When asked to join the Boothbay Region Clean Drinking Water Initiative, we did not hesitate. The work of the Initiative aligns with and is connected to our mission, both from an education and from a conservation perspective.

At the highest level, our purpose here at the Gardens is to have a positive impact on people and on the planet. Our mission is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants, and nature through horticulture, education, and research. We are the third-most visited tourist destination in the state, after Acadia and Sugarloaf, and we have this huge opportunity and responsibility to be educating people through the gardens.

Water is so important to us at the Gardens on so many levels. From irrigation to simply understanding how the land helps to filter and clean the water before it goes back into the water sources and the aquifer. For that reason, we wanted to be involved in the Clean Drinking Water Initiative and its mission to safeguard our drinking water through education and land conservation. The Initiative’s focus offers an opportunity for the Gardens to help with education about a crucial topic, not just in our local community, but more broadly with the people who come to the Gardens.

Taking care of water is integrally connected to all that we do. After all, the plants won't thrive without it, so on many levels it's that simple—it’s all about water for us. In recent years, we've been leaning into a focus on inspiring action on climate change – a situation many people feel overwhelmed by. The gardens are our vehicle to inspire and teach people to make small changes in their backyards, to take care of their little piece of the planet in a more environmentally sustainable way. The gardens themselves, and the various education programs we offer, provide people with tools and inspiration to affect their world in a positive way.

Land conservation is another reason we are involved with the Initiative. A big part of the Clean Drinking Water Initiative is about land conservation and making the connection between land use and water quality. The Gardens is a big landowner -- the largest landowner in the Knickerbocker Lake watershed. We are stewards of this big chunk of land and so we are part of the conservation community in the state as well.

As landowners, our care of the land is crucial to our mission, and it also provides another education opportunity. Through our land stewardship, we can very credibly teach all of our visitors about the importance of land conservation and its connection to clean drinking water. Because whether they're from New Jersey or Newcastle, it's still a relevant educational point and connects with our mission.

Finally, because we want to be a good partner and neighbor, we want to be part of this team. Water is critically important to all of us, and to everybody who lives here, for their continued happiness and health. As one of the drivers of economic growth in this area, we also want to be part of ensuring that the growth is sustainable.