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A guide to Freeport’s most attractive Ecotourism

businesses, activities, and services.

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Freeport is located in southern

Maine just a few miles inland from

Casco Bay (GPS- 43.857325,-

70.102769). It is centrally located

between today‟s largest city in

Maine, Portland, and the State

Capital, Augusta and home to about

8500 people. Settlers first came to

the area because of its great

geography. Inland there are a

number of streams and rivers that

flow into the sea through thick rock

hills and deep cutting peninsulas

Freeport Historical Society (1) .

The sea and rivers were the main

highways. Locating in the

Freeport area made for easier

routes for settlers to get around.

Freeport, Maine (originally part of

North Yarmouth) was established in

1789 because enough families had

settled in the area to support its

own church Freeport Historical Society

(2).

TTHHEE PPAASSTT 110000 YYEEAARRSS

Shipbuilding was one of the main industries. Many famous ships were

built off the docks in Freeport, including the Hornet, sailed by Captain Josiah

Mitchell in what began as a trip around the horn to San Francisco and turned

into a 43 day - 4,000 mile adventure landing in Hawaii. Along with

shipbuilding, Freeport housed a brickyard, gristmill, sawmill, and saltwater

hay farm. Freeport was also home to farming, trading, fishing and canning,

and manufacturing industries Freeport Historical Society (3) .

Freeport Corner was the farming and trading center of town. There

were stores and professionals services. These buildings and stores were the

beginnings for the architecture and quaint feel of today‟s Main Street/Route 1.

The area was able to maintain its comfortable and cozy atmosphere due

to its interesting way of manufacturing goods. In the 1870‟s-1880‟s large

shipments of material for clothing were brought in from New York and

Boston. The women in town would sew together the garments at home, rather

than at the shop saving money for the manufacturer owners by not having to

provide space for its workers Freeport Historical Society (4) .

During the same time one of town‟s true founders, E.B. Mallet, created

the beginnings of Main Street that are still familiar today. He acquired a very

large inheritance. He bought large parcels of land, built many buildings,

developed some nearby granite quarries, a sawmill, a brickyard, a gristmill, a

coal yard, and a decent sized general store. A few years down the line he

continued to build with a large shoe factory. The shoe factory encouraged

other factories to locate to the area. E.B. built those factories for companies

such as A.W. Shaw Freeport Historical Society (5)

TTHHEE LLAATTEE 11889900 ’’SS –– 11996600 ’’SS

E.B. Mallet was given the permission to develop a water district with

sewers and hydrants. This was a key factor that led to more and more

companies in service and retail move into the area. Hotels and vacation

resorts began to fill in along the coastline Freeport Historical Society (6) .

In 1903 the Casco Castle

Hotel and Amusement Park was

built on the coast near the trolley

line in what is today South

Freeport. It was easily accessible

to day visitors and vacationers

Freeport Historical Society (7) .

The hotel prospered, but burned to the ground in 1914. Other hotels and inn‟s

took its place and more and more visitors began to vacation in the area.

In the early 1900‟s Guy and LL Bean moved into the area and opened

the „Walkover Shoe Store‟ across Main Street from todays L.L. Bean stores.

In 1912 L.L. founded his company based on the popular „Maine Hunting

Shoe‟. One of his first orders of action was obtaining a list of, “nonresident

Maine hunting license holders, prepared a descriptive mail order circular, set

up a shop in his brother‟s basement . . . and started a nationwide mail order

business.” (Wikipedia - L.L. Bean (8)). The original L.L. Bean store opened

in 1917, and adjusted its hours to 24 hours a day in 1951. The store inventory

expanded into clothing, camping gear, fishing gear and much more.

11996600 ’’SS TTOO TTOODDAAYY

“As L.L. Bean‟s reputation began to blossom and they were becoming

known across the nation as a quality retailer, that put the spotlight on

Freeport,” (Americanprofile.com (9) ). In 1982, Dansk China Company sited

an outlet in town. That year Freeport became one of the nation‟s first outlet

shopping locations.

Dale Olmstead, who was the town manager during that time, realized

the popularity and potential of the retail centers and helped to put a design

review ordinance in place. Some of the rules and restrictions included using

carved and painted wooden signs, no neon signs were allowed. Buildings were

required to „blend in‟ with already existing architectural style

Freeportecon.com (10) . For example: McDonald‟s wanted to move into

town, after many discussions, they were allowed to move into the old heritage

building on the corner of Mallett Drive and Route 1. The building today

literally looks like a classically maintained Victorian house, but inside is a

typical McDonalds.

The retail stores and service stores exploded into town and created the

Mecca of tourism as seen today.

Retailers and companies continue to relocate to Freeport because of its

consistent high traffic counts, easy access from major towns and cities, and

secure business environment.

- Traffic counts average 15,000 vehicles per day and continue to

remain one of the highest points of daily traffic along I295 (one of

our major highways) throughout Maine.

- Freeport is about 20 minutes north of Portland and the International

Airport, marine terminal, and passenger rail service with easy

access by car or boat

- L.L.Bean has partnered with the Town of Freeport and the Freeport

Economic Development Corporation to, “position the Town as the

primary destination in Maine for the long term.” –

Freeportecon.com (11)

Not only are businesses supported by town policies and guidelines, but

they have access to, “One of the most advanced, highly reliable

telecommunications and energy utility infrastructures in the nation

(Freeportecon.com (12))” and also have the choice to join in various other

community groups such as Freeport Merchants Association and Freeport

Village Community.

Main and Bow Street – early 1900‟s

Main and Bow Street - 2008

FutureFreeport.com

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Holding the top position for tourist destinations in the state, Freeport

hosts 3.5 million visitors a year grossing over $300 million in revenue. As

stated earlier, because of L.L. Bean‟s popularity, the town of Freeport became

well-known across the country and world. After having some big name

brands locate large stores in town, hundreds of other stores joined in. The big

pull has always been the LL Bean complex of stores, but now there are stores

like Mangy Moose and Cool as a Moose which house goods solely based on

Maine themes (moose, lobster, pine trees) or items that are solely made in

Maine (blueberry jam, soy candles and much more). Companies continue to

be attracted to the area for the established visitor traffic. Today Freeport

boasts over 400 businesses from retail, lodging, dining, entertainment, and

much more.

CCUURRRREENNTT TTOOUURRIISSMM PPAACCKKAAGGEESS

The Freeport Merchants Association has really taken off. They have

partnered with many businesses in town to create some fun and affordable

visitor packages. For example: The Kayaking Adventure Package with the

Hilton Garden Inn. For $239 you get 1 night room and a half -day kayak tour

and demonstration with LL Bean experts at the LL bean Discovery School.

This package includes some meals and shopping. For a full list of available

packages visit FreeportUSA.com (13).

Freeport is home to over 20 hotels, motels, Inns, Bed & Breakfasts, and

cozy campgrounds ranging from a tent camp sites and camper access to a

Super 8 and Holiday Inn Express to the sophisticated Harraseeket Inn. Prices

range from $26 for a clean wooded campsite to $299 + for a stylishly

decorated hotel room.

Lodging in Freeport

Applewood Inn

www.applewoodusa.com Best Western Freeport Inn

www.freeport inn.com Brewster House Bed & Breakfast

www.brewsterhouse.com

Captain Briggs House Bed & Breakfast

www.captainbriggs.com

Casco Bay Inn www.cascobayinn.com

Comfort Sui tes www.freeportcomfortsui tes.com

Cottage in the Woods www.freeportcottage.com

Freeport Cl ipper Inn Bed & Breakfast

www.freeportc l ipperinn.com

Hampton Inn and Gatehouse Banquet & Conference Center

www.freeportme.hamptoninn.com

Harraseeket Inn www.harraseeket inn.com

Hi l ton Garden Inn Freeport Downtown

www.FreeportDowntown.HGI.com

Hol iday Inn Express Hotel & Sui tes

The James Place Inn www.jamesplaceinn.com

Kendal l Tavern Inn Bed & Breakfast

www.kendal l tavern.com

Maine Idyll Motor Court www.maineidyll .com

Nicholson Inn www.nicholsoninn.com

Recompence Shore Campsi tes www.freeportcamping.com

Summer House www.summerhouseapartments.com

The Vil lage Inn www.freeportv i l lageinn.com

White Cedar Inn www.whi tecedarinn.com

Wolf Neck Bed & Breakfast www.wol fneckbb.com

Majority of the area‟s overnight visitors come from either Massachusetts or

Canada with visitors from New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut,

Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island not trailing far behind . However, there are

also a decent percentage of visitors coming from areas as far as California and

overseas (University of Maine (14)).

IITT’’SS NNOOTT EEAASSYY BBEEIINNGG AA

Ecotourism is about, “uniting conservation, communities, and

sustainable travel (The International Ecotourism Society (15))”, while providing a

positive experience for both locals and tourists. It isn‟t easy to spot the

businesses, operations, and activities in the area that support the key points of

ecotourism and sustainability. In the following pages we‟ll take a look at

many of the places to stay, play, and shop in town, as well as some new ideas

on how to boost your eco level while vacationing or visiting here . We‟ve

asked the following questions about the businesses, places, and services,

listed below, to determine their sustainability and ecotourism level.

Questions:

1) Is the store or business locally owned and