Letter from President
Robin Struck, President
Dear Friend,
Ten years ago Apple introduced the iPod, A Beautiful Mind won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and The Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed was created! One of the founding members, Ken Smith, is now leading FOCW as our new Executive Director. It amazes me what this organization has accomplished in one decade! Our ‘no fee’ membership has grown from 75 to over 5000 members, we now have partnerships with 7 local lake associations, our Education Director, Tamara Whitmore, conducts winter, spring and summer day camps, has developed exceptional classroom education reaching over 900 students this past school year and continues to keep the Tadpole Patrol fun and interesting for children and teenagers on the lakes of our Watershed.
The fight to keep our waters clean and safe is never done---it is continuous. Involvement and education is the best way to protect our lakes. If you are not a member, please join us and become involved. There are many volunteer opportunities including Courtesy Boat Inspections or taking part in the ‘Friends on the 4th’ Annual 5K Road Race.
And our special events continue to grow each year. Our first and now Annual Spotter’s Sprint Canoe & Kayak Paddle was a fun and successful event this past summer. Be sure to take part this summer in all the fun 10th Anniversary Events we have planned!
Let me explain why I have been on the FOCW Board for 8 years and why our mission of protecting and improving the 28 lakes and streams of our watershed is so important to me. I spent my youth enjoying many hours on Maranacook Lake in Winthrop where my parents still reside and where my brother and his family make several visits from their home in Vermont each year. Along with my niece Morgan who is 7, and my nephew Zak who is 9, we all enjoy ice fishing and skating in winter, spring fishing after ice out, lazy summer days on the barge exploring the lake in search of eagles, osprey nests and loons, and gorgeous fall sunsets over the water showing off the glorious seasonal color. I want Morgan and Zak to enjoy this lake and pass on to their children the importance of protecting our water. Morgan and Zak still talk with great glee about their fun learning experience on Spotter with Tamara and the rest of the Tadpole Patrol cruising around Maranacook Lake. They are looking forward to another lake session with a visit to Cobbossee or Annabessacook this summer! Educating and promoting responsible care of our lakes to our children is the most important work we do at FOCW.
Thank you for your interest in the important work of the Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed and I hope you join us in helping to Save Our Shed.
See you on the water.
Sincerely,
Robin Struck
President