Sunrise in December at DRA's Headquarters Preserve

The Damariscotta River Association (DRA) is a non-profit community-supported land trust working in the greater Damariscotta River region. DRA conserves critical land and water resources, including outstanding wildlife habitat, public access, and cultural treasures like oyster shell middens.

We invite you to visit our preserves, take part in our events and programs, and to join our efforts as a member, volunteer, or donor.

What's New: (updated 1/28/2012)

Calendar of Events: By Day/Week/Month/List – click on the link at the top of the calendar to come back here. Also, be sure to check on the Events page for additional opportunities and activities.

DRA Community Skating Rink: DRA's new outdoor ice rink at Round Top Farm was made possible by generous support from community members and local businesses (list of sponsors to come). It is available to all free of charge. All users are expected to follow the rink rules in order to keep the rink safe and accessible to all.
     Again, in order to keep the ice in sound condition, please do not skate when the rink is closed. Additionally, please do not use sticks or pucks on the ice outside of designated hockey times. Enjoy!

NEW Programs and Events: Register now for programs beginning in February ,including Junior Naturalists (grades 1 – 5) , Wild Encounters (Homeschool families and groups, for ages 5 and up) and Frogs and Pollywogs (preschool, ages 2-5).

Important Dates:

• Check back often to see what's happening!

Round Top Farm: Information regarding usage and rental of the Barn, the Gallery, and the Old Ice Cream Shop at Round Top Farm is available here.

Fall 2011 "River Tidings" Newsletter: Check out the latest edition and read about the Phillips Farm, Big Huckleberry Island, DRA's enhanced Native American program, the operational wind turbine and much more! It's available here as a pdf file well worth the download (5 Mb)!

Updated information about our Board of Directors is available on our "Who We Are" Page – where you also will find information on our staff and on the scope of the work done by DRA.

Phillips Farm is now "for sale as farmland": Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) and Damariscotta River Association (DRA) are working together to conserve this 68-acre Damariscotta property along Route 1 as farmland forever. MFT's acquisition of the land is a big step forward in the campaign. Fundraising to complete the project is making strong progress, with less than $75,000 to go as of early August. The goal is to sell the land to a farmer at farm price with an agricultural conservation easement on it to be held by DRA.
     In the video below, Jim Philips, John Reny and Christine Preston roll out the new banner announcing the partnering of DRA with MFT on the Phillips Farm Campaign.
     Channel 2 (WLBZ) and Channel 6 (WCSH) also have a multi-media report for you to view.

Volunteer Opportunity: Front Desk Volunteer – Contact the office via e-mail or phone 563-1393 for more information. In addition to the tasks and activities listed below, check out our Volunteer Opportunities page for more information and for an application form to let us know how you would like to be involved with DRA.

• Welcome visitors to the Heritage Center and introduce them to DRA and the Farmhouse site;
• Answer the phone and provide information or connect callers with DRA staff;
• Help visitors plan walks or participate in organized DRA activities;
• Be at the center of day-to-day DRA organization and a critical link to the public we serve;
• Take part in special DRA training and site visits to prepare for this volunteer role;
• Commit to no more than one three-hour shift per week, 9:00 to 12:00 or 1:00 to 4:00, or be a substitute as needed.

TICK ALERT. Ticks are out in force this year - even Fall and Winter! Please remember to tuck in pants, apply appropriate repellent, and above all do a nightly tick check. Please visit Maine CDC for more information and resources.

Visit DRA's Salt Bay Farm Heritage Center
on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta
(directions)

phone (207) 563-1393
fax (207) 563-2639
dra@damariscottariver.org

Become a member!

Number of Times Page Visited:

updated 1/28/2012