Mowry Beach

Mowry Beach 45 acres of wetlands, a small freshwater pond, former pasture reverted to alders. 1800 feet of scenic sandy beach frontage on the Lubec Channel with spectacular views across to Roosevelt International Park on Campobello Island, and down the Channel past the "Sparkplug" lighthouse to West Quoddy Head Lighthouse at West Quoddy State Park. .
Local History Once known as the Jabez Mowry Pasture Lot, or the Pauley Woods. An old dike dates from former salt hay and cranberry harvesting. A former pond once hosted ice skaters. A winter carnival once set up between the school and Dewey Street. Today, people often can be seen on the property walking the beautiful sand beach, enjoying the spectacular views, bird watching, or harvesting periwinkles at low tide.

Lubec Consolidated School has recently been awarded an $8,000.00 grant from the Washington County Fund and a component fund of the Maine Community Foundation. These funds will allow Kara McCrimmon, part-time Mowry Beach Project Director, to continue to work with staff and students throughout the 2005-2006 school year.

Initial Trail Clearing Underway at Mowry Beach
Text and photos by Kara McKrimmon

   With the start of a new school year, Lubec students are now in the second stage of the Mowry Beach Project, a cooperative effort among the Quoddy Regional Land Trust, Lubec Consolidated School, and the Cobscook Community Learning Center. Project coordinator Kara McCrimmon said the first step of the project, visioning and planning, started last year as students explored the property and developed ideas for what they would like to see in a trail and where it should go. About one third of the trail between the Lubec School and Mowry Beach is cleared.
   Step two involves clearing an exploratory trail, which the students are working on this fall. Soggy work, as much of the Mowry Beach property is a combination of shrub-alder wetland and cattail marsh. “This is hard work,” said many. “Imaging building the 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail!” remarked one young student. “It’s wet work. We’re learning to use tools correctly. We’re practicing how to work together.”
   Step three of the project involves soliciting grants and private donations to cover the costs of constructing a boardwalk trail from the school to the beach. A boardwalk will protect the Mowry Beach wetland from destructive foot traffic while increasing access for the school and public alike. Once completed, the trail will be used as an outdoor classroom for LCS students and will provide public access for low impact recreation.

Project funding through the 2005-2006 school year is generously provided through grants from the Maine Community Foundation – Washington County Fund and the Davis Conservation Foundation. Purchases of education equipment are made possible by a grant from the Captain Planet Foundation