The natural reason the Y is involved in the Clean Drinking Water Initiative is because Camp Knickerbocker abuts both Little and Big Knickerbocker Lake and it is a critical asset to both the Y and our community. Right now, we are moving forward towards utilizing Camp Knickerbocker campus year-round which is important to the whole community. We were able to create a great, environmentally sensitive waterfront pavilion that allowed us to expand Camp K because of our partnerships with the water district and the town of Boothbay. As we further develop Camp K, we expect our partnerships within the Initiative to be an important part of that process.

The Y has been involved with all sorts of projects in the community -- everything from the town of Boothbay’s Comprehensive Plan to the Joint Economic Development Council. These efforts heightened my awareness of watersheds in general and of our water supply as a limited resource. I have been here as Y Director for 21 years, but I also grew up here as a seasonal summer resident before that. So, I know what “water on water off “means and the importance of it. I now have this awareness of our limited water resource both as Y Director and as a resident with long ties to the community. It is essential that we all recognize our water supply is a lifeline and an economic engine and that it has its limitations.

As a community that is working to expand opportunities and create economic development, we need to keep in mind our water source. As we develop, we need to be aware that we can't just locate housing and development anywhere. Water is a critical component to consider in our long-range planning – both how we conserve our water source and how we get water where it’s needed.

Over time, I’ve developed a greater awareness of our drinking water-watershed issues, but I come at this from a different angle than the Land Trust with its focus on land preservation or the water district with its focus on water quality. I come at it more as a believer that it all can coexist if everybody is talking and aware. Prior to my Y career, I lived in Boston where I frequently visited the Fellsway, which is part of the Boston's water source area. It was a protected reservoir but there were hiking trails and biking trails. What that clearly demonstrated to me is there are two options for protection: You can just put a big fence around things, or you can create awareness and access – people will be good stewards of resources that are important to them. With familiarity and awareness, people realize that if they want to have access to hike or want to have access for kids to go to camp, or outdoor after school programs, those won’t exist if we don’t collectively protect this resource.

The easiest thing to do is just say “No” and shut things down. But if we work with landowners and expand awareness, people will appreciate this asset more. You might get somebody that's involved in this because they want to swim, and you might get other people that are involved because they fish. All interests are important here. The easiest thing always is to say “No” or to put a fence around something. It takes a lot more work to say, “How can this benefit all of us?” I come to the Initiative with that perspective. I think this second approach benefits us all so much more.

I believe strongly in education, education is a big part of all our Y programs, including those at Camp K. Most people don't know a lot about our water sources and what we need to do to maintain them. People drive by Adams Pond every day and don’t realize how it important that water body is to our community and economy. If everybody has a better understanding of these assets, they will want to protect them a bit more. And protecting water means access for a longer period of time for all of us.