Hills to Sea Trail Coalition, of Unity, is one of 18 Maine nonprofit organizations sharing in $206,000 worth of grants through the Conservation for All program within Maine Community Foundation.

Hills will use its $10,000 share for general operations to maintain programs, volunteers, part-time staff person and improvements to the Hills to Sea Trail.

Launched last year, the Conservation for All grant program provides general support grants to organizations and projects that build strong connections between people in Maine and our land and water.

Other 2020 grantees include:

Hearty Roots, Bristol, to connect low-income kids to nature with esteem-building outdoor adventure programming that supports their resilience and personal growth
Portland Parks Conservancy, to develop a plan to make Riverton Trolley Park’s shoreline, trails, woods, and fields more accessible to an underserved Portland neighborhood lacking in usable park space
Somerset Woods Trustees, Norridgewock, to partner with Skowhegan Outdoors at Main Street Skowhegan to increase public use of Somerset Woods Trustees conservation lands by a broader spectrum of the community.
 

The application for the next round of Conservation for All grants opens May 1, 2021; deadline for submission is August 1. Guidelines, application, and a list of recent grants are available at www.mainecf.org. For more information about this grant program, contact MaineCF Senior Program Officer Maggie Drummond-Bahl at (877) 700-6800 or by e-mail at mbahl@mainecf.org. 

Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockport, and Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.

2020 Conservation for All Grants

• Blue Hill Heritage Trust, to continue work to create accessible trails for people of all abilities living in and visiting the community: $7,500
• Downeast Lakes Land Trust, Grand Lake Stream, to construct two hiking trails: one that is universally-accessible for those with limited mobility and one that promotes literacy and preservation of the Passamaquoddy language: $15,000
• Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters, Portland, to engage local communities to facilitate access to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and realize the impact of its economic, cultural, and ecological potential: $15,000
• Friends of L. C. Bates Museum, Hinckley, to develop and distribute engaging “Kid’s Kits” and offer outdoor experiences that connect students and families to the environment and its stewardship in collaboration with teachers: $3,500
• Friends of Messalonskee, Oakland, to create more access to the Messalonskee Lake Watershed through conservation activities, including an Invasive Plant Paddle program encouraging underserved members of the community: $12,500
• Hearty Roots, Bristol, to connect low-income kids to nature with esteem-building outdoor adventure programming that supports their resilience and personal growth: $15,000
• Hills to Sea Trail Coalition, Belfast, for general operations to maintain programs, volunteers, part-time staff person and improvements to the Hills to Sea Trail: $10,000
• Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, Bath, to improve visitor diversity to safely and sustainably access Lilly Pond Community Forest in Bath by constructing a parking area and improving trailhead facilities: $15,000
• Loon Echo Land Trust, Bridgton, to connect communities to conservation through land protection and stewardship, outreach, education, and universal access improvements, and to increase organizational equity, diversity, and inclusion through board training: $7,500
• Mahoosuc Pathways, Inc., Bethel, to add connecting lands to the Bethel Community Forest as part of the Chadbourne Tree Farms purchase: $15,000
• Portland Parks Conservancy, to develop a plan to make Riverton Trolley Park’s shoreline, trails, woods, and fields more accessible to an underserved Portland neighborhood lacking usable park space: $10,000.00
• Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Gorham, to apply an equity lens to the development of conservation and trails in Westbrook to engage more youth and families in the outdoors: $12,500
• Sanford Springvale Mousam Way Land Trust, Sanford, to support the creation of safe and easily accessible trails for healthful recreation and outdoor learning adventures: $6,000
• Somerset Woods Trustees, Norridgewock, to partner with Skowhegan Outdoors at Main Street Skowhegan to increase public use of Somerset Woods Trustees conservation lands by a broader spectrum of community: $15,000
• Southern Maine Conservation Collaborative, Portland, to demonstrate ground-breaking conservation that addresses social equity, climate change, organizational efficiency, and collective impact: $15,000
• Teens to Trails, Brunswick, to help connect high-school students with “nearby nature” by building connections between schools and their local land trusts and public lands: $10,000
• Tree Street Youth, Lewiston, to provide outdoor exposure and enrichment experiences for at-risk and immigrant/refugee youth: $6,500
• Women for Healthy Rural Living, Milbridge, to support OWLette, a summer camp for girls that teaches outdoor and naturalist skills and is designed to foster confidence in the outdoors: $15,000