Nimhue's Root Connection
a blog about all things good and green, living with the land, & loving with the whole heart
Protecting Wassumkeag / Sears Island
The beautiful island Wassumkeag (shining beach), also known as Sears Island is located in Searsport, Maine within the Eastern Wabanaki territory. The island features 940 acres of land, with beaches, shoals of eelgrass, rocky cliffs, glacial erratics, mixed forests, a network of trails, natural clambeds, vernal pools, and prarie. It is the largest uninhabited, undeveloped, causeway accessible island on the East Coast. It attracts a slough of wildlife from harbor porpoises to migratory birds to pollinating insects and more. It holds cultural significance for the Wabanaki, and has become a special and sacred place for people from all over Waldo County. Unfortunately, Wassumkik has been eyed for "development" by the Maine DOT, who "owns" 1/3 of the island, with plans to construct an offshore wind port. Governor Janet Mills is in support of the plans despite the overwhelming majority of the community being opposed. Community efforts kept the island from becoming a nuclear power plant, cargo port, intermodal freight transport hub, among other things, in the past. Now the threat to the wellbeing of the island and its wild inhabitants has returned under a greenwashed guise. Groups like Alliance for Sears Island, Friends of Sears Island, Sierra Club, and Pen Bay Stewards have been at the forefront of the work to protect the island, as well as the growing number of caring citizens who love the island.
Creating a Nourishing, Accessible Community Food System
Access to nourishing food is a basic human right. But in Maine,, 1 in 8 people experience food insecurity, and of those who don't, many still don't have acces to real, healthy food. According to a Feeding America study in 2022, 5,540 people in Waldo county experienced food insecurity, with 32% of them ineligible for SNAP. Tackling the food security issue on a communal level is possible, and groups such as Waldo County Bounty, M.O.F.G.A., and food pantries are working hard to share food and create ways in which people can get access to healthy food. Gleaning efforts, seedling donations, community suppers, donations from farms and cooperatives, and programs like Maine Harvest Bucks all offer ways for families to meet some of their food needs, and give people the option to acquire healthy, often organic, nutritious food. Food security is not an issue that can be fixed overnight, and as food prices increase, we need to continue to work hard to create local food systems that are equitable, affordable, healthy, and reciprocal with nature.
Protecting Maine's Amphibians
Amphibians such as frogs, toads,and salamanders, are wonderful creatures! Our soft bodied, mucus making bretheren require specialized habitats in order to live and reproduce, specifically healthy bodies of water and vernal pools. From late March to Mid May (depending on the weather) amphibians begin to migrate back to vernal pools from their hibernation zones. Unfortunately, human disruption means roads now expand across the migration routes, meaning the amphibians are at serious risk of being squashed by oncoming vehicles, and those that make it have to slither their delicate bodies over the rough asphalt. This drastically reduces populations, which may already be dwindling due to habitat loss. Maine Big Night is an organization run by volunteers which aims to help the amphibians get to the other side of the road! Volunteers go out in the night to designated spots where migration activity is high, and help aid the amphibians to the other side, all while taking count of the species.
Native Plant Preservation & Restoration
Native plants are those that are indigenous to the area they are growing. Native plants are key to a thriving ecosystem, as they play an important role in supporting the very specific wildlife populations in an area. These plants host pollinators, feed local fauna, provide nutrients to the soil, and even work in harmony with one another. Native plants however are under attack and face several threats, from climate change to habitat degredation, herbicides, and replacement with non native and invasive species. Having a knowledge of the plants native to your area is paramount to the future of our local ecosystems, especially if we are to protect them in the face of new and unpredictable climate catastrophes. Not only that, but creating a connection to your local plant system is a powerful way to deepen your connection to the Earth.