Allen Island - Colby Collaboration
Developing an island field research station
CLIENT | Up East Foundation
THE PROJECT
The charitable foundation that owns 450-acre Allen Island off of Port Clyde, Maine is interested in developing a field research station there. The island, which has provided artistic inspiration to Andrew Wyeth during the last two decades of his life, also supports a commercial lobster wharf used by local fishermen to store traps, line, buoys and bait used in the course of their operations.
OUR ROLE
Working with the Up East Foundation board of directors, we approached Colby College and a local education non-profit, the Herring Gut Learning Center, to work on a collaborative vision for Allen Island’s long-term future. Philip Conkling then worked closely with key leaders at Colby, including President, David Greene, to transfer the ownership of Allen and help introduce Colby faculty and staff to local communities.
TAKEAWAY
Balancing the uses of ecological investigation and artistic inspiration without compromising an island’s resources while maximizing opportunities to benefit local communities requires careful planning and on-going communication.
“Through Philip Conkling’s skills and hard work, a unique partnership has been created between Colby College and Allen Island, owned by our family’s foundation. This collaboration will sustain and utilize the resources of this iconic Muscongus Bay island for present and future generations.”