Mowry Beach Stewards
EcoSattvas DownEast has joined forces with the Downeast Coastal Conservancy which manages Mowry Beach in Lubec, Maine, to serve as stewards of the much loved beach.
Stewards meet once a week on Saturday at 9:30 am for one hour, or however much time you may have, to do beach clean up, trail work and boardwalk maintenance. We also work with others to report bird sightings and identify species of plants and animals found there. If you would like to join us, contact [email protected] for more information.
Stewards meet once a week on Saturday at 9:30 am for one hour, or however much time you may have, to do beach clean up, trail work and boardwalk maintenance. We also work with others to report bird sightings and identify species of plants and animals found there. If you would like to join us, contact [email protected] for more information.
The words of one of Mowry’s stewards, Karen Burnett, captures the vital activity of this EcoSattva work:
HOW TO LOVE A BEACH
A group of us here in Washington County and Campobello wanted to find a way to put our beliefs into action by finding a way to help care for the earth. We are a small group of Zen practitioners, some young, some elderly.
We approached Downeast Coastal Conservancy (DCC) to ask if we could be given a task to help them in their care of our lovely area. Rich Bard suggested that we help at Mowry Beach, Lubec, a place often used by local folks, clammers and tourists. It suited our objective in helping care for the Earth, and reduce ocean pollution. So we began.
Oh rats! Here's my confession: I'm from away. The beaches of Downeast are a far cry from the lush beaches I have known in Puerto Rico, Kenya, Mexico, Dominica, and Southern California.Mowry beach sand isn't even white! There are no lovely crashing breakers, in fact, no water at all at low tide, and what a poor swimming spot. But the group was cleaning it and I joined in.
One of us attacked the broken boards of the boardwalk. One of us contacted a group of birdwatchers on Campobello Island who agreed to do more watching and updating of avian sightings. One brought grabbers to pry things out of sand and water, one found a trove of bags to fill with trash. One took the picked up trash to her local recycling station. We all cut and chopped weeds (defeated only by Japanese Knotweed). And we all picked up bottles, cigarette butts (filled with plastic and do not biodegrade but become yet more plastic in the ocean), sandwich wrappers, styrofoam, dog poop (though a nice person tries to keep the poop bag place filled with bags and emptied), shoes, boots and of course, lobster claw bands.
Do I love Mowry Beach now? Yes! I have read that caring for something or someone brings you to love and appreciate it just for itself. I now love the tidal flats which are alive with life and beauty, including seaweed, sponges, clams, sea and marsh birds, and special wetland birds at the boardwalk. Caring for the place regularly gave me the chance to see it in many forms, stormy, peaceful, windy and more windy, high tide and low tide. This beach is every bit as lovely as those beaches of other places, I rejoice in how it's different and ever so special. Its connection to local history is also special, its history with the native tribes, the French explorers and the English, the growth of the fishing and lumbering and shipping industries. And in our days of being there, I got to meet all sorts of folks there to enjoy it and explore it, both tourists and local folk. Most of our group has gone elsewhere for the winter, but a few stay in Washington County for employment and other reasons. I will think often of Mowry Beach – imagining it through the winter and can hardly wait to get back to it next spring. How to learn to love a place? Take care of it!
A group of us here in Washington County and Campobello wanted to find a way to put our beliefs into action by finding a way to help care for the earth. We are a small group of Zen practitioners, some young, some elderly.
We approached Downeast Coastal Conservancy (DCC) to ask if we could be given a task to help them in their care of our lovely area. Rich Bard suggested that we help at Mowry Beach, Lubec, a place often used by local folks, clammers and tourists. It suited our objective in helping care for the Earth, and reduce ocean pollution. So we began.
Oh rats! Here's my confession: I'm from away. The beaches of Downeast are a far cry from the lush beaches I have known in Puerto Rico, Kenya, Mexico, Dominica, and Southern California.Mowry beach sand isn't even white! There are no lovely crashing breakers, in fact, no water at all at low tide, and what a poor swimming spot. But the group was cleaning it and I joined in.
One of us attacked the broken boards of the boardwalk. One of us contacted a group of birdwatchers on Campobello Island who agreed to do more watching and updating of avian sightings. One brought grabbers to pry things out of sand and water, one found a trove of bags to fill with trash. One took the picked up trash to her local recycling station. We all cut and chopped weeds (defeated only by Japanese Knotweed). And we all picked up bottles, cigarette butts (filled with plastic and do not biodegrade but become yet more plastic in the ocean), sandwich wrappers, styrofoam, dog poop (though a nice person tries to keep the poop bag place filled with bags and emptied), shoes, boots and of course, lobster claw bands.
Do I love Mowry Beach now? Yes! I have read that caring for something or someone brings you to love and appreciate it just for itself. I now love the tidal flats which are alive with life and beauty, including seaweed, sponges, clams, sea and marsh birds, and special wetland birds at the boardwalk. Caring for the place regularly gave me the chance to see it in many forms, stormy, peaceful, windy and more windy, high tide and low tide. This beach is every bit as lovely as those beaches of other places, I rejoice in how it's different and ever so special. Its connection to local history is also special, its history with the native tribes, the French explorers and the English, the growth of the fishing and lumbering and shipping industries. And in our days of being there, I got to meet all sorts of folks there to enjoy it and explore it, both tourists and local folk. Most of our group has gone elsewhere for the winter, but a few stay in Washington County for employment and other reasons. I will think often of Mowry Beach – imagining it through the winter and can hardly wait to get back to it next spring. How to learn to love a place? Take care of it!