In May of 2023, while installing our spring gallery show, Birds and Blooms, I discovered Dylan Metrano’s remarkable paper cutting work and learned of his role as co-founder of La Nef Chocolate. This popular and beloved Maine-made chocolate brand is aligned with Archipelago and Island Institute’s mission of supporting local artists and building community. Through La Nef, Dylan champions Maine’s art community by collaborating with visual artists to create package designs. Intrigued by Dylan’s entrepreneurial journey which has been supported by multiple Island Institute business development ..read more

This article is the first in a series by Island Institute published in Maine Town and City that explores the topic of broadband and digital equity in relation to Maine’s municipalities. Mainers love their dirigo moments – those opportunities to lead the nation with shining examples of how we git ‘er done.  Last month featured one of those moments, when Maine’s Digital Equity Plan was the first in the nation to be approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). When congratulating the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) “for being the first in the nation t ..read more

MEDIA CONTACTS: Richard Knox, Senior Marketing Officer, Island Institute 207-242-5578; rknox@islandinstitute.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rockland, ME – Island Institute, a community development nonprofit serving Maine’s island and coastal communities, announced today that it has completed Business Resilience Storm Response Grants, totaling $250,000, delivered to 52 waterfront businesses in the wake of the back-to-back January storms. The grants were awarded to fishing cooperatives, lobster wharves, and processing centers that are relied upon by the fishermen, distributors and retailers that are ..read more

Block Island Utility District’s plant manager Richard Martin gives members of the Block Island ETIPP team a tour of their generation facilities It’s no surprise that consumers want their power to be reliable and affordable, a duo of attributes that are challenging to balance and achieve anywhere – and notoriously difficult on an island or at the end of long radial power line.   In our fourth year as regional partner for the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP), Island Institute has been busy identifying and evaluating solutions that achieve just those very goals with ..read more

Shoreside infrastructure roundtable at the Hús in Portland Island Institute hit the road this winter to advance the development of electric marine propulsion along Maine’s working coastline. Advocating for a new technology can take you places: from Machias to Portland, to Long Beach, CA.  We’re seeking solutions to support businesses and community transition away from traditional diesel motors and their associated emissions and unpredictable costs. Through systems level thinking, we’re setting the table for the development of this industry by addressing all barriers in tandem.   ..read more

Frenchboro, Maine Last month, Senator Collins secured $500,000 in federal funding to dredge Frenchboro’s Lunt Harbor. The small island located eight miles off the coast relies on marine transportation and fishing for survival, so a safely navigable harbor is critical for the island’s everyday function. The harbor, the main point for commercial fishing activity, is also the only access point for all mainland needs, including mail, groceries, medical services, and other supplies. The harbor had not been dredged in more than fifty years and because of that gap in maintenance, shoaling has severel ..read more

Published by MaineBiz on March 21, 2024.  Less than a week after the first of the back-to-back January storms that destroyed much infrastructure along Maine’s working waterfronts, the Island Institute launched a storm response grant program, received applications and began sending out funds to coastal businesses. On Mount Desert Island, Thurston’s Lobster Pound was particularly hard hit, with extensive damage to its wharf. “Island Institute was the first organization that was right there within days after the storm offering a grant to help rebuild,” said Derek LaPointe, the pound’s genera ..read more

Story published by The Ellsworth American on March 5, 2024. MOUNT DESERT — Maine Seacoast Mission President John Zavodny has announced the two recipients of the Sunbeam Award for 2024: Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, in Bethesda, Md., and the Island Institute. This year’s awardees were chosen for their commitment to the communities the Mission serves. Both awardees will be recognized at this year’s Sunbeam Award Gala. The Gala is the Mission’s annual opportunity to celebrate those who embody the ideals of the community and whose work has made a lasting impact. The 2024 event will take place ..read more

Island Institute believes in showing up and listening. A recent community visit tour took President Kimberly Hamilton, Chief Programs Officer Jennifer Seavey, Chief Policy Officer Nick Battista, and Public Policy Director Stephanie Welch to Mount Desert Island, Stonington, and Deer Isle. Over two days, the Island Institute staff made 15 stops, visiting with 31 community members, gaining new insights into their respective communities along the way.   To fuel up for the field trip, the group met for lunch. Around the table sat Island Institute Fellows assigned to community-ba ..read more

Historic Queen Mary building in present day Credit: National Audubon Society In the wake of increasing storm intensity and climate change concerns, Hog Island Audubon proactively fortified its structures to prepare for sea level rise. The organization applied for and received a ShoreUp grant in 2021 to reinforce the historic Queen Mary building prior to eventually lifting it 3ft higher. When January storms battered the coast, Audubon’s campus suffered significant damage. However, amidst the chaos, the Queen Mary building stood tall and unscathed, a testament to the effectiveness of preemptive ..read more