The Frank Knight Foundation has been protecting Yarmouth Maine’s natural environment through tree and forestry education since 2019. By preserving trees and forested areas, they defend against the increasing threats facing this coastal town. Trees prevent erosion along the Royal River and Casco Bay shoreline while filtering pollutants from stormwater. As climate change brings extreme weather, trees absorb rainwater, reduce flooding, cool neighborhoods, provide wildlife habitat, and capture carbon dioxide. The Foundation’s efforts include tree committees, designated tree wardens, and adoption programs, fostering appreciation for natural surroundings and making residents more likely to plant, protect, and advocate for trees. As well, they create woodbanks from downed and salvaged trees, providing fuel assistance while building community. Through education and engagement, they are strengthening Yarmouth’s resilience while maintaining the beauty that defines the picturesque, historic community.
Yarmouth High School students planted almost 20 more trees on school grounds in their third annual tree planting in partnership with the Frank Knight Foundation in 2023.
The all-volunteer non-profit, operated by a four-person board with backgrounds in forestry and environmental studies, is led by founder Rebecca Rundquist, graduate of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. The Foundation works with local institutions on educational programs, including a three-year tree planting collaboration with Yarmouth High School, and established the Yarmouth Tree Committee, a group of residents working on the education, management, and care of trees in town. The organization is also involved in responsible services to cut down trees and set up wood banks for residents, and recently created a new wood bank in the Brunswick/Topsham area. Expanding their scope, the Foundation partnered with the nonprofit Sea Meadow Marine to purchase and preserve a 92-acre parcel of coastal land. Their vision for the working waterfront is to create a green, environmental infrastructure to host aquaculture apprenticeships and training programs.
Cross-section of “Herbie,” a 200-year-old elm tree. Herbie was protected for more than fifty years by Frank Knight, a “tree warden” in Yarmouth who helped Herbie fend off more than 13 cases of Dutch Elm Disease. Before it was cut down, it was the tallest and oldest tree in New England.