BY PAIGE STEELE

For 15 years, Brett and Celina Binns have been giving to Friends of Acadia. As they settled into retirement on the Schoodic Peninsula, Brett also became a year-round volunteer. I sat down to ask Brett about why he gives back to Acadia in so many ways.

Acadia Winter Trails Association Volunteer Groomer Brett Binns. Photo by: Ashley L. Conti/Friends of Acadia

PS: Brett, it’s great working with you through the Acadia Winter Trails Association (AWTA). How did you first connect to Acadia?

BB: Celina’s family is from the Fort Kent and Lewiston areas, so I inherited Maine from my wife. We kept driving east and planted our roots Downeast.

PS: How did you hear about Friends of Acadia?

BB: I honestly can’t remember, it seems like we’ve always known about you. Acadia is my park. It’s our treasure here locally and we feel strongly about supporting it.

PS: How did you begin working as a volunteer in the park?

BB: I met a ranger name Ed Pontbriand who told me about the Acadia Winter Trails grooming program, which sounded like fun. For the first few years, Ed and I would drive over to MDI for meetings, and to train and groom on the Eagle Lake carriage roads. I also volunteered with his wife, Ranger Kelly, to help train her search-and-rescue dogs. I would lie under a tarp in the snow and wait until the dog found me. It was quite memorable! While we love our home, I do feel isolated living in rural Maine. It’s nice to be social and make friends through volunteering. I like having a reason to be outside in the woods with my friends on a regular basis, while giving back to this amazing park. It doesn’t get much better than that!

PS: Last year, we expanded grooming to the Schoodic District on the multi-use paths and you have led those grooming efforts. What’s it like seeing visitors after you groom?

BB: I joined the AWTA team with the dream of being able to expand grooming to Schoodic someday. Dream realized! Before we expanded, I would see a trickle of local faces using the paths during winter. Now, after grooming, there are lots of new skiers, coming from much larger distances, to enjoy the park. It’s great.

PS: You also volunteer in the summer, and you received a National Park Service award this year, right?

BB: Yes, we have a volunteer crew that maintains the trails and multi-use paths on the Schoodic Peninsula in the summer. We brush back trails and clean downed trees, making sure our work looks very natural. We do a height test for branches and trim them back so a parent walking with a kid on their shoulders will clear the branches. I used to love hiking with my son in a pack.

PS: Brett, thank you for your wonderful contributions to Acadia National Park. We greatly appreciate your service and camaraderie and look forward to seeing you in the park.

BB: Thank you. It’s an amazing place to live. The attraction of this place is the beautiful nature and I’m happy to help maintain it and share it with others.