Letter from Executive Director

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed. Since joining the Friends at the beginning of 2003, I have been able to witness first hand what an engaged group of citizens can accomplish when they channel their efforts. You and I are extremely fortunate to have such a visionary Board of Directors – we are also fortunate to have several foundations and businesses, along with thousands of members who also believe in our mission and are supporting our efforts to protect and restore this wonderful natural resource.

Along the way, we’ve made some wonderful “friends”:

  • Members – 5,000 strong and continuing to grow, we now have an engaged “army” of watershed stewards!
     
  • Lake Associations – Strong, individual lake associations are critical to the success of protecting and improving our waters. Our partnership with our seven local associations is a “model” for other regional organizations, and their support of our mission and financial commitment to preserving this natural resource for future generations is truly inspiring. The Friends are a regular guest at Board and Annual meetings, and we continue to work to establish new organizations where they don’t exist as well as strengthen existing ones.
     
  • Volunteers – Volunteers have and continue to play a major role for programs like ”Courtesy Boat Inspections”, “Slow-the-Flow PlayDays” and “Vacation Camps”, along with special events including the “Friends on the 4th 5K” , Winthrop Chamber “Business After Hours” and our “Annual Cocktail Fundraiser”. Local lake associations, area high schools, the Pine Tree Council of Maine (Boy Scouts) and the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) have been wonderful “friends”.
     
  • AmeriCorps – In 2003, a group of 12 volunteer young adults from all across America landed on the shores of the Cobbossee Watershed for 10 weeks. Since that arrival of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), our organization has not been quite the same since! In 2004 and 2005, we received additional assistance from NCCC teams – their incredible contributions to our organization enabled us to expand our program offerings and complete projects that will benefit the Cobbossee Watershed for years to come.

    Our partnership with AmeriCorps evolved further in 2004 when we partnered with Training Resource Center (TRC) for individual AmeriCorps positions funded through the Maine Commission for Community Services. This award enabled us to staff seasonal program director positions in our early years, and today we continue our partnership by employing seasonal watershed steward interns through the AmeriCorps*State program.
     
  • Local Business Community – Area businesses have come to realize the importance of what a healthy Cobbossee Watershed means to the Kennebec Valley region not only ecologically, but economically as well. Each year, our “Business After Hours” event co-hosted with good friends Andy & Sheree Wess at Lakeside Motel & Marina allows dozens of local businesses the opportunity to network and see first hand what their support is doing.

With no fee for membership and little or no charge for most of our programs, the financial support from members, businesses, foundation grants, member organizations and related agencies has allowed us to greatly further our mission. Though we are deeply indebted to all of those who have supported us over the years, we are particularly grateful to a few whose philanthropy is truly staggering. Since we began operations in 2003, Jay & Terry Snider, Christine & Ed Snider, Allen & Joan Bildner, Allen & Diane Ryan and Unity Foundation, have committed over $500,000 in direct financial support to the Friends. These incredible acts of generosity have allowed us develop both organization and staff, which in turn has allowed us to provide programs and services to thousands.

Each year we continue to add to the number of members engaged, the number of children we have taught, the number of boat inspections completed at area boat launches and the amount of shoreline protected by our Youth Conservation Corps. Though we are encouraged by this continued growth, we also realize that much more needs to be done.

The fight to protect our water is never really won - it must continually be fought just to keep from losing. Erosion and pollution run-off continue to turn our lakes green, and the threat of devastating invasive aquatic plants is real and immediate. We know that everyone wants clean water, and to "win the fight", we need to continue reaching out to all of our constituencies. If you are not already a member, please consider joining the Friends today. Involvement - widespread involvement - is the best way to protect our lakes. It will take all of us to make a difference here at home where we live and work.

Thanks for your interest in helping to Save Our Shed and I look forward to seeing you "on the water".

Bob Moore
Executive Director

 

asd