Although planet Earth is in the midst of climate instability, it still tilts on its axis, and turns toward the morning. Every day. (Listen to Gordon Bok’s “Turning Toward the Morning,” et al., here.)
And as our planet spins into autumn, our community abounds with warmth, generosity, and mutual Good Trouble. It’s all further proof that we live in a remarkable place, at a singular and important moment—there has never been a more critical time for civil engagement and action. There are lots of ways to do that locally. Read on.
Good Trouble Benefit Concert
CamdenCAN is proud to be the recipient of the proceeds from next Saturday’s Good Trouble Project concert hosted by John and Rachel Nicholas, and featuring Lisa Redfern (see calendar listing, below). As many readers know, CamdenCAN has been working for the last two plus years to get climate conversations—and action—front and center in Camden and Rockport.
We’re excited to be recognized for our efforts, as the concert is the first monetary gift we’ve received to keep our core work going. We’ve put on over 15 Camden Talks Climate events, published over 50 newsletters (with over 550 subscribers), sponsored 4 potlucks, hosted two Food Garden Tours, created a website, hosted biweekly Camden Climate Conversations, and provided public outreach for Camden’s Harbor Resilience Planning Project. (You can read about our other current efforts below, or visit camdencan.org.)
We’d like to give a big thanks to John and Rachel for organizing the concert (and performing!), to Lisa Redfern for performing, and to all of you who can show up on Saturday to support our efforts. If you can’t make it, yet would like to support climate work in Camden/Rockport, we’re hoping to make a contribution option available soon. Email camdencan2025@gmail for direct contact.
Helping One Another Through A Resilient Reading Group
We’re convening a nine-session reading and conversation circle (Tuesday afternoons 4-5 pm at CPL, see more below) designed to help us tighten our connections and create communities of care to help navigate the rough waters ahead.
The first book for discussion will be climate scientist Kate Marvel’s Human Nature: Nine Ways To Feel About Our Changing Planet. Marvel, a NASA scientist, offers a humorous, insightful, and up-to-date analysis of where climate models say we’re heading—and the models’ limitations. The second offering will be Brian McLaren’s Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. Far from a gloomy assessment, McLaren, who was both a pastor and professor of English, provides a handbook for living and thriving, even in uncertain and unstable times. We hope you’ll join us. See more below in the calendar.
Mutual Aid, Energy Coaching, and Emergency Preparedness
Our Community Action grant team (with the Towns of Rockport and Camden) is pleased to announce we’ve hired a Project Manager to oversee the Energy Coaching and Emergency Preparedness Grant. We’re working hard on creating a network of neighbors providing free energy coaching—with the goal of making Camden and Rockport residents more comfortable in their homes and reducing home energy costs. The Emergency Preparedness portion of the grant entails making citizens aware of the existing Emergency Plans (see the draft Knox County Emergency Management Plan 2025 here—signed off on by Rockport Select Board but not yet by the Camden Select Board), and providing emergency planning information for individual homes. We’ll be including these events and plans in upcoming newsletters.
Other Local Actions You Can Take
- The Future of Camden’s Public Landing. Tuesday Night, 9/23/25, 6:30 pm. French Room or virtual. Camden Select Board Public Landing Restroom Discussion.Chime in with your thoughts on whether it makes sense to change to the public restrooms without discussing the Harbor Resilience Plan’s improvements to the entire Public Landing. See the harbor plan here. See the agenda/discussion points for Tuesday night here.
- Become an Energy Coach. Join Camden/Rockport neighbors helping one another. Sign up here. CamdenCAN will have information and training sessions in the coming weeks.
- Take Advantage of CamdenCAN’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor Energy Coaching. Sign up here to learn more.
- Volunteer to Help CMLT with Youth Outdoor Education. See more and register here.
- Take the Less Lawn More Life Challenge—been wondering how to get more life around you? Take this fun, interactive quiz to start the process of rewilding your landscape.
- Maintain Your Heat Pump. There’s much to be said about improving your heat pump and other home heating and cooling systems. This substack (Fall Into Efficiency: Your HVAC Tune-Up Guide for a Sustainable Home) is worth your time.
- Attend NYC Climate Week 2025, virtually, with wide-ranging programs—the topics are far-ranging. Visit the site here.
- Listen to Outrage and Optimism’s recent podcast Beyond the Bad News, Evidence for Climate Optimism.
Upcoming Climate-Changed Local Events
September 22, Monday, TODAY, 5 pm, Zoot’s, Camden. Hear from Natural Resources Council of Maine’s (NRCM) Federal Policy Advocate, Anya Fetcher, and Regional Outreach Coordinator, Nate Hathaway, about what’s at risk for Maine in the proposed federal budget cuts. Connect with others in your community who share a love for Maine’s environment, and grow your advocacy skillset by learning how to write an effective letter to the editor. Light snacks will be available. See more here. (You can attend without preregistering.)
September 23, Tuesday, 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Camden Public Library, CamdenCAN’sResilient Reading Group. Facilitated conversation circle exploring current climate science and all its implications. Come meet others wanting to improve their climate literacy and explore ways to think about living in a climate-changed world. First book will be Kate Marvel’s Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet. Second book will be Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart/Brian D. McLaren. You don’t need to attend all gatherings—drop-ins are welcome. Dates will be 9/23, 10/7, 10/28, 11/11, 11/25, 12/9, 12/23, 1/13/26, 1/27/26. May include a zoom component if needed.
September 27, Saturday, 7:00 pm, Pascal Hall, Rockport, Lisa Redfern and the Good Trouble Project present a Benefit Concert for CamdenCAN. The Good Trouble Project is a series of fundraising concerts founded in 2022 by local singer-songwriters John and Rachel Nicholas that has since put on three to four shows a year featuring singer-songwriters and donating most of their proceeds to local organizations. Lisa Redfern is an award-winning Maine singer songwriter who has 12 solo recordings and has shared the stage with Dave Mallet, Livingston Taylor, Cindy Kallet, The Roches, and many others. Admission is $15. For more info text John at 508-314-1506. See more here.
September 30, Tuesday, 3-4 pm, Camden Public Library. Food Waste in Maine. Susanne Lee, faculty fellow at UMaine’s Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutionswill discuss Food Rescue Maine and lead a conversation about statewide efforts to reduce wasted food by engaging with businesses, institutions, and households. See more here.
October 2, Thursday, 2-5 pm, Bartlett Woods in Rockland, Midcoast Renewable Energy Career Fair. For more see here, or here.
Saturday, October 4, Belfast, Climate Resilience Fair. Details here. EV Car demonstrations.
Concluding Thoughts
We’re fortunate to live in this corner of the world. With you all. Thanks for being part of the local ecosystem. Together we’ll get through.
And thanks for all you do to make this place our mutual home, with plenty of mutual aid.
Happy autumn.