Giving fishermen and scientists a seat at the table

My favorite work event of the year just happened. It was the Fishermen’s Climate Roundtables. Fishermen’s Climate Roundtables is an annual opportunity for fishermen and scientists to come together and share notes about the past fishing year, as well as the longer-term environmental changes they are noticing on the water. For me, a marine scientist,… Read more »

The impact of Maine’s creative economy

In more ways than one, it has been A YEAR. It has been a year since we cancelled the 2020 Artists & Makers Conference, and a year since life changed around us and within us. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, arts organizations, galleries, museums, theaters, artists, musicians, makers all understood the importance of the creative economy… Read more »

Building federal support for island communities

Energy can be expensive and unreliable for island communities everywhere. Through our work over the last decade and our collaborations with communities in Maine, New England, and across the globe, we’ve learned that by bringing the right ideas and partners to the table we can help address the very real needs and common challenges we… Read more »

Working together to solve Maine’s broadband challenges

As we know all too well, high-speed internet is extremely important to daily life—from remote work and education to assuring that government can continue to function. The State of Maine, through the ConnectMaine Authority, plays an important role in helping to close the digital divide.

Archipelago Artist Profile: Basil Cake

In early March, before Governor Mills issued a statewide lockdown, the Island Institute’s Lisa Millette traveled to the home of Maine artist Basil Cake and his wife Mia, to learn more about his work, life, and inspiration.

Legislative Update: Winter 2021

2021 started with our country, and our government, facing some significant challenges and issues of importance: the spread and increase in cases of COVID-19, rioting at the Capitol, and unprecedented attention being called to address issues of systemic racism and inequality. On January 20th, President Biden was inaugurated and control of the Senate agenda shifted… Read more »

Young leaders can make a difference

As we began to talk about hosting a leadership training for young people, I kept thinking about something former Mount Desert Island High School student Thomas Korsanje said to me during an interview about local students organizing to address the climate crisis. He said, “People don’t take us seriously.” His point was that so many adults… Read more »

Conscious capitalism

We’ve come a long way since 1970, when economist Milton Friedman told the world that companies have no responsibility to society or to the planet, only to increase profits for their shareholders. Friedman’s doctrine kicked off an era of unbridled greed in American business. 50 years later, our business community is starting to be on… Read more »