A message from the CEO

One of the privileges of leading the Land & Garden Preserve is that I get to peek behind the scenes at the tremendous work that our team accomplishes every season to care for our astonishing collection of properties and then share what I see with all of you.

In typical Maine fashion, our team tends not to boast about their accomplishments. (I get to do that for them!) Instead, they carry on doing remarkable things and then shrug it off as if anyone would design border gardens as perfectly as they do. Or as though, if you had ten miles of carriage roads to maintain, surely you’d also make sure that they’re beautifully graded and free of debris. Or if you had gravel paths through your garden, you, too, would rake patterns in them each morning for the pure aesthetic joy that it brings. This is, after all, just what they do!

This newsletter is a celebration of what happens when we’re not looking. And for those of you who want just one more reminder of how special the Preserve is, we share a look back on a season that was, by every measure, one of the most delightful in memory.

You will read about new members of our team who are enriching the robust talent of our staff. Anyone who has worked in business knows that any organization is only as strong as the people who comprise the team. We are incredibly fortunate to have recruited new talent to bolster the Preserve in the realms of horticulture, finance, and operations. What this means is that we can continue to refine and shape the Preserve to ever-higher levels of excellence.

You will read about the evolving stewardship practices of the Preserve, and how we have focused our priorities on caring for those assets which define the character of our landscapes. In the case of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, this means investing in much-needed object conservation practices to ensure that the irreplaceable features are protected. At Thuya Landing, it means that we construct path improvements that are historically accurate and seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the space. And in our natural lands, it means that we invest in continuing education for our team to ensure that we’re operating at the cutting edge of research and knowledge.

All the work of the Preserve—the beauty that is clearly on display when you visit the gardens or hike our lands, and the behind-the scenes work to steward those things less visible—is made possible thanks to the support of our dedicated community of supporters. If you’re already a member, thank you for your contribution to our mission. If you haven’t yet joined us, I hope you will consider the pleasure that the Preserve brings to your life and feel inclined to support our work.

Wishing you an autumn filled with joy,

Photo by Nikolai Fox

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