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Maine

Join Maine

A CAMPAIGN FOR CLIMATE ACTION

A montage of video showing forests and rivers and ocean.
Katahdin Panorama Panoramic view of Mt. Katahdin from the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area. © Ian Patterson
Join Maine campaign logo in the shape of the state of Maine.
Join Maine A campaign for climate action.

The Join Maine Campaign for Climate Action is a call to all of us to work together to address climate change in Maine and beyond. In this campaign, TNC is joining science and action, local and global initiatives, innovative new partners and natural forces to address the global climate crisis.

Mainers know how to tackle complex problems with ingenuity, collaboration and grit, and that’s exactly what we need to develop sustainable, nature-based solutions to the challenges we face—from our forests to our rivers to the Gulf of Maine. Together, we can ensure a bright future for the places and people we love.

Join Maine (6:08) A campaign for climate action.
A booklet with a prescribed fire fighter on the cover sits on a blue background.
Join Maine A case for support © TNC

Our Case for Support

Whether fostering the connections between scientific learning and action, diverse interests, local and global efforts or natural and human forces—it’s time to take climate action and Join Maine.

Read the Case
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Join the Effort—Join Maine

A shared vision can bring a brighter future if we act now, together.

Act Now

$166,000,000 funds toward our goal

Goal of $200,000,000

Make a Gift

Join Maine Campaign Funding by Source

Private Philanthropy 40

  • Forests 40
  • Rivers 8
  • Oceans 7
  • Skies 6
  • Community 11

Public Grants 40

Market-Based Funding 17

Land/Easement Gifts 3

0

A women kneels on the forest floor writing in a notepad
Taking Note Identifying species during a bioblitz at Boundary Mountains Preserve. © Kira Bennett Hamilton/TNC
Two women take measurements of a culvert.
Data Capture Measuring one of thousands of road-stream crossings in Maine. © Tim Paul
A man on a boat holds a big fish.
Gulf's Bounty A fisherman and his catch aboard the Safe Haven © David Hills
A charging unit is plugged into a red car.
Plugged In An electric vehicle gets a charge. © Tim Paul/TNC
Two young people look at a grasshopper on a leaf.
Community Young people explore the natural world © Robert Bukaty
Two people with nets wade in a stream.
Monitoring Scientists collect fish via electric fishing in a pond near Fougamou base, Gabon. © Roshni Lodhia
A women kneels on the forest floor writing in a notepad
Taking Note Identifying species during a bioblitz at Boundary Mountains Preserve. © Kira Bennett Hamilton/TNC

Forests

Safeguarding Shelter for Wildlife and People

Our forests are an incredible natural climate solution. In addition to providing clean water, hosting our recreation and powering our economy with wood products, they capture more than three million metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year. TNC is leveraging groundbreaking science to respond. We’re identifying a network of unique locations that can withstand climate impacts, including vitally important Maine forests. This scientific learning drives our conservation planning and is a key strategy in our work to address climate change.

Two women take measurements of a culvert.
Data Capture Measuring one of thousands of road-stream crossings in Maine. © Tim Paul

Rivers

Fostering the Flow Between Land and Sea

Constricted waterways block fish and wildlife and put us all at risk of flooding from climate change. Maine rivers form a 75,000-mile network and support biodiversity along our riparian arteries, providing habitat for many rare, threatened and endangered species. Aging dams and inadequate road crossings constrict these courses. By restoring free-flowing rivers and streams, we will increase the resilience of these networks and foster one of the most connected, intact river systems in the nation.

A man on a boat holds a big fish.
Gulf's Bounty A fisherman and his catch aboard the Safe Haven © David Hills

Oceans

Stimulating a Sea Change in Fishery Management

The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s oceans. It is one of the most complex and productive marine environments on the planet—but it is threatened by chronic overfishing, habitat loss and the effects of a changing climate. TNC partners with fishermen to develop more sustainable fishing practices and to collect better data about how species are adapting to a warming Gulf. As conditions become even more unpredictable, these partnerships will help protect this vital habitat and the communities that depend on it.

A charging unit is plugged into a red car.
Plugged In An electric vehicle gets a charge. © Tim Paul/TNC

Skies

Curbing Carbon Through Policy and Practice

Reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we send into the atmosphere is up to us. Maine has the highest carbon emissions and spends the most on energy per capita in New England. That’s why TNC partners with policymakers and leaders to shape bold, innovative approaches that reduce emissions in Maine—and beyond. Collaborating to build public support for these initiatives helps ensure their continued success. Our priorities include advancing clean energy, incentivizing energy-efficient practices and setting ambitious emissions-reduction targets.

Two young people look at a grasshopper on a leaf.
Community Young people explore the natural world © Robert Bukaty

Community

Planning with Partners to Face the Future

Hotter summers, warmer winters, shifting seasons, stronger storms—these changes affect natural and human communities alike. For solutions to be sustainable, they must address the needs of both. Across the state, TNC digs into work with communities and leaders at every level, strengthening our collective response to climate change through innovative policies, cutting-edge science and direct action.

Two people with nets wade in a stream.
Monitoring Scientists collect fish via electric fishing in a pond near Fougamou base, Gabon. © Roshni Lodhia

Global

Maine Has Insights to Share and Lessons to Learn

Maine is an exceptional place to plan and prepare for climate change. Our extraordinary ecosystems provide opportunities to lessen the extent and adapt to the consequences of this escalating crisis, and our local efforts are vitally connected to the search for global solutions. Our team has been applying the expertise we built working to restore rivers, developing relationships with Wabanaki partners and creating water funds for projects all over the world.

Forests Rivers Oceans Skies Community Global

Join With Our Supporters

Pedro Altagracia (:52) Learn why Pedro supports The Nature Conservancy.
Pat Jackson (:58) Learn why Pat supports the Join Maine campaign.
Mary Beth Jester (:59) Learn why Mary Beth supports the Join Maine campaign.
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The sun rises behind trees near a clearing with mountains beyond.
Daybreak Morning sun in a clearing near Smart Mountain in Boundary Mountains Preserve. © Jerry and Marcy Monkman/EcoPhotography

More of Your Impact

Explore stories about people, nature and the difference your support is making in a changing climate.

Campaign Leadership

Partners

We are grateful to the many longtime supporters and partners throughout Maine who have lent their voices and perspectives to our campaign, including:

Richard Bates (Chair, St. George Select Board)

Aram Calhoun and Mac Hunter (Wetland Ecologist and Wildlife Ecologist, University of Maine)

Randy Cushman (Fisherman, Port Clyde)

Anne Fuchs (Director of Mitigation, Planning, and Recovery, Maine Emergency Management Agency)

Brian Hubbell (Former Representative, Maine State Legislature)

Amara Ifeji (Director of Youth Engagement and Policy, Maine Environmental Education Association)

We are grateful to First Light and our Wabanaki partners for insights into how to improve our conservation practices and better incorporate diverse views and ways of knowing into our work.