by Juliet Lamont, Nan Lee, & Isabel Swift

Got buckthorn? Tackling ticks?  Want monarchs? Cherish trees?  Captivated by culture and history?

Then welcome to the W.E.B.B. Initiative (Water, Earth, Birds & Bugs)!  Because it’s all of that and more.  We’re a new, fully-volunteer coalition of year-round and seasonal residents: farmers, teachers, writers, doctors, business owners, historians, and just ‘persons with interest’.  What we have in common is a love for the natural beauty and ecological biodiversity of this earth – especially our world of North Haven, neighboring islands, and Maine.

We consider the environment and our community’s sustainability as interconnected. Our goal is to promote a sustainable, ecologically robust future where birds, bees, butterflies, fish, forests, farms, and people, all thrive.  

We aim to build and share expertise, experience, and establish on-the-ground projects that bring about multiple wins: climate resilience, protection and restoration of biodiversity, community engagement and economic stability – and the potential for sustainable growth. 

“Green” is a smart investment for the future, with tremendous paybacks across arenas that are essential to ensure our community’s ongoing ability to survive and thrive.

The W.E.B.B. Initiative came together in the past year, through shared concerns about our challenges such as invasive species (buckthorn, brown-tailed moths), protection of water quality and supply for the island, and the loss of resilient, diverse forest ecosystems.  But our concerns are more than matched by the opportunities, possibilities, and the potential for positive change that will benefit us all.  

We’re already sharing ideas and experiments around non-toxic control of buckthorn (pigs, anyone?) and brown-tail moth treatments that island residents have created (support local businesses!).  We’re collaborating with North Haven Conservation Partners (NHCP) and others, to create educational materials and programs that spread the word about beneficial native plants, and that highlight on-the-ground actions that work for landowners, caretakers, farmers, and homeowners alike. 

We’re helping to promote events – speakers, workshops, activities – that highlight the effectiveness of nature-based restoration as a key pathway toward building long-term climate resilience for vulnerable island communities.  (Event alert! Upcoming on May 22: reknowned conservationist, author, and speaker Doug Tallamy, via video presentation at Waterman’s Community Center – with fabulous food and drinks, too). 

In addition, three of our members are working with the Town of North Haven to help implement its vision statement priorities; W.E.B.B. strongly supports this initiative and will work to contribute to potential synergies and overlaps wherever possible.  And we’re thinking of ways to support activities with even more island organizations, such as science and garden projects in the North Haven Community School, and highlighting historical connections of nature and island culture through the North Haven Historical Society.  

This is just the start!  Much is in the works, but there’s much more to do.  And we hope you will be part of that future. Join us!  There’s no fee, no obligation – just enthusiasm and ideas.  We’ve already created task groups focused on particular areas of interest, such as the education and native species-based projects described above.  But how about Pollinator Protectors?  Or Soil Superheroes? Whatever your passion, or your interest, our goal is to build support and project success through collaboration and shared experience.

We meet roughly once every two months (Zoom), and task groups find their own additional meeting times as needed/desired.  Try it out and see what you think!  Next full meeting is May 11, 1 pm ET – please contact Juliet Lamont and/or Mary White for the Zoom link: jlamont@creekcats.com, marywhitemd@gmail.com.