2023 Friends of Acadia Board Chair William Eacho. (Photo by: Julia Walker Thomas/Friends of Acadia)

This July, I had the honor of welcoming more than 300 Friends of Acadia members, volunteers, and partners to our Annual Meeting in Bar Harbor. We came together to celebrate the hard-won accomplishments of the past year and to honor extraordinary individuals who generously gave their time and talents to keep our beloved park thriving.

The gathering was a heartfelt moment of gratitude and resolve. While we acknowledged that the National Park Service is navigating significant staffing shortages and structural upheavals across the country and here at Acadia this summer, we also celebrated how our shared efforts are making real progress on critical issues, including seasonal employee housing, habitat restoration, and the visitor experience.

Each year, Friends of Acadia recognizes individuals whose extraordinary efforts have made a meaningful difference for the park. This year, we were proud to honor five remarkable people who, each in their own way, have made a lasting impact on Acadia.

Excellence in Volunteerism Award – Georgia & Mark Munsell
This year we recognized Georgia and Mark Munsell for outstanding volunteer service. Through her boundless knowledge of Acadia, and tireless leadership at the Friends of Acadia membership table, Georgia has welcomed thousands of new members into our organization and educated countless visitors about the importance of

conservation and park stewardship. Mark Munsell, a legendary trail volunteer and master carpenter, has donated more than 5,000 hours over the last ten years, helping keep Acadia’s trails safe, scenic, and structurally sound. Mark has replaced dozens of bridges and rebuilt numerous staircases, fences, and bogwalks on much-loved trails. His work has made Acadia’s trails more accessible and better able to withstand the impacts of heavy use and severe weather.

President’s Darn Good Work Award – Anne Green & David Katona
Friends of Acadia board members Anne Green and David Katona received the President’s Darn Good Work Award for their extraordinary leadership as co-chairs of our Raise the Roof campaign. Together, they helped raise $10 million in support of seasonal employee housing—a milestone that unlocked $21 million in federal funding and an additional $2 million from the National Park Foundation. Thanks to their efforts and the generosity of more than 320 donors, this $33 million investment is transforming housing for Acadia’s seasonal staff. These funds have already enabled the completion of Dane Farm, with eight bedrooms in Seal Harbor, and construction is underway on a 56-bedroom complex at
Harden Farm in Bar Harbor, ensuring housing for seasonal employees for generations to come.

Marianne Edwards Distinguished Service Award – Hannah Sistare Clark
It was a privilege to present Friends of Acadia’s highest honor, the Marianne Edwards Distinguished Service Award, to Hannah Sistare Clark. Hannah stepped down from
the Board of Directors this year after 14 years of service—including terms as vice chair, advocacy committee chair, and Acadia for All committee member. Drawing from her distinguished career in Washington, D.C., Hannah guided our organization through complex policy issues and helped shape core policy positions on important topics ranging from salmon farms to air quality to native vegetation. Hannah helped advance key national conservation legislation, including the Great American Outdoors Act and the Native Plant Species Pilot Program Act, and helped us build broad coalitions united in our love for Acadia National Park. We are eternally grateful for Hannah’s expertise and dedication to public service and Acadia.

National Recognition for Over 50 Years of Volunteer Service
This year’s celebration was made even more meaningful by national recognition for a beloved member of our community. In the same week as our Annual Meeting, The New York Times featured past annual award recipient Anne Kozak in a story highlighting outstanding national park volunteers across the country. Anne has dedicated over 50 years to the Wild Gardens of Acadia. As co-chair of the Friends of Acadia Wild Gardens committee alongside Helen Koch, she still contributes more than 600 hours each year to organizing volunteers, fundraising, and educating visitors about the garden’s 400 native plants. Her decades of commitment have shaped the garden into a place of beauty, learning, and connection to Acadia’s unique plants and habitats.

A Message of Gratitude
I am continually inspired by the dedication and spirit of all of Friends of Acadia’s volunteers who collectively give more than 9,000 hours each year to planting, raking, repairing,
educating, and making our park shine. To each and every one of you: thank you! Your generosity is woven into every trail, every view, and every visitor’s experience.