Area residents gather at the proposed Damariscotta Green. (Photo courtesy Theo Dubord)
It’s hard to imagine the vibrant local community without the human-centered organizations that enrich lives or the array of diverse businesses that strengthen the spine of Main Street.
Now the cornerstone for wellness and enrichment for area residents, the CLC YMCA in Damariscotta got its start in the 1970s as the Central Lincoln County Recreation Association, an organization that had big dreams of a playground and ballpark near its community center.
There’s also the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, a uniquely local resource gifted to the University of Maine by one individual who valued the connection between a healthy Damariscotta River and vocational education.
In 1965, Ira C. Darling donated his farm to academia — enriching the area by extension — because he believed the Damariscotta Fishing Estuary would benefit from a marine laboratory. Under careful cultivation, students and businesses thrive through hands-on experiential learning designed to enrich research, education and outreach. While Darling’s gift is cherished locally, its impact continues to resonate on a global scale.
The organization now known as Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust was made possible by the 2019 merging of Damariscotta River Association and Pemaquid Watershed Association. But before the union, before the DRA or the PWA, there was the Biscay Pond Association.
Begun by a handful of residents aiming to protect the nearly 400-acre pond bordered by Damariscotta, Bristol, and Bremen, the Biscay Pond Association was formed in 1966. Volunteers drew water samples, counted loons, and measured the water table.
At the helm as first president of the Biscay Pond Association was Richard W. Bryant. Mary Berger, Bryant’s daughter, has lived at Biscay Pond since 1947.
“People from all the different towns got together to preserve the health of the water and the surrounding natural spaces. It was truly wonderful to see how invested a community could be,” Berger said.
Berger is no stranger to shoring up her community. Along with her son, Berger founded Karl’s Kids in 2007 to honor the spirit of Karl Berger, beloved father and husband. During his life, Karl Berger gave generously to the community and believed in helping one kid at a time. Fast-forward to today and Karl’s Kids reliably provides financial assistance to youth in Lincoln County so that every child has access to athletic activities.
Each organization began with the seed of an idea, which was nurtured by community support. Today, all reap the beautiful benefits of the agencies that make the area more diverse, engaged, and engaging.
As planning around the proposed Damariscotta Green grows, participants are already looking ahead 40 years — to that day when a person takes a momentary break from their respite or recreation on the common, and thinks about how they can’t imagine Damariscotta without the resource.
For more information about connecting with friends and nature for this project, head on over to damariscottagreen.com. Look for upcoming fundraising events to support a community green space like a summer concert at Clark’s Cove Farm in Walpole and dining events at Bred in the Bone and The Contented Sole.
