When I flip the calendar to September, I never quite know what the weather is going to serve up for the month, but I can definitely count on a magical event to take place. The sea of green leaves that make up Maine’s trees and forests morph into a cascading display of the most vibrant Read More
NRCM Rising Blog: Maine's Emerging Environmental Leaders
Maine is fortunate to have a long history of environmental champions. In this blog, you’ll hear directly from some of Maine’s emerging environmental leaders who are part of NRCM Rising.
NRCM Rising is a project of the Natural Resources Council of Maine that seeks to engage, connect, and mobilize Maine’s emerging generation of environmental leaders and advocates. Read on to hear from the NRCM Rising Leadership Team and others about their environmental advocacy and outdoor Maine adventures.
Moving Beyond Good Intentions to Make Changes for More Inclusive and Just Environmental Response
In 2017, the Natural Resources Council of Maine formed a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Committee (DEIJ) made up of staff members. This year they have moved to include board members and a member of the NRCM Rising Leadership Team. I have the honor of serving as the Rising representative. NRCM formed the committee in Read More
From Strawberries to Oysters: Changing Priorities During Pandemic
Over the past year and a half, we have all been forced to rethink our life’s priorities, for better or for worse. Some got in touch with activities they had put aside years ago — music, art, reading, exercise, cooking — some picked up entirely new activities, some found a new love of working from Read More
Becoming a Recreational Maine Guide
Being active in the outdoors, and having a prior career in the outdoor industry, I’ve toyed with the idea of going for my Recreational Maine Guide license off and on over the years. With more spare time than usual over this past winter, I figured it was a good excuse to go for it. First Read More
The Power of Green Banking
Like many of you, on January 20, 2021, I took a very long exhale as I watched President Biden and VP Kamala Harris being sworn into office. I think the weight of four years of stress came out in that long exhale, and I felt a resurgence of hope seeing the flurry of executive orders Read More
Why Consumers Alone Can’t “Fix” Recycling
Are you recycling right? Chances are, not always. If someone asked you today, how confident do you feel that you are recycling correctly? If a recycling expert were to take a look inside your blue bin, would you be nervous? If you’re uncertain about the items you’ve been placing out at the curb, rest assured, Read More
Traveling Through Maine’s Public Lands in a Converted Cargo Van
I think the greatest investment I’ve made so far in the 25 years I’ve been alive is Stella Blue, a 2006 Chevy Express cargo van with questionable brakes that came into my life in 2019 and started my adventure into “van life.” My partner Carter and I bought her together and spent a month outfitting Read More
Your Voice Matters: Preservation of Maine’s Iconic Moosehead Lake Region
There is a view in Maine, one that is not secret and is likely blazoned upon many a postcard and photograph, that takes my breath away and puts me at ease every time I see it. You only get it for seconds, maybe minutes, before it vanishes, not to be experienced until you return to Read More
2020 Showed Us that There is No Time to Waste
For much of the past year, if someone asked how I was, I would give the same reflexive response: “Well enough…for 2020.” I heard this addendum frequently: from friends, coworkers, and family; an acknowledgment that the year forced us all to confront hardship, fear, loss, and the unsettling suspicion that the ground had shifted irreversibly Read More