Winter in Acadia is a relatively quiet season—a time for skiing silent roads and discovering new vistas through forests bare of leaves. And winter is a time for reflection, celebration, and planning. Reflecting on the gift of working with an organization like Friends of Acadia, I am grateful for the inspiration of our members. Each year FOA receives letters from members around the country, sharing favorite experiences as well as hopes and concerns for the park. This year, I was moved by the number of young people who became members and sent notes to explain how they saved or earned the money in order to take part in the care of this amazing place.

This was a banner year for young people engaged directly in the business of Acadia’s stewardship, as well. Millicent Green spent her summer college break as an FOA intern working on our annual benefit (page 5). Anna Adams became an FOA field crew leader this summer and reflected on the path that led to her growing professional career as a steward of Acadia (page 7). The new Acadia Youth Technology Team of high school and college students explored the potential of technology to benefit Acadia and its visitors (page 8). George Hertzog, National Park Service director from 1964–1972, once wrote, “The national park idea has been nurtured by each succeeding generation of Americans. Today…each park contributes to a deeper understanding of the history of the United States and our way of life; of the natural processes which have given form to our land, and to the enrichment of the environment in which we live.” FOA and Acadia National Park are working together to ensure that this and following generations are prepared and inspired to nurture the national park idea at Acadia.

It was a year of milestones for the Island Explorer bus system. The 4-millionth passenger climbed aboard in August (page 23) and L.L.Bean renewed its commitment to the Island Explorer system, granting $1 million over the next five years toward the operations of the buses. L.L.Bean’s support greatly benefits the park and the region. The Island Explorer system provides alternatives to driving personal vehicles into the park, reducing congestion and pollution. And this fall, Phase I of the Acadia Gateway Center, the maintenance facility and offices for management of the Island Explorer system, was completed. A celebration is planned in early 2012.

Partnership efforts led to important land conservation this year. Two key parcels, privately owned within Acadia’s boundaries, were protected through the combined efforts of Friends of Acadia and Maine Coast Heritage Trust. The Lower Hadlock Pond property protects a public water supply for the Town of Mount Desert and historic hiking trails around the pond and connecting to Norumbega Mountain trails. On the west side of Mount Desert Island, 17 acres on the shores of remote Round Pond, in the Long Pond watershed, were protected. Since 2005 FOA, MCHT, and other partners have protected 17 privately-owned parcels within Acadia’s boundary.

Advocacy remains a key component to FOA’s stewardship of Acadia. This year FOA staff and members took numerous opportunities to reach out to state and federal legislators and communicate the park’s need for adequate federal funding. For our members, advocacy is an opportunity to share your commitment to the ongoing stewardship of Acadia’s priceless resources, and to express your expectation that this stewardship must be a partnership effort. Private philanthropy plays a critical role in the long-term care of Acadia, but it should enhance and not replace the obligation of the federal government to care for our national parks. (Read more about how you can help, on page 26.)

I look back on this year of partnership conservation and stewardship with tremendous pride. Programs inspiring young people, alternative transportation reducing traffic congestion and pollution, conservation of lands within the park’s boundary, and advocacy are all vital to creating a strong future for Acadia, and are excellent examples of what individuals can accomplish when they work together. At the inauguration of the new SERC campus at Schoodic this summer, Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski said, “Each and every one of us makes a difference, but working together we make change.”

Thank you for helping to ensure a strong future for Acadia National Park.

—Marla S. O’Byrne, President

In November, Marla O’Byrne announced that she will leave Friends of Acadia in March 2012 after 16 years with the organization. –Ed.