainability projects.
We'd like to acknowledge our gratitude to the Laudholm Trust for serving as our Fiscal Sponsor,
and to the generous funding from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund
the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, JAKDesigns, and the largesse of a local anonymous donor, along with in-kind support from many community concerns.
ACTIVITIES
MARINE DEBRIS MONITORING
Clean Ups and Reporting
Following both natural and man-made events, we respond by promptly organizing clean-ups. Additionally, we follow NOAA protocol and analytics for recording our finds, which helps in identifying problem behavior.
BEACH EROSION MONITORING
Working with climate change
Working with the the Wells Reserve "to record the levels of beach erosion and accretion so that we can track the changes and make recommendations to municipalities on beach management"
EARTH DAY EVENT ORGANIZERS
Celebrate Science and Earth
"What Would Rachel Say?" Established in 2017 in solidarity with both the US March for Science DC & internationally recognized Earth Day.
With more than 60 Exhibitors & 500 others participating in 2018.
Last year's press release - this year's out sooooooooooooooooon!
Saturday, April 21st, will be a busy day for all who care for the one thing we all share in common - Mother Earth.
The Planeteers have organized a terrific day’s worth of activity offering a local opportunity for dialogue, learning and expression. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Waterhouse Center on Main Street in Kennebunk there will be a Celebration of Earth and Science entitled "What would Rachel do?"
As Rachel Carson said, "The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction."
Join your neighbors, farmers, scientists, artists, non-profits and businesses committed to protecting the planet, and the principles of science, and those of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle . . Restore, Repair, Replenish. We have so much to share with you from inventions and adventures related to planetary stewardship to daily enterprises invovled in keeping it green.
In partnership with Habitat for Humanity’s Restore, we invite you to the Fix-it-Cafe; bring photos of items near and dear to you (or the items themselves if “smaller than a breadbox”) that no longer function and consult experts in the “FIX-IT” field for a possible fix. Along with a chair caner, salvage artist, jeweler/metal-smith and the like, Biddeford’s Community Bicycle Center will be on hand operating a pedal-powered-blender-smoothie machine! Fix it & Mix it! Nothing to Fix? But an invention in your mind’s eye? Come meet Shaun from Biddeford’s Fab Lab, “a place where anyone can go to make [almost] anything!”
You’ll meet Scientists from Astronomers to Zoologists ready to engage young and old through exhibits and actual experimentation, even Solar Cooking.
The health of our waterways and ocean will receive special emphasis this year with eco-artist Krisanne Baker’s extraordinary installations as well as Kennebunk’s Conservation Commission, Saco’s Watershed Alliance, the Moussam and Kennebunk River Alliance, Save the Moussam;Keep the Dams, and Kennebunkport’s Conservation Trust. Learn about the latter’s incredible project with the Landing School and KBK HS’s Alternative Education Program - “The Little Boat that Could”! (Spoiler alert: It ended up ashore in Scotland!) Get on board with the conservation and mitigation efforts of all 3 area Land Trusts, Eastern Trail Alliance, the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, Center for Wildlife, Maine Conservation Alliance and Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Roll up your sleeves, as you’ll be invited to get involved hands-on with projects related to protecting and propagating our planet’s pollinators with The Biodiversity Research Institute, and a focus on Bats and Butterflies, Bird house and Bee-motel making workshops, thanks for the fine efforts of KBK HS’s Alternative Education Program. Buzzing around there too will be the Beekeepers Cooperative and Off-Mill Flower Farm, Black Rock Farm, York County Audubon, and seed bombs supplied by Rachel Carson’s Wildlife Refuge.
Foragers and Farmers, including Misstress Mary Mushrooms, Baer’s Best Beans, Buttonwood Farm and Lobster, Frinklepod and Girard Farm.
Food Suppliers with exciting vegan options, including Karimah's Kitchen Lebanese Cuisine serving up lunch, and the Maine Burger Company’s debut offering free taste samples. Garden Bowl, Ooysters and Kennebunkport’s Coffee Roasters setting up carts as well as a Chocolatier!
Boat-builders, Eco-builders, retrofitters and landscapers, including Black Rock Farm, the Compass Project and Maine Fab Lab, Laudholm Farms’ Window Dressers and Efficiency Maine.
Clean Energy groups/businesses including Maine Clean Communities Coalition, the Citizens Climate Lobby and our event Co-Sponsors Revision Energy and Kennebunk's Energy Efficiency Committee; those concerned with clean rides, so EVs - a Chevy Bolt thanks to Maine Clean Communities Coalitionand bikes galore thanks to both the Community Bicycle Center, Gorham Bike and Ski and Kennebunkport Bicycle Company!)
Waste management issues can be explored with Pine Tree Waste/Casella and We Compost It! UME’s Master Gardeners will be setting up a compost bin and Ferry Beach will be organizing related activity with the young. Also meet local eco-innovators/entrepreneurs who rolled out the Sidewalk Buttler and PUP Bags!
