President
Tatiana Brailovskaya

Vice President
Warren Haas

Secretary
Holly Emmons

Treasurer
Deborah Poor
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Dick Clime
Peter Drum
Peter Erskine
Matt Filler
Tracy Kidder
John McKeon
Rolf Moller
Beth Morris
Alan Pooley
Gary Stone
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Executive Director
Mark DesMeules

Director of Lands
And Stewardship
Steven Hufnagel

Education
Coordinator
Sarah Gladu

Volunteer Coordinator
tbd

Office Manager
Caeli Shadis

Office
Salt Bay Heritage Center
110 Belvdere Road
P.O. Box 333
Damariscotta, ME 04543
207-563-1393
Fax: 563-2639

www.draclt.org
email: dra@draclt.org

Who We Are

The Damariscotta River Association is committed to the preservation of the river and lands surrounding it, by enhancing ecological and community values.

With nearly 1,200 members and 200 volunteers, the DRA is recognized nationally as a land trust model.  We have enjoyed extraordinary success working with state and national groups such as the Maine Land Trust Network, The Nature Conservancy, and Maine's state agencies that deal with conservation, land use and historic preservation.  Our programs cover lands protection, conservation education, and water quality. Please consider joining us by completing and mailing in our membership application. DRA is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, and all donations are tax deductible.

Education
     New Partnership:     The DRA recognizes that global warming creates strong pressures on the lands and natural systems we seek to protect. We have therefore forged a partnership with energy expert Paul Kando to support his work alerting the public about the causes of global warming, the threats it poses, and steps we can take individually and collectively to abate it. A collection of Paul's recommenda-tions "Steps You Can Take to Reduce Energy Use & Cut Carbon Emissions" is available here in pdf format. Paul created and assembled these suggestions from a variety of sources as well as personal and general knowledge. We also are working with Paul and the Midcoast Green Collaborative on making DRA a showcase for incorporating energy efficiency into older existing structures and new buildings.

      DRA education programs span a variety of conservation-oriented activities for young people and adults. These include: a summer archaeology field school ; scheduled walks led by naturalists on public trails; and public speakers who talk on a variety of environmental topics. Horseshoe crabs are being studied in the upper Damariscotta River.

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Tidewater Watch
     The Tidewater Watch program was created in 1988 to monitor water quality and shellfish habitat, using teachers and students from Lincoln Academy and Boothbay Region High School, professional aqua culturists and citizen volunteers.  Water samples are taken twice each month from over 40 sites on the river and analyzed in the lab.  Long term monitoring of temperature, salinity, and bacteria allows us to chart progress or setbacks as they develop.

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River Stewards
     The Damariscotta River Association’s “River Stewards” are a group of volunteers dedicating their time each week to be the eyes and ears of the river. On Sundays and Thursdays throughout the summer and fall, they talk with aquaculture owners and recreational boaters, record wildlife observations, and serve as a friendly educational presence on the river. “On the Incoming Tide” is a weekly column written by River Stewards documenting activity along the Damariscotta River through the eyes of citizens. The goal of this newspaper column is to share the stewards' river experiences with you, the greater community. Stories from this year's trips are available here.

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