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On an uncharacteristically warm spring day, conservation leaders gathered in beautiful Kennebunk, Maine to celebrate the grand opening of the Rachel Carson Center for People and Nature. The event coincided with environmentalist, writer, and former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Rachel Carson’s birthday, offering a unique opportunity to honor her conservation contributions and celebrate this new addition to her legacy.
The 12,000-square-foot facility includes a welcome center for visitors with an exhibit space, multipurpose room for community and educational gatherings as well as a gift shop operated by the Friends of Rachel Carson. The new visitor center will also serve as office space for staff from the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Maine Ecological Services Field Office, and the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acting Deputy Director for Operations Dave Miko remarked, “Having these teams working shoulder to shoulder makes it easier for innovative ideas to grow into on-the-ground solutions and I’m excited to see what happens when you get this many dedicated conservation professionals working together under the same roof.”
Local government officials spoke at the celebratory event applauding this new addition to Maine’s outdoor recreation opportunities and emphasized the importance of continued conservation partnership across the state. Speakers included U.S. Senator Angus King, U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, and Pam Buck on behalf of U.S. Senator Susan Collins.
Immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees were invited to tour the new facility. Originally a home built by local philanthropist Elmina Sewall in 1956, the center is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. In coordination with an architectural historian, the building and site’s history was preserved as much as possible retaining much of the original woodwork.
Through collaborative planning and thoughtful design, the new visitor center was engineered with modern sustainability in mind, incorporating recycled materials, bird-safe glass, and native landscaping.
This ribbon-cutting event offered an opportunity for the Service to thank all the incredible staff, volunteers and partners that made this project possible including; the Town of Kennebunk, Oak Point Associates, Benchmark Construction, the previous landowners Kate and Paul Nash, the Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, and of course the staff of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Maine Ecological Services Field Office, and the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program.
Refuge Manager Karl Stromayer noted, “Projects like this don’t happen because of one organization or one leader. They happen because architects, engineers, volunteers, donors, staff, town officials, construction crews, and community members all decide that this space matters.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Regional Director Sharon Marino concluded, “As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, it’s important to recognize that conservation itself is an act of service and patriotism, one that honors the legacy of those who came before us.
Carson believed that wonder and knowledge go hand-in-hand and wrote that, ‘If facts are the seeds of knowledge, it is a Sense of Wonder that makes the seeds take root.’ The Center for People and Nature will be and already is place where visitors can be curious and ask questions. Here the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, its partners and community will plant those seeds of knowledge and watch as the future of conservation takes root.”