Other Nice People are orchestrating a project so we can all bear masks representing endangered species - again, in honor of a lot of the work Rachel Carson spearheaded in these parts, and in honor too of those who have preceded us here on this land and on these shores.
Young and old alike will find plenty to do, with tables set up for people to measure their own carbon footprint and water usage, and/or rate marine hazards; others to transform old/favorite T-shirts (bring some) into tote bags, or make pinwheels ormasks for the occasion, assemble Bird houses and Earth-Star Globes to take home, or join Kennebunk Free Library for some “mad” science experiments, and Ferry Beach Park Association in a sand box! Wafting through the center, enjoy Green Thinking’s Aromatherapy and the Gulf of Maine Whale Songs, Scot Stinson playing from 11-1, and for the final hour, KBK’s very own Blunt Jungle, with members John Lyden, Brian Bergeron, and Spencer Pope.
Do You Care About the Earth? Then Show up! 2 dozen Free raffles and important take-aways for all. First 200 people to Pledge to Protect the Planet by agreeing to NOT using single-use plastic water bottles, will be gifted an aluminum one thanks to Casella’s generosity.
The Planeteers want to thank the community for coming together in support - from Town offices and the Energy Efficiency Committee as major sponsor, to People’s and Kennebunk Savings Bank, Revision Energy, Mark’s Sunoco Station, Hannaford’s Grocery Store, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Casella Waste, and Restore along with all three Hardware Stores: ACE, Deering, and Hancock!
The Planeteers are partially sustained in the rest of their work by generous Seed Grants from both the National Resources Council of Maine and the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, and the Laudholm Trust performing as their Fiscal Sponsor.
FMI: www.SoMePlaneteers.org or www.facebook.com/SoMePlaneteers
At our 2018 Earth Day Celebration, we chose a sampler of 10 local area enterprises, distinct from each other in scope of services, location,
and size, all of which contribute to issues pertaining to sustainable business practices. Despite challenges in being as green as they'd like
to be,perhaps because those they serve have "compliancy issues" or because of town/street ordinances restricting certain practices, or issues related to time and money, For you to be counted, please complete the above survey. Here are those we celebrate for their effort
and commitment to greening efforts this year: Arundel Yacht Club, The Colony Hotel, Fine Print Booksellers, Hannafords Food & Drug Store, JAK Design, LLC, Kayak Excursions, the Kennebunk Free Library, Make It KPT!, New Morning Natural Foods, and Proscape Irrigation,
TAKE THIS 5 MINUTE SURVEY
IF you own a local business
The Planeteers of Southern Maine, who, on a volunteer basis, and among other things, monitor both erosion and debris for NOAA along our shoreline, are gearing up for the second annual Earth Day Celebration in Kennebunk.
As part of that, and to recognize businesses for their green efforts, they're asking business owners/managers to take their survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YFQD6TT
It takes just a few minutes, so please take the time to help out!
Upcoming Events
- Fri, Apr 19Wells Reserve at Laudholm
We Celebrate Science
and
Earth Day
asking,
"What Would Rachel Do?"
To the left,
this year's flyer
& RSVP button
To the right,
previous years
August 9th Planet Talk
KENNEBUNK, ME -- In an effort to inform and involve the public on sea level rise issues, The Planeteers of Southern Maine are hosting a sea level rise presentation, panel and strategizing event on August 9, 7 - 9pm, at the Town Hall Auditorium in Kennebunk.
The evening will be begin with a presentation by Gayle Bowness, Science Education Program Manager at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), Portland, ME. Ms. Bowness will briefly discuss current impacts and projections of sea level rise on the southern coast of Maine, due to global warming, as well as the compounding impacts of sea level rise. We'll examine flood maps and discuss examples of coastal resiliency.
Bowness’ presentation will be followed by Q&A brainstorming with a panel of three local experts from varied perspectives: Jim Black, KBK Economic Development Director and Harbormaster; KPT’s Jessica Wagner Kimball, Architect, OOB Former Planner & Thesis on Portland Waterfront and Sea Level Rise. Jeremy Gabrielson, Conservation and Community Planner, Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
The Planeteers hope to involve Waterfront Property Owners and Businesses, Residents, and Town Officials in: 1) Acknowledging sea level rise forecasts, 2) Jointly exploring strategies that might make sense given local circumstances, 3) Setting meeting dates in each community to further dialog and discuss possible next actions.
Funding for this Planet Talk was provided by
the New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
Show Your Support
We believe the best way for our initiatives to be successful is for the community to actively get involved. This is an easy and efficient way of contributing to the great work we do at The Planeteers of Southern Maine. Get in touch with any questions about how you can volunteer your time today. Many opportunities exist, including "desk jobs"
CONTACT THE PLANETEERS OF SOUTHERN MAINE
Get in touch with The Planeteers of Southern Maine to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.