LEA’s Maine Lake Science Center Taking Shape in Bridgton

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March 25, 2015

LEA’s Maine Lake Science Center Taking Shape in Bridgton

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Drawing by Erica Lowell Chute of the Maine Lake Science Center in Bridgton

Lake Environmental Association’s (LEA) Executive Director, Peter Lowell, sent us the following update about the Maine Lake Science Center located off Willet Road and adjacent to Pondicherry Park in Bridgton.


The Maine Lake Science Center property was purchased in August and site work began in September. Trees around the center were thinned and pruned to allow for more sunlight and to remove those that were short-lived or damaged. A new septic system was installed utilizing state-of-the art infiltrators provided at cost by the distributor. The existing access road was upgraded with new culverts and surfacing. Several parking turn-offs were constructed at view lines along the roadway allowing us to minimize the width and impact of impervious surfaces. Two hundred feet from the building, a new road spur carries traffic to a new, large parking area located near the park boundary at the rear of the building. This configuration minimizes the visual impact of the cars and allows for direct accessibility using the entrance and ramp at the rear of the main cabin. Site work was completed in November except for minor road work and mulching that will be finished in the spring.

In December, attention turned to the structure. A new steel, insulated roof system was the first project along with a full dormer over the garage where the director’s office will be located. As of mid-February, the roof and dormer were finished and steel beams had been installed in the upstairs of the main cabin room and in the garage. The beams allow both rooms to be completely open for their intended uses as a conference room and education center. During the balance of the winter and spring, interior work continues and we are planning for the facility to be completed and open in June. The transformation of the building is remarkable.

LEA staff and volunteers have participated in the more menial tasks in order to stay on budget. We have been fortunate to work with excellent contractors, several of whom were involved with Pondicherry Park trails and the Bob Dunning Bridge. They have collaborated on design options and their commitment to the center has enhanced appearance and function. To date $154,000 has been raised from private donors and an additional $101,000 has been pledged. Support from seven foundations amounts to another $320,000 and three grant requests are under consideration. We are now preparing to begin our summer campaign. About one half of the campaign goal of $1,200,000 has been raised.

The appointment of Bridie McGreavy as our first center director was exciting news. She has an MS in environmental studies and conservation biology from Antioch University and a PhD in communications and sustainability science from the University of Maine. She is one of the first graduates of the George Mitchell Center’s Maine Sustainability Solutions Initiative where her research focused on collaboration and resilience in coupled human and natural systems. She brings every skill needed to make the Maine Lake Science Center a significant leader in, and partner for, lake protection. Bridie served as LEA’s educator for ten years so she knows the organization and the Lakes Region well.

Bridie established and chairs our Lake Science Advisory Board and is working with several University of Maine professors on a National Science Foundation citizen science grant and a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration proposal. She has extensive contacts within Maine’s research and academic institutions and is a seasoned grant writer. She will work part-time in 2015 while she completes a research commitment and will transition to full-time in 2016. With the facility progressing well and lead staff established, we are poised to bring the center on line well in advance of the 2020 target. I really look forward to giving you a tour of the center when warm weather finally arrives.”

To learn more about lakefront properties for sale on Highland Lake in Bridgton, click on the green box above.

To learn more about the Bridgton area in the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine, check out the blog links below.

Enjoy Lakefront Living on Highland Lake in Bridgton, Maine

Woods Pond Lakefront Property Owners and the LEA Keeping Milfoil Out

Hikes Near Lakefront Property in Bridgton, Maine

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