When we founded the Trust fifty years ago, the idea seemed straightforward: we would protect the land in its natural state—the most cherished parts of our community—so that future generations could experience them as we did. Back then, we were younger, and we hadn’t fully grasped all the complexities that would come with our mission. We didn’t anticipate the storm that would devastate two-thirds of the Goose Rocks Beach dune system, nor the funds or effort required to restore it, including planting 11,000 dune grass seedlings. The need to replace the electrical cable to Goat Island Lighthouse was far off in the future. We never imagined that the decline of unstructured play would lead us to create educational programs designed to reconnect children with the land around them. We didn’t foresee the rising tides from climate change demanding action on a global scale, nor the shoreline erosion that would uncover evidence of people who called this place home 8,000 years before the first Europeans arrived.
Yet, this year, we faced all these challenges—and more. They have become a normal part of our work. Our annual meeting is the one opportunity we have to share the full scope of what we do and the joy we find in it, all in service of those who live in, visit, or love Kennebunkport. We hope you will find enough inspiration to join us in these efforts. Together, we’ve already accomplished great things—and together, we can continue to make a difference.
