Community, climate, and kelp

Imagine it’s 2032. “Maine seafood” conjures up mouth-watering thoughts of lobster, oysters, and kelp. Waterways are cleaner, working waterfronts bustle with a diverse array of thriving businesses, and communities reap the benefits. You’ll find this vision for the future of Maine’s coast—one of social, ecological, and financial sustainability—in the Maine Aquaculture Hub’s 2022-2032 Roadmap. In… Read more »

Connecting communities and boosting local capacity

The Island Institute has long recognized the power of statewide networks to support community development work in Maine’s small, rural, and resource constrained communities. In support of of our work helping coastal communities through the community-driven broadband process and ultimately to help make sure public funds can support these efforts, we help lead the Maine… Read more »

Legislative Update: Winter 2022

As 2022 begins, much of our policy focus has shifted from making a case for why public funding is needed to supporting projects and communities in applying for the numerous new or enhanced funding opportunities. Over the next few months, we will be diving in deeply to help the communities we work with understand these… Read more »

A Few of Our Favorite Things: Wellness & Self-Care in the New Year

As we enter a new year, we know that many people are making resolutions around their personal health and well-being for the months ahead. So, in this edition of “Our Favorite Things” with Luke’s Lobster, we’re highlighting a few small businesses and organizations focused on helping us feel well and be well—ranging from island-made skincare and teas… Read more »

A Few of Our Favorite Things:
Empowering Youth through STEM

Today’s youth and our future generations play a huge role in the viability and sustainability of our communities—both here on the coast of Maine and beyond. In our next installment of “A Few of Our Favorite Things” with Luke’s Lobster, we’re highlighting three amazing organizations that are using science, technology, engineering, and math—or STEM—to help us…

A Few of Our Favorite Things: Businesses Doing Better

In our next installment of “A Few of Our Favorite Things” with Luke’s Lobster, we’re featuring some wonderful for-profit businesses in Maine that are doing good things for our coast and our communities. From the working waterfront to manufacturing and maple syrup, each of these businesses represent a piece of who we are and some of the… Read more »

A Few of Our Favorite Things: Gifts that Support the Coast

This week, we’re once again teaming up with Luke’s Lobster to share some of our favorite things about Maine with you. Maine’s pristine coastlines, harbors, and working waterfronts are part of both our state’s character and economy. We depend on the ocean for its resources and the inspiration and opportunity it provides artists, visitors, local… Read more »

Maine’s climate action plan—one year later

What do 40,000 heat pumps, 5,577 electric vehicles, and 2,043 homes weatherized all have in common? If you guessed that they are all highlights from a year of climate action in Maine, you guessed right! December 1, 2021, marked the one-year anniversary of the release of Maine Won’t Wait, the State of Maine’s groundbreaking climate… Read more »

Maine’s working waterfronts need our help

It seemed like a no more than a week would go by and we would be at it again; handling calls or emails from individuals, businesses, and communities about the critical challenges facing Maine’s iconic working waterfronts. We knew the themes well enough: skyrocketing real estate prices creating increased pressures to sell and uncertainty for… Read more »