Greetings to our broad circle of friends, neighbors, and partners:

We write this note to you on the first full day of spring, as we delight in the sounds of spring and the vernal symphony they create. As a Down East Spring Birding Festival committee member just shared, “I’m just in from a walk, where I heard birds singing their territorial song.” We are so grateful for this beautiful place we call home and for the dynamism of the changing seasons here.

Even before the foundation was poured or the first wall went up, Heartwood Lodge was imagined as a sanctuary, a physical space to inspire, support, and sustain inquiry and engagement. The Lodge has hosted both large groups engaged in shared learning as well as individuals engaged in independent retreat and residency. The Lodge best meets its mission when it creates space for cross-pollination between those seeking retreat and our campus learning community. As an example, last December Cobscook Institute welcomed René Goddess Johnson, founder of Embodied Equity, LLC, for a month-long retreat.

Last October, Cobscook Experiential Program (CEP) traveled through the lower Penobscot River Watershed, from Orono to Belfast, for a learning expedition on regional history and culture through the lens of the river. As part of that learning journey our students visited Linda G. and Donald N. Zillman Art Museum University of Maine (ZAM) and enjoyed a tour with executive director and curator George Kinghorn.