I traveled to DC last week, between the earthquake and the hurricane, to participate in a day-long White House Citizen Leaders’ Briefing. This was a chance to discuss what’s working and what’s not on a variety of policy areas. The morning was spent in breakout sessions, and after a tour of the East Wing of the White House, about 70 of us from a half dozen states met in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for a broader discussion with administration policy advisors.

AUGUSTA, Maine – Known for connecting Maine communities with the beauty, vitality and utility of trees, Project Canopy, the Maine Forest Service’s community tree program, is offering a different type of tree-planting opportunity.

Through the generosity of Dutton’s Greenhouse and Nursery in Morrill, more than 1,000 trees, representing 75 different species, are being offered free of charge to municipalities, schools and non-profit organizations for community planting, according to Project Canopy officials, under the Maine Department of Conservation.

Nancy E. Smith, Executive Director of GrowSmart Maine, has been tapped to attend The White House Community Leaders Briefing Series in Washington DC on August 26, 2011.

The briefing series is a unique opportunity for Maine leaders to come to Washington to hear directly from White House officials on the issues that are affecting communities across Maine and learn more about the President’s priorities and initiatives from the people that work on them every day. In return, Administration staff gets to hear what’s going on in cities and towns across Maine directly from the experts – Maine community leaders. Participants are local leaders who are currently involved in their cities and towns– in their neighborhoods, schools, churches, non-profit organizations, environmental groups, activist and advocacy groups, etc. and who are continuously invested in improving their own communities.

Project Canopy has always connected communities with trees. Since the beginning of the program in 1990, we have offered grants to communities for tree plantings. Since then, we have distributed millions of dollars in grant money to plant trees on streets, in parks, and in front yards throughout Maine.

This year, through the generosity of Dutton’s Nursery, in Morrill, Maine, we are offering a different type of tree planting opportunity. Dutton’s has unfortunately decided to close operations at the end of the season this year. Rather than wholesaling remaining stock, they have decided to give back to the communities that have supported their business over the years, by donating trees to Project Canopy. Cities, towns, schools, and non-profit organizations will be eligible to receive free trees for community planting.

Through a twist of fate, I made an unanticipated trip to France in July, and spent nearly two weeks in a medieval city of 11,000 located in the Midi-Pyrenees region, just a few hours drive north of Spain.  In this region of France, a drive of a few hours reveals...

“Historic estate living with modern amenities in the heart of Maine's most beautiful mountain village” Mary Mayo and I, along with GSM Board Chair Daniel Hildreth, joined GSM Board Member Paul Boghossian at Gehring House, the dramatic centerpiece of...

Rockland was as hot and steamy and the rest of Maine on Friday, July 22 but inside 449 Main Street it was delightfully cool. A surprising number of preservationists, developers, townspeople, and media people gathered to celebrate the extension of the Maine Historic Preservation Tax Credit with a ribbon cutting for one of the most recently completed projects to benefit from these credits.

Come meet the wasp that is helping us look for emerald ash borer (EAB). Cerceris fumipennis is a native wasp which does not sting and likes to live in baseball diamonds. This wasp usually hunts native prey, but when EAB are present, it is very good at catching that pest. It has been helping the Maine Forest Service and local volunteers throughout the state monitor for EAB. Come to a field demonstration with Colleen Teerling, Entomologist for the Maine Forest Service to meet the wasp and see it in action.

I spent a sunny Sunday afternoon in Stonington, enjoying Fishermen's Day – a celebration of fishermen hosted by the Island Fishermen's Wives Association. It was a great chance to meet folks in the community who are supporting the fisheries and the...

Our Executive Director, Nancy Smith, is Downeast this week. Stonington, Calais, Machais, Lubec and Eastport. What's working, what's not, when it comes to our communities, environment and the economy.  Stay tuned to this blog and our Facebook page for...