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Team Penobscot runners Dale Lolar and Bob Bryant Photo © TNC

“The real motivation for running Boston is the emotional, mental and spiritual connection to the river restoration project.”

- Dale Lolar, runner and counselor at tribal health services

Update from the Finish Line:

Team Penobscot did it! These courageous and dedicated runners raised more than $13,000 for the Penobscot River Restoration Project. And there's still time to contribute more for this remarkable project.

Barry Dana finished with 04:06:18!

Dale Lolar Finished with 04:13:25!

Bob Bryant finished with 04:48:22!

Team Nature Boston's Ben Willauer, a Maine trustee, finished at 05:39:00

Great work, runners! And to all who contributed and cheered them all, thank you, thank you.

Just as the Penobscot River has given sustenance to native people for generations, now Team Penobscot is giving back to this mighty river.

Three runners connected with the Penobscot Indian Nation are training for the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon, raising money to restore natural flows and migratory fish to one of Maine’s biggest rivers.

By donating to sponsor Team Penobscot’s run in the 2012 Boston Marathon, you can help bring the Penobscot River Restoration Project to life. All proceeds will go directly to the project. Please support the runners and this ambitious project.

“I would say that the relationship between the Penobscot River and its people is like a mother to its child. We draw life from that river,” says Barry Dana, the Nation’s former chief.

The Penobscot Indian Nation shares more than a name with the Penobscot River. After centuries living along its banks, deriving their sustenance, transportation, culture and ceremonial ways from the watershed, the Penobscot people came to share an identity with the river. Their tribal lands include almost 200 islands in the river, with Indian Island, near Old Town, being the heart of the community.

In modern times, the tribe has worked tirelessly to restore ecological balance to the river, and has been a key architect and champion of, the Penobscot River Restoration Project.
The project is one of the most ambitious river restoration efforts in North America, attracting worldwide attention for its scope and innovations.

This visionary plan aims to restore access to some 1,000 miles of river habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon and 10 other species of migrating fish. By removing two dams from the main stem of the river and building state-of-the-art fish passage around a third dam, our generation can restore the access to upstream habitats that these species need to thrive. This will in turn trigger waves of cascading benefits throughout the watershed—for all of the wildlife and people that rely on the river.

Team Penobscot is honored to run in the Boston Marathon as representatives of the Penobscot Indian Nation. As they train in Maine’s fickle weather, and when they run those 26.2 miles in Boston, each step will be focused on the intention of restoring the river. The team includes:

• Former tribal Chief Barry Dana
• Dale Lolar, a counselor at tribal health services
• Police Chief Bob Bryant, who has been married to a tribal member for 25 years and has children who are tribal members.

Between training runs, Dale Lolar summed up his reasons for running: “The real motivation for running Boston is the emotional, mental and spiritual connection to the river restoration project. It’s putting forth 26.2 miles all of my physical energy for a good cause. It’s about restoring a piece of creation to its original intent.”

Please donate today, to support these runners, the Penobscot River Restoration Project, and all the wildlife and human communities who rely on the river for their livelihoods.

Thank you!

Barry Dana: When We See the Dams Coming Out
Barry Dana, former Chief of the Penobscot Indian Nation, speaks about what it will mean for the tribe to see the dams coming out as part of the Penobscot River Restoration Project.