Dear John,

December is just around the corner and is one of my favorite months of the year in Maine. Even after twenty years here, my heart still leaps with joy at the first snowfall; I imagine snowball fights, families cross-country skiing, and snowshoe hares putting on their white coats for winter. December, for me, is just as much about reminiscing on the past as it is about looking to the future, a time to slow down and take stock of the previous eleven months while preparing for the twelve to come.

So that’s just what we’ve done.

A few of our staff members wanted to share their favorite Lunch & Learns of the past year. Before they do, I wanted to share that my favorite program was “Spiritual Leadership for a Climate Changed World” because it felt like a deep, restorative, collective breath. Meeting the climate crisis at the scale that science and justice demand is hard, often overwhelming work. It's important to take care of ourselves and each other!

Will Sedlack: “Don’t Texas Maine” because Katie Naranjo was so inspiring and her wakeup call was exactly what I needed to hear. It got me fired up to fight for democracy here in Maine.

Maggie Somers: “Portland by Foot” because I had no idea there was so much rich history, especially Black history, in Maine’s largest city! Plus, Dugan makes history exciting and accessible for all.

Since our programs were viewed over 4,400 times in 2022, we think you might have some favorites, too. Let us know by emailing Maggie Somers!

But we’re not quite done yet for the year.