Casco Bay Estuary Partnership

06/05/2026

Each year in May, Alewives make an 11 mile journey from Casco Bay to Highland Lake via the Presumpscot River and Mill Brook. Tens of thousands of fish swim upstream, navigating natural and manmade barriers in pursuit of their native spawning grounds.

Presumpscot Regional Land Trust’s Mill Brook Preserve is an excellent place to observe the fish migration. CBEP joined Sebago Clean Waters, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust (PRLT), and other partners for a walk down to the South Viewing Pool to watch the alewife run.

To learn more about migratory fish and how you can view them, visit PRLT’s website: https://www.prlt.org/alewife-migration

06/04/2026

Hello, all budding and amateur photographers! You are invited by Portland Water District to contribute to the 2027 Sebago Lake to Casco Bay calendar. See below for details!

04/29/2026

Join us in welcoming Abby Wilson, CBEP’s new Policy and Science Assistant! Abby supports our work through data collection, report writing, outreach, and storytelling. She previously worked with several land trusts and most recently led placemaking projects in Westbrook and Portland, focusing on community engagement and vibrant public spaces. When she’s not working, you’ll find Abby exploring Maine’s mountains, lakes, and coast in every season. We’re thrilled to have you on board, Abby!

04/28/2026

📣 Now Hiring: Report Designer

Casco Bay Estuary Partnership is seeking a designer for the 2026 State of the Bay Report, a publication showcasing environmental conditions, trends, and community engagement across the Casco Bay watershed.

This project includes both print and digital formats and aims to present information in a clear, engaging, and accessible way for a broad audience.

🗓 Proposals due: May 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
📄 View the RFP for full details: https://www.cascobayestuary.org/about-us/employment-internship-opportunities/
📧 Questions? [email protected]

If you have any questions about working with CBEP, please contact us at [email protected]. There are no employment opportunities at this time. There are no internship positions available at this time.

04/06/2026

🌿 Maine Audubon Workshops This Spring! 🌿

These sessions are ideal for anyone involved in road/stream crossings—contractors, road commissioners, public works staff, conservation commissions, engineers, planners, land trusts, watershed groups, restoration professionals, and private landowners. Participants can also earn:

✔ Maine DEP Voluntary Contractor Certification Program recertification credits
✔ Society of American Foresters continuing education credits
✔ Professional development hours for engineers

Stream Smart (freshwater systems):
📅 April 13, 2026 at The Barn at Woodlawn in Ellsworth from 8:30a.m.-12:30p.m. – doors open at 8:00a.m.
📅 May 5, 2026 at the Maine Lakes Science Center in Bridgton from 8:30a.m.-12:30p.m. – doors open at 8:00a.m.

CoastWise (tidal systems):
📅April 28, 2026 at The Barn at Woodlawn in Ellsworth from 9:00a.m.-12:30p.m. with optional field trip that will run until 3:00p.m. (Bring Your Own Lunch) – doors open at 8:30a.m.
📅April 30, 2026 at the Freeport Community Center from 9:00a.m.-12:30p.m. with optional field trip that will run until 3:00p.m. (Bring Your Own Lunch) – doors open at 8:30a.m.

Learn more and register here:

Road Crossings Workshops Workshops are offered throughout the year in various parts of the state. Maine Audubon and its partners work to provide training opportunities for professionals all across the state of Maine in order to expand the local knowledge base on how to include aquatic organism passa...

02/27/2026

🌿 REMINDER! Spring 2026 Casco Bay Habitat Protection Fund – Now Accepting Proposals

This effort is led by the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership in partnership with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Gulf of Maine Coastal Program).

🎯 Goal: Protect 20% of the watershed by 2030.

⚠️ Don’t Miss This Early Step: If you’re interested in applying, you must notify CBEP and submit tax parcel lot/map information by March 6, 2026.

📅 Final application deadline: April 10, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Learn more and access the RFP and application here: https://www.cascobayestuary.org/about-us/grant-opportunities/

Photo: CCLT

02/24/2026

You're Invited!

🌊 Royal River Restoration Action Plan – Project Update & Interactive Panel 🌿

Residents, municipal leaders, public works staff, conservation members, and private stream crossing owners throughout the Royal River watershed are invited to join an important discussion on river restoration and resilient infrastructure.

📅 March 3, 2026 | 4–6 PM
📍 Maine IF&W Office, 15 Game Farm Rd, Gray

👉 Register here:
https://luma.com/4r1zawoe

Join the conversation and be part of restoring the Royal River.

01/27/2026

There is still time to join us on February 2 at Westbrook Community Center to help create a shared vision for a more free-flowing natural Presumpscot River, from Sebago to the sea, with more sea-run fish, cleaner water, and an abundance of nature-based recreation.
Co-hosted by us and Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Friends of the Presumpscot River, Friends of Casco Bay, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Sebago Clean Waters, the Town of Windham, Maine, and Trout Unlimited - Sebago Chapter.
For more info and to register to attend, visit https://www.cascobayestuary.org/casco-bay/presumpscot2040/ or scan the QR code.

01/27/2026

Winter Salt Week 2026
Tuesday, Jan. 27 - 1:30pm ET/12:30pm CT

Livestream Link - Salt Wise Stories.
Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK9b3hLbK

Hear directly from winter maintenance practitioners who have made the shift to smarter salting. In this webinar, they’ll share how they built the business case for change—reducing costs, improving efficiency, and protecting local waters. You’ll learn how they retooled their operations, from equipment upgrades to staff training, and what results they’ve seen on the ground. These leaders now pay it forward by educating peers, supporting contractors, and inspiring communities to adopt Salt Wise practices of their own.

Presenters: Phill Sexton, WIT Advisers, and Aron Rodman, Extra Mile Snow Plowing

01/26/2026

It is Winter Salt Week 2026, a week dedicated to raising awareness around salt pollution and reduction solutions through daily livestreams and in-person events.

Register here for the daily livestreams listed below: https://wintersaltweek.org/