Friends of Casco Bay

08/14/2026

Monday’s Freshwater Finds brought about 20 people together with Friends of Casco Bay and to explore, learn, and talk about the freshwater systems around us. 💧🌿

We dug into topics including stormwater pollution, water quality monitoring, invasive species, trail maintenance, and the science and conservation work happening throughout the Presumpscot region.

A big thank-you to the folks with Presumpscot Regional Land Trust--Toby, Clara, Abby-- who shared their knowledge and helped make the afternoon such a great learning experience. We loved getting to know more about PRLT’s work—and we’re grateful for the chance to learn together!

Even the rain couldn’t stop us. ☔ We just moved to the rain date!

08/06/2026

Two of our staff had an unforgettable wildlife encounter while on the water, just beyond Casco Bay, with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute: a common thresher shark.

Thresher sharks are shy and aren't considered a danger to people. They're famous for something else entirely—their spectacular tail, which can be nearly as long as the rest of their body and is used to stun schools of fish before they feed.

Moments like this are a reminder of the incredible diversity of life just beyond Casco Bay.

08/05/2026

Thanks to 25 volunteers and Coveside Coffee for helping us clean up the Back Cove neighborhoods last Friday and making Casco Bay a cleaner, safer place for all critters, swimmers, boaters, birds, and more.

08/04/2026

For more than 30 years, Friends of Casco Bay has collected water quality and environmental data across Casco Bay and its watershed. Now we're creating new online tools to make that information easier to explore and understand—and we want your input.

Whether you're a boater, beachgoer, educator, angler, shellfish harvester, scientist, or simply someone who cares about clean water, your feedback will help us design maps, dashboards, and other interactive tools that are useful, engaging, and relevant to our community.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will help us understand what information matters most to you, how you'd like to explore environmental data, and what would make it easier to use.

Thank you for helping us create a data portal that better serves everyone who cares about Casco Bay and its watershed.

Take the Survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/DataVis

Thank you to our generous supporters, including Friends of Casco Bay members, an anonymous foundation that is supporting our data visualization work, and VIEWSHED for their work with us on this project.

07/31/2026

07/30/2026

Meet us at Coveside Coffee in Portland this Friday morning to help clean up the neighborhood for a cleaner community and a healthier Casco Bay.

We’ll provide everything you need to help out, including gloves, bags, and trash grabbers. Bring just yourself or your whole crew — all ages are welcome.

Free drip coffee or cold brew for participants if you bring your own mug!

Coveside Community Cleanup
Date: Friday, July 31, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to Noon
Meet at: Coveside Coffee, 28 Vannah Ave, Portland, ME

Register here: https://www.cascobay.org/cleanup-series/ or simply show up at 10 am ready to go!

07/27/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Waves for the Bay Members Annual Meeting on Wednesday!

The skies cleared just in time for a beautiful evening on the waterfront at Portland Yacht Services. Together, we celebrated another year of protecting Casco Bay and its watershed, honored this year's Casco Bay Award recipients, and looked ahead to the work still to come.

A highlight of the evening was our Casco Bay Q&A. Thank you to Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca and Science and Advocacy Associate Heather Kenyon, who stepped in to join the conversation when Staff Scientist Mike Doan was unexpectedly unable to attend. We also appreciated welcoming Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper Seth Walton, who joined us for the evening.

Congratulations to our 2026 Casco Bay Award recipients:
🌊 State Representative Art Bell, for his leadership on stormwater pollution.
🌊 Protecting Falmouth: No on One, for helping protect local waters by preserving Falmouth's pesticide and fertilizer ordinance.

Most of all, thank you to our Friends: members, volunteers, board, partners, and supporters. Your commitment makes this work possible, and we're grateful to have you alongside us as we continue protecting the waters we all depend on.

📸 Swipe through for highlights from a wonderful evening! Credit to Kevin Morris for so many great pics!

07/25/2026

Imagine standing beside a free-flowing Royal River once again.

A river where alewives, blueback herring, sea-run trout, eels—and maybe even salmon—can make their way upstream. A river with cooler, cleaner water flowing naturally over ledge rocks after more than 250 years behind a dam.

That vision is one step closer to reality.

Preparatory work for the Bridge Street Dam removal in Yarmouth began this week, marking the start of an exciting transformation for the Royal River—and ultimately, Casco Bay.

As the river changes, Friends of Casco Bay will be there to monitor water quality every step of the way. Our Staff Scientist, Mike Doan, has already deployed monitoring equipment to track changes in temperature, oxygen, turbidity, and other key indicators of river health.

A healthy river means a healthier Casco Bay.

We'll be sharing updates as the project moves forward and what we learn along the way. Read themore here: https://www.cascobay.org/returning-the-royal-river-to-its-wild-ways/

📷 Pictured: The dam before removal; community members celebrating the future of the Royal River during World Fish Migration Day; alewives returning to the Presumpscot River—a glimpse of what's possible when rivers are reconnected; and a bird's-eye view of the Royal River and Casco Bay.

📸Photo credits to: Meghan Vigeant, Janelle Goeke, and Kevin Morris.

07/24/2026

Join us for a special private piano concert on August 4 to benefit Friends of Casco Bay in collaboration with Concerts for Climate.

Pianist, composer, and climate activist Sydney Patten will share her passion for the environment and her music in a live performance. Friends of Casco Bay will share a special update about our work. A reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres will conclude the event.

Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
First concert: 3-4 p.m.
Second concert: 5-6 p.m.
Location: Sydney and Bill Patten are welcoming us into their Falmouth home for this performance. Details will be shared after registration.
Cost: A donation is suggested for this event. Suggested levels are $100-$1,000 per attendee.
Register: https://www.cascobay.org/aug-4-two-concerts-for-climate/

Join us for a special private piano concert on August 4 to benefit Friends of Casco Bay in collaboration with Concerts for Climate. Pianist, composer, and climate activist Sydney Patten will share her passion for the environment and her music in a live performance. Friends of Casco Bay will share a....

07/22/2026

We expect the rain to clear in time for this evening's Waves for the Bay. See you there!