PARTNERS
Maine Dept. Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Ducks Unlimited
Maine Audubon Society
Scarborough Marsh Nature Center
Scarborough Conservation Commisssion
Scarborough Pollution Committee
Scarborough Land Conservation Trust
Maine Dept. Transportation
Maine Turnpike Authority
US Fish and Wildlife Service

NEWS
Annual Meeting - 9/13/2001
Raffle Tickets On Sale Now
Friends' First Project Begins
Marsh Restoration Strategy Underway
Julie N Trustees Project News
NSP Study Yields Important Results
Nature Center Wins MOHF Grant
Land Conservation Highlights
Land Bond Wins Voter Approval
Thoughts from the "Marsh Manager"

You can help—be a friend of the marsh! It is up to us, who live, work, and play in and around the marsh, to cherish this resource and make smart choices.

Your personal choices do make a difference!

Volunteers and active members are needed! Please let us know how you would like volunteer: Restoration Marsh Monitoring Land Protection Pollution Control Clean-Up Events Information & Education Fundraising Grantwriting

Take care with lawn and fertilizer applications—better yet don’t use them if your property abuts the shoreline or is within the shoreland zone of the marsh’s tributaries. Choose garden plants wisely; avoid invasive non-native species like purple loosestrife. Pick up and dispose of trash properly; litter can attract unwanted predators and "nuisance animals." Be on the watch for run-off and consult with local conservation groups for strategies to avoid non point source pollution. When boating, observe gentle speeds that are courteous to nesting or feeding birds and are careful of the erodable shore and sensitive plant roots. Educate your neighbors and visitors about this unique habitat and speak up for the marsh at local meetings and public forums. Support upland conservation, find out how you can make a donation or grant an easement. Respect wildlife’s need for solitude and sanctuary. Choose low impact activities which emit lower noise and light levels. Personal actions do matter.

The Friends of Scarborough Marsh have an ambitious goal, to raise $40,000 to pay for a strategy study for the Scarborough Marsh area. This study, awarded to Normandeau Associates (Yarmouth, Maine office), will identify specific projects and priorities for restoration, enhancement, and protection of the watershed.Note: Your donations may be tax-deductible; FSM is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

On May 1, 2000, Friends started with a handful of members and little or no funds. Made up of concerned citizens, landowners, businesses, state and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and others, the membership have in common our love for the Scarborough Marsh and our commitment to safeguard it for generations to come. Through a variety of Board Member contacts; brochure drop-offs at area businesses by Mike and Steve Mallar; fund-raising contacts; and, importantly, a "kick off" event in September of 2000, Stephanie Cox, Membership Chair, has seen the membership list grow to nearly 200 members, including 15 members at the "visionary" level.

Fund-raising Chair, Mike Mallar has led an effort to create a Capital Fund to provide for the Marsh strategy and provide a small, initial revolving fund to assure a project development cabability. The Fund-raising Committee settled on a goal of $40,000 for their first twelve-month effort; the Committee includes in addition to those above, CD Armstrong (Friends Chairman), Roger Mallar (Friends Treasurer), Dick Anderson, and Kathleen Bayley (both Friends Board Members).

By the end of December - just eight months into the effort - these hardworking folks raised over $26,000 and are well on the way to reaching their goal by April 1, 2001. They can use all the help you can provide to achieve a completely successful effort. In addition to financial contributions, personal introductions to potential supporters are welcome. Please contact Mike Mallar at 623-5058 for more information or email Roger Mallar, FOSM treasurer. To donate to the capital campaign, send your checks to FSM at PO Box 7049, Scarborough, Maine 04070

About Friends & Membership Information

Members, donors, and volunteers are needed to ensure the success of this important effort to safeguard the marsh. To find out more about the "Friends of Scarborough Marsh," contact Stephanie Cox c/o Maine Audubon at 781-2330 or email.

About a year ago, during the winter of 2000, a small group of interested people began to meet and discuss ways to facilitate and assist the many different parties who have an interest in the Scarborough Marsh. As we got talking to more and more people it became clear that this fabulous natural resource is near and dear to the hearts of many many people and creatures, and that these interested parties come from all over, not just from around town. The Scarborough Marsh is an extraordinary example of Maine coastal salt marsh, an ecosystem that is increasingly under siege on the east coast of United States. As the year progresses we are increasingly excited about the possibilities for all friends of the Scarborough Marsh.

The Friends are individuals and organizations, private and public, who wish to join together to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance the Scarborough Marsh watershed. We have formed a Board of Directors and applied to become a 501(c)3 non-profit. This status was granted by the IRS early this year. We have formed a variety of committees to explore: land conservation, restoration possibilities, a long-term strategic plan, fund-raising, and education. We are open to all parties, individuals, and organizations who wish to help make the Scarborough Marsh a better place. We are an all volunteer organization, and welcome your input and involvement.