Home of the Casco BAYKEEPER
Founded in 1989 to improve and protect
the environmental health of Casco Bay
Seabird Volunteer Network
Last Thursday, more than 30 prospective volunteers braved gale-force winds to hear Dr. Julie Ellis, SEANET Director, explain how volunteers can monitor beaches for oiled birds. Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET) volunteers patrol a segment of Maine's shoreline collecting data on environmental conditions, beach debris, and both dead and live bird sightings. Their observations document the impact of chronic, low-level oil spills and damage from major spills. Clearly three-quarters of the crowd was affiliated with Friends of Casco Bay, thanks in large part to networking by Citizen Stewards Coordinator Peter Milholland.
“If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” 
Rapid changes in Casco Bay’s water quality this past week can attest to that.
On Monday, February 22nd, our staff scientists Peter Milholland and Mike Doan saw evidence of the winter’s snow drought in the relatively high salinities at our profile sampling sites. Five days later, after a ferocious rainstorm, Peter and Mike motored out to Fort Gorges in Portland Harbor to check the water conditions there. The salinity was drastically lower due to the five - six inches of rainfall contributing to a wedge of fresh water from the Presumpscot River, reaching more than 2 miles out into the Harbor. Unfortunately, the stormwater runoff will also add oil and other chemical pollutants, Styrofoam, and other trash that are ingested by marine life and sea birds. Learn more from this week’s water quality monitoring trips.
You can make a difference! Volunteer with Friends of Casco Bay and discover the many ways you can help protect the bay.
Welcome, Bob Knecht and Dr. John Wise, to our Board of Directors. 
Maine native Bob Knecht is a Principle/Broker
with Town and Shore Associates, LLC. When
they are not aboard their Beal’s Island 22, Bob
and his wife Nan live in a home they built in
South Freeport. Learn More
Dr. John Wise is the Principal Investigator of the Wise Laboratory of Environmental
and Genetic Toxicology. He is especially
noted for his pioneering work in marine cell
culture studying the impact of toxic chemicals
on marine life, including whales, sea lions, fish,
and sea turtles. Learn More
From the Rocky Coast to the Rocky Mountains
A bittersweet goodbye from Megan
I am both sad and excited to say goodbye to my new Friends of Casco Bay. I will be moving on to a promotions position in the Rocky Mountains of Denver, CO. but will miss the beautiful rocky coastline of Maine dearly. Read more
Friends of Casco Bay is Hiring a Development and Communications Assistant
Friends of Casco Bay seeks a dynamic, detail and results-oriented Development and Communications Assistant to join our team. Friends of Casco Bay is a community-based, marine environmental nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of Casco Bay by being science-based, locally-focused, pragmatic, collaborative, people-centered, and trusted. Please click here to see the full job description.