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Acadia National Park
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 7, 2016
CONTACT: Paige Steele, Conservation Projects Manager, paige@friendsofacadia.org
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK – Saturday, November 5 was a beautiful fall day that saw a record-breaking 508 volunteers show their pride in the park at the annual Take Pride in Acadia Day. Together, volunteers raked fallen leaves from drainage areas on 10.2 miles of carriage roads in 19 locations. Now in its 26th year, the event is sponsored by Friends of Acadia and facilitated by Acadia National Park to support maintenance of the historic carriage roads. This community effort greatly reduces erosion and costly wash-outs on the carriage roads from the rains, ice, and thaw cycles during winter and spring.
Approximately half of the volunteers were young people from schools including Tremont School, the University of Maine, and Husson College, as well as several scouting groups. Community groups included the Downeast Outing Club, Footloose Friends, LL Bean, and the Sea & Mountain Hiking Club. In addition to the groups, over 125 individuals from all over New England participated in the festive day.
Following the morning’s work, a hot meal of chili, cornbread, cake, and cider was served—the day’s traditional “CCC + C” lunch, recalling the Civilian Conservation Corps members who did so much work in Acadia during the 1930s.
Take Pride in Acadia would not be possible without such wonderful support from the community and we would like to thank this year’s sponsors: Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, The Bluenose Inn, Burdick & Associates Landscape Design, Cadillac Mountain Sports, Dawnland LLC, The First N.A., The Gallery at Somes Sound, Galyn’s, The Knowles Company, The Lynam Agencies, Machias Savings Bank, and Window Panes. In addition, the transportation for volunteer groups was donated by Acadia National Park Tours, Coastal Kayaking, Downeast Transportation/Island Explorer, and National Park Sea Kayak. Friends of Acadia and Acadia National Park are very grateful to all who made Take Pride in Acadia Day a huge success.
