A fundraising event for Maine Coast Heritage Trust Thursday will feature former state representative Hannah Pingree as the keynote speaker at “Tides of Change: Climate Action Through Conservation.” The event is from 6-9 p.m. on March 7 at Maine Beer Company, 525 U.S. Route 1, Freeport. Proceeds will support MCHT’s ongoing efforts to protect and steward Maine’s coastal lands and waters.
Pingree, director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and co-chairperson of the Maine Climate Council, will highlight the role that land conservation plays in protecting the state’s lands, waters and natural systems while reducing the adverse effects of climate change, according to a prepared release.
“The intense storms in December and January have been a wake-up call about how vulnerable Maine communities are to effects of climate change, such as flooding and rising sea levels,” Pingree said in the release. “Land conservation is a leading strategy to help mitigate serious climate effects, while contributing to clean water, carbon sequestration and protecting habitat for wildlife. Conservation organizations like Maine Coast Heritage Trust and others in Maine are key partners in climate action to protect our people and environment for future generations.”
MCHT President and CEO Kate Stookey said the impacts of “back-to-back winter storms … are still being felt up and down the coast.”
“As our state works to recover and plan for the future, we at MCHT know that land conservation is one of the best tools available in the fight to reduce climate change impacts,” she said. “From small community projects that improve peoples’ lives to landscape-scale conservation that protects connected habitats, every bit of progress matters.”
Thursday’s fundraiser will feature videos addressing MCHT’s climate work, including a segment from the award-winning film “A Watershed Moment” by filmmaker Tate Yoder, and a gallery of artwork created by Maine College of Art & Design students and inspired by a science class taught by Professor Deb Debiegun. Other activities include live music; samples of fresh, local oysters from Love Point Oysters, based in Harpswell; craft beer from Maine Beer Company; and other locally sourced treats from Big Tree Catering.
Tickets are $100. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mcht.org/tides-of-change.
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