We received so many exciting and insightful proposals for the 2026 conference. The committee will be selecting and contacting presenters in the coming weeks, and we can’t wait to fill our agenda with fascinating talks and topics to address Real World problems and solutions in stormwater.

While the excitement continues to grow as we plan the conference, sponsorship packages are now open and it’s time to secure your spot! Click here to check out Sponsorship offerings for this year’s Maine Stormwater Conference.

Thank you to all the folks who submitted presentations, and thank you to the Maine Stormwater Conference Committee Members.

Aimee Mountain, GZA

Aubrey Strause, City of South Portland

Cara Belanger, Stillwater Environmental Engineering

Cody Obropta, Maine Department of Environmental Protection

John Kuchinski, City of Lewiston

Martha Sheils, New England Environmental Finance Center

Mary Wicklund, Town of Windham

Mike Everhart, EJ Prescott

Scott Gorneau, Convergent Water Technologies

Ali Clift, CCSWCD

Abby Olszewski, CCSWCD

Chris Brewer, CCSWCD

Kat Kranich Wojcik, CCSWCD

Workshop Descriptions

Heathy Lawn Care Made Easy: Do you want a lawn that’s safe for families, pets, and the environment while saving time and money? Learn how to build healthy soil for healthy lawn with tips on fertilizing, weed and pest management, watering, renovating an unhealthy lawn, and more. Whether you maintain your lawn or hire a professional, round up your neighbors and join us!

From Lawns to Landscapes: Learn how to swap your lawn and associated maintenance for pollinator gardens, vegetative buffers, edible landscapes, groundcovers, rain gardens, and other natural landscapes you can choose from to make your yard work for you.

The Climate Caretakers at First Parish Church will hold a presentation on resilient lawns on Friday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Gorham homeowner and advocate for sustainable gardening, John Ersek, will share information on native grasses and wildflowers. Robyn Landes of the City of South Portland's Sustainability Department will speak, along with Lia Farnham, veteran volunteer and program coach with "100 Resilient Yards," a popular program in South Portland.

The presentation will be on Friday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at First Parish Church, 1 Church Street, Gorham (entrance next to lower parking lot). Free and open to the public.

This workshop is intended for landowners interested in learning about backyard invasive plants and invasive pest species. Topics covered will include how to identify invasive species, their history, their impacts, and how you can manage and eradicate them.

Westbrook City Forest 
Saturday, March 21, 2026 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
$5 per person

Participants should be able to traverse up to a mile of uneven walking trails that may covered in storm weather elements (snow, ice, rain, leaves, etc.). Please dress accordingly to outside conditions. 

Kristie Munson, CCSWCD's Educator, will be leading this workshop. Kristie has dual Master of Education and Master of Science degrees in Environmental Education and Resource Management of a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. Kristie has extensive experience in invasive species management and helps provide urban agriculture technical assistance services when she isn't providing lessons in the local schools or conducting workshops. 

This workshop is partially funded through a National Association of Conservation District's Urban Agriculture Technical Assistance Grant. 

The City of South Portland is seeking volunteer coaches to join the Resilient Yards community!

In its fourth year, the South Portland Resilient Yards Program will continue its focus on replacing lawn areas with native habitat gardens. Volunteer coaching positions are open to anyone who has an enthusiasm to learn about native plants and build relationships with community members. After undergoing a series of trainings, coaches are paired with South Portland residents and collaborate with them to get started in cultivating a resilient landscape. Coaches will share information about native plants, offer advice for how to maintain native habitat gardens, answer questions, and help participants design and install native habitat gardens with program resources.

Learn more and apply by March 20th: Apply here. 

"Invasive species threaten Maine's environment, economy, and way of life," says Governor Mills. "Through prevention, early detection, and rapid response, we can help protect our forests, waters, agriculture, and outdoor heritage for generations to come." Because Maine is a big state, we need all Mainers to be on the lookout for invasive species and take an active role in mitigating their spread."

In her proclamation, Governor Mills noted that invasive species can damage lakes and rivers, forests, crops, and infrastructure, and pose risks to human health and wildlife habitat. The proclamation recognizes the collective work of state agencies, lake associations, conservation organizations, and local partners who help manage invasive species and support Maine communities and businesses. Most importantly, she recognizes the efforts of everyday citizens who notice something different in their yard, lake, forest, or field and report it to a local organization. Early detection is critical.

Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) is seeking proposals from qualified professionals and/or firms (“Service Providers”) in conducting a Stream Corridor and Habitat Assessment in 2026 of Trout Brook and Kimball Brook located in South Portland and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. These assessments are to update data referenced in the 2012 Trout Brook Watershed Management Plan which included a Stream Corridor Assessment completed in 2011 and a Rapid Habitat Assessment completed in 2003. 

Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District and Portland Water District staff met at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Casco Fish Hatchery to pick up 6,000 brook trout eggs for 11 schools to raise in their classrooms before releasing into local streams this spring.

Despite the extreme cold this week, the trout are already "strongly eyed" (large and dark) inside the egg, meaning they'll likely start hatching before February Vacation instead of after.

Are you looking to get involved in your community in 2026?

Do you want to ensure clean water and healthy soils in your community for generations to come?

The District Board is seeking Board candidates to help guide on-the-ground soil and water conservation efforts in our community’s lakes, streams, farms, and yards.

Our Board meets every third Wednesday evening of the month for a 1-2 hour meeting to discuss financial and program decisions to better support District staff. Board members are also welcome to support the District by volunteering on programmatic subcommittees like the Strategic Planning, Maine Stormwater Conference, Youth Education, and Parking Lot Demonstration Garden committees.

Board members must be a resident of Cumberland County.

Could you be a good fit?

Send us an email:
cbrewer@cumberlandswcd.org

The District was awarded a grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts in 2024 to create eight demonstration gardens highlighting different conservation landscaping practices in the District office parking lot area. During 2025, our staff provided free workshops for residents, businesses, and municipalities focused on building healthy soils, managing stormwater, creating wildlife habitat, preventing erosion, increasing food production, and many other conservation practices that can be applied to yards, commercial spaces, and public lands. Each workshop focused on one or two of the demonstration gardens so attendees could learn more about the conservation practices before going outside to meet the plants and practice using tools, installation methods, and maintenance methods.

The NACD grant funds helped the District purchase and grow over 50 species of native plants, acquire gardening tools and equipment for workshop attendees and staff to use; set up each demonstration site, and develop workshops, factsheets, and other educational resources to incorporate into the District’s YardScaping program. This project continued strengthening and creating new community relationships with municipalities from three counties as a valuable training and educational resource in additional our YardScaping nonprofit and local business partners. The general feedback from District visitors and project attendees was very positive, with many returning for workshops on the other demonstration gardens.

What’s Next?

We will utilize what we made during the grant project to continue providing seasonal demonstration garden workshops, District garden workdays, technical assistance site visits, garden center partnerships, and other YardScaping educational resources. District staff will start sowing seeds in early 2026 to plant into sheet mulched areas, raised beds, and areas being managed for invasive plants. Once the snow melts, we’re excited to continue adding to our gardens to showcase more conservation landscaping techniques and variations that our community members can utilize on their own properties and support through larger community initiatives.

Demonstration gardens included:

Bioswales - A bioswale is a shallow channel with tall and dense grasses and perennial flowers. They are often located next to roadways and parking lots. They slow down stormwater runoff to help filter out pollutants and allow water to soak into the ground.

Cover Crops - Cover crops are planted to improve soil conditions between crop plantings and to prevent soil erosion. Cover crops should be composted into the soil to increase soil organic matter, nutrients, moisture capacity, reduce compaction, and help suppress some pests and weeds.

Groundcover Plants - A groundcover is a low-growing plant with dense foliage, typically spreading wider than they are tall. They provide topsoil with a layer of protection which helps prevent erosion, controls weeds, and reduces maintenance activities like mowing and watering.

Pollinator Gardens - A pollinator garden is planted with native flowering perennials and shrubs that support wildlife by providing food, water, and shelter that mimics their natural habitat. To attract as many pollinators as possible, plants are selected to offer flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors from early spring through late fall.

Rain Gardens - A rain garden is a shallow depression that is filled with moisture-tolerant plants to collect, treat, and absorb stormwater. They help prevent localized flooding and erosion, intercept pollutants, and provide habitat for wildlife.

Raised Beds - A raised bed garden increases gardening accessibility and food production. They can be used to customize soils to desired crops, improve crop drainage, reduce weeds, and extend the growing season.

Salt-Tolerant Gardens - A salt-tolerant garden uses plants that tolerate salt spray and soils with high salt content such as coastal regions and along roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. Many salt-tolerant plants are also drought-resistant, tolerant of poor soil quality, and assist in shoreline stabilization.

Vertical Gardens - A vertical garden can be plants that naturally grow very tall or vines supported by a vertical structure, such as a trellis or a lattice. This is an ideal garden type for those focused on space-saving options or looking to transform unused vertical space. They can also help insulate buildings, reduce noise pollution, provide passive cooling, and increase food production.

The Portland wastewater facility actually produces two end products: millions of gallons of clean water, which flow in Casco Bay, and hundreds of tons of treated biosolids.  Portland’s wastewater treatment facility is Maine’s largest. Eleven pumping stations located around the city help to move wastewater to the facility. Since first opening in 1979, Portland’s facility has been expanded and modified in order to handle more wastewater and provide additional protection to Casco Bay.

In fact, the Portland facility is key to protecting the entire Casco Bay watershed. Four million tons of septage from private septic systems in Naples, Casco, Bridgton, Yarmouth and others are received for treatment every year.

Yes, Maine’s largest wastewater treatment facility is working efficiently and effectively to keep our water clean, safe and healthy. You can even see that for yourself, because right around the corner from the facility is Portland’s East End Beach, which is once again safe for swimming and boating. And just on the other side of the Eastern Prom, Back Cove has become a popular place for exercise and recreation. (Portland Water District)