Midcoast Conservancy will recognize four special volunteers at its Annual Meeting at Wavus Camp on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Each of them has contributed toward one of Midcoast Conservancy’s four mission pillars—land, water, community and healthy organization—and will be honored for that work.

Three of the honorees are Roy Miller, Herb Hartman and Joan Jackson; Miller’s commitment to getting kids outside is vital to Midcoast Conservancy’s community focus, Hartman’s work on restoring fish passage routes by removing the Cooper’s Mills dam has been critical to the organization’s healthy water initiative, and Jackson keeps the organization’s steady stream of mailings flowing out the door.

Miller is a steadfast volunteer with Midcoast Conservancy, active in stewarding trails and in annual monitoring of Palermo Preserve along with participating in workdays at a number of preserves. Miller’s engagement led him to forge a connection between Midcoast Conservancy and the Augusta Boys and Girls Club.

In July 2018, a group of 17 teenagers and five adult chaperones worked on cleanup projects at Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center for a day, followed by a night of camping there. For many students, this was their first time camping, and others hadn’t been to a nature preserve since the last time the club did an outing to Hidden Valley. After the volunteer work of cleaning campsites and stacking firewood was complete, the kids were excited to continue exploring, and some were already making plans to return to Hidden Valley. The trip lit a spark of excitement about the outdoors for many of these teens, a spark made possible by Miller’s connection and dedication to creating the entire experience for these disadvantaged youth.

Hartman is a long-time member and supporter of salmon restoration in the Sheepscot River. Hartman was a key member on the town committee for the Coopers Mills Dam removal project over the past three years.  He not only volunteered his time and expertise to ensure adequate implementation of this project but has also been a critical liaison for Midcoast Conservancy and other partners to the town.  Hartman greatly contributed to the strong and successful partnership with the town of Whitefield.  In addition to this work, he has contributed to monitoring salmon habitat efforts in the watershed over the years, and is a contributor to Maine Rivers and a director of the Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. Hartman and his wife live on the Sheepscot River in Kings Mills. 

Jackson is the embodiment of the Healthy Organization pillar, an ever-ready volunteer when it comes to stuffing and mailing 1,800 appeal letters or putting her astounding archival knowledge of the community to work when proofreading a mailing list for any errant recipients. A long-time member of Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association before the merger that created Midcoast Conservancy, Jackson brings humor and an energy that any organization would be fortunate to enjoy.