Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival a Hit

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this event a great success!  Nearly 500 people packed the Abromson Center on October 4th for the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, presented by Patagonia and hosted by Friends of Casco Bay. It was a fantastic (sold-out!) event -- click here for photos.  

 You saw it here first!- Syringes along Back Cove

A story about our grim discoveries along Portland’s Back Cove in the September 14^th Portland Press Herald was picked up by the Associated Press (AP), and it generated more news coverage as far away as Boston.  It reported on 42 discarded hypodermic needles and syringes found along the high tide line by Friends of Casco Bay volunteers during a coastal cleanup of Back Cove on June 21^st. Another cleanup a month later turned up a dozen more in the same area.

Peter Milholland, Citizen Stewards Coordinator, who organized the cleanups, was interviewed by environmental reporter John Richardson for the Press Herald and by Maine Public Radio’s “Maine Things Considered.” Friends of Casco Bay’s cleanups were cited in news reports by the three major Portland TV stations and in Boston.com.  Friends of Casco Bay members learned about it first in our Fall 2008 Casco Bay Bulletin.

New Meadows River Watershed Project - Public Meeting

This event has been postponed.  We will post information as it becomes available.

Nitrogen in the News

Nitrogen pollution is an emerging problem in Casco Bay, and its damaging effects -- including red tides and "dead zones" -- can already be seen in other parts of the world.  Yet until recently, there has been little coverage in the national or local news about this environmental threat.  The issue captured worldwide attention this summer, as Beijing Olympics organizers tackled the Herculean job of clearing a 5,000 square mile mat of green algae from the coastal waters around Quingdao, China, the site of the Olympic sailing competition.  

Read about Friends of Casco Bay's work to fight the "green slime" of nitrogen pollution, published in The Maine Switch.  You can learn more about “green slime” in China – and its connections to Casco Bay – in an article published in the fall issue of The Casco Bay Bulletin.  For a broad perspective on problems with the nitrogen cycle, see “Beyond Carbon: Scientists Worry about Nitrogen's Effects,” an article published recently in The New York Times.

BayScaping: The Top Five Questions Everybody Asks

The great, green lawn has dominated the American suburban landscape since the 1930s.  But, homeowners and condominium associations are turning toward environmentally-firendly practices that require less reliance on water, fertilizers and pesticides.  We call this approach BayScaping.  Friends of Casco Bay board member Patricia Ianni has presented BayScaping to more than 550 people at nearly a dozen events so far this year.  Here are some brief answers to some of the questions she is most frequently asked about low-impact yard care.

Casco Baykeeper Wins Outdoor Hero Award

This summer, Casco BAYKEEPER Joe Payne won the 2008 L.L.Bean Outdoor Hero award for his work to restore the health of Casco Bay.  He was selected as one of six outdoor enthusiasts around the nation “who by their words, attitude, and actions have helped connect people to the world around them."  Learn more here.

How Healthy is the Bay?
Friends of Casco Bay has developed a "health index" for Casco Bay, based on our 15 years of water quality data.  This easy-to-use tool gives a snapshot of the Bay's healthiest areas and most impaired regions.  Learn about the index here.