Guests from all over Lincoln County converged at Gliddon Point Oysters Farms to celebrate the youth development work being accomplished by Hearty Roots. Attendees were treated to oysters on the half shell courtesy of Gliddon Point Oysters Farms in Edgecomb, and a beautiful buffet of wood-fired foods prepared and gifted by Applecroft Catering of Waldoboro. The crowd enjoyed mingling, dining, and learning about the visionary pathway of Hearty Roots, a Bremen-based organization dedicated to connecting youth with seamless, barrier-free access to clinical mental wellness, esteem-building adventures in the woods and school-based wellness activities on campus green spaces. 

The event was sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank and three private supporters, and guests were treated to a sneak peek of the campus development plans championed by Adam Burk of the Peter Alfond Foundation, an early and long-term partner of Hearty Roots. In 2024, Hearty Roots acquired 114 acres of pristine woodlands in Bremen thanks to the generosity of the Peter Alfond Foundation, local conservationists Eleanor Kinney and Steve Page, donors, families and fellow visionaries.

Greg Norton of Knickerbocker Group and William Carson Joyce of Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture unveiled renderings for campus buildings that are emerging and spontaneous, designed to create a seamless transition between interior and natural spaces, the planned buildings emerging as if naturally from the forest. Hearty Roots offers programming to local youth year-round, in all weather. To a rapt crowd, Paige Green Morse, a longtime Hearty Roots participant who is now working as an intern for the organization, read a poem about belonging and mattering, about seeing—and believing in—the power within. A live performance by the Soggy Po’ Boys bookmarked the evening, infusing the celebration with their cool, eclectic, Big Easy vibes.

The joy—while profound—was tempered by real facts. Youth in Maine lead the nation in mental health needs, with 1 in 4 identifying as having one or more mental health issues. These challenges often stem from early trauma. In retrospective studies, nearly 75% of Maine adults experienced one or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in their youth, and Hearty Roots is on a mission to increase Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) for kids. Now. When they need it most. Positive Childhood Experiences are clinically proven to buffer the lifelong impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). At Hearty Roots, kids play, engage in teamwork, discover their grit, embark on new adventures, reflect in the hush of nature. They feel good in the moment. And they build resiliency for a lifetime. For more information on Hearty Roots’ programming, stop by their office headquarters at 18 Water Street in Damariscotta, an in-town presence made possible by the generous, community-minded team at First National Bank. The team at Hearty Roots can’t wait to join you in Maine’s wild, where journeys overlap.