Working Waterfront

Storytelling’s role in ecological stewardship and community planning

Reflections is written by Island Institute Fellows, recent grads of college and master’s programs who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Phippsburg is a slim place of mudflat, deep coves, strong currents, and diverse fishing histories. A few days ago, during… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Settling into climate work on Chebeague Island

Reflections is written by Island Institute Fellows, recent grads of college and master’s programs who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. Island Time goes by in a strange way. Since moving to Chebeague Island with my… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

On Monhegan, the sea shapes my work

Reflections is written by Island Institute Fellows, recent grads of college and master’s programs who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. On Monhegan, everything comes back to the sea. Hope, joy, and sustenance are linked to… SEE MORE

Reflections

Working Waterfront

Finding home within home rule

At a recent Damariscotta Select Board meeting, the public heard a proposal for a joint public works department between Damariscotta and neighboring Newcastle. Both towns have been working together to visualize... SEE MORE

A view of Stonington Harbor, looking east. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

The serendipity of island life brings joy

I couldn’t have predicted that I’d soon be gripping the gunwale of a lobster boat, cheering and shouting alongside a lobstering family… SEE MORE

A view of the harbor, framed by trees. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

When life gives you a library

Now the library is poised for a new chapter. It holds over 15,000 volumes and finds its home in a spacious and modern facility that would never have come to be without the 2008 tragedy. After many successful years as “just a library,” we feel like we can dream bigger. SEE MORE

A view of the shore of Peaks Island. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Smart housing: focus on density and character

The state faces a decision—how can we maintain the character of non-urban life while encouraging the building necessary to house the working- and middle-class people struggling to find consistent housing? SEE MORE

A boat arrives at the Monhegan pier. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Building higher on Monhegan

Facing the community now is the decision of how to move forward—forward toward a response to the increasingly powerful winter storms and the growing summer traffic. The main thing I am considering is how the changes will last for generations and affect the function of the island in every season. SEE MORE

The Fox Islands Thorofare in winter. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

A community recovers by realignment

I’m thinking about how communities cultivate collective endurance for longer-term issues like the risk of saltwater intrusion, aging infrastructure in low-lying areas, and supporting livelihoods affected by climate. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

In the face of change, towns must plan

As a multi-generational Mainer, I believe what makes this state special is that there has been such little change. I’ve had the opportunity to work with several local historians who share photos of their town and it’s amazing how recognizable places still are. SEE MORE