The Board of the Stewardship Education Alliance (S.E.A) thanks everyone involved in Poetry on Windows held June 1 through June 15 in downtown Camden in celebration of World Oceans Day, June 8th.  The S.E.A. mission is to increase community awareness of ways we can be better stewards of our watersheds, but  we wondered how to do that during this challenging time.  The answer - PoW - poems on windows of downtown businesses for people to enjoy on their own, and a Scavenger Hunt!

In order to care for something, you have to love it in your heart and poetry goes to the source.  Students and teachers from Camden Rockport Middle School and CHRHS submitted original nature poems or selected favorite published nature poems, and local poets Dave Morrison and Kristen Lindquist also contributed their poems.  We garnered the services of talented “scribes” who would honor the poetry with their artistry. Generous downtown merchants in Camden loaned space on their windows and we were off and running with ladders, white-ink pens and rags in hand.   

The scavenger hunt attracted people to the shops and we have 3 winners!  It took some time and dedication to find every clue and send the ANSWERS to us.  Thank you for your hunting.  The winners are:

• Amy Rollins
• The Landfair Family
• Erin Rollins

The S.E.A. thanks our poets and those who submitted much loved nature poems.  Your thoughts about the natural world are the energy for our future.

Cassie Middleton

Amelia Mills

Amelia Lincoln

Winona Lincoln

Charlotte Thackery

Aaron Dowd

Emmett Edge

Lola Kydd

Caroline Kern

Aili Charland

Korsen Landfair

Dave Morrison, local poet

Kristen Lindquist, local poet

Jaime Stone, principal

Abigail Kohlstrom

Jane Stanley

We also thank the scribes, whose can-do spirit and astounding talent created a beautiful visual experience.  

Amy Rollins 

Jane Babbitt   

Sue Burwell  

Kalla  Buccholz

Emily Seymour

Samantha Zwecker

Morgan Cafferata

Matt Carter

Katie Kunkel

Kirsten Surbey

Maureen Egan

Amy Rollins

Jeff Lewis

Susan Lewis

Wayne Ruesswick

Finally, participating merchants were all helpful, welcoming and patient.   If you enjoyed the poems and can pop into a store to thank them, please do!

 Cashmere Goat

Owl and Turtle Bookstore

Surroundings

Smiling Cow

Glendarragh Lavender

Marriners Restaurant

Leslie Curtis

Camden Opera House

Zoots Coffee

Camden National Bank

Page Gallery

Once-a-Tree

Maine Sport

Leslie Curtis

Stone Soup

Boynton McKay Restaurant

The Planet

Dave Morrison has a poem entitled “Shake Hands with Your Heart” and I like to think that the poetry event allowed our community to do that very thing.   

Elphie Owen is a board member of the Stewardship Education Alliance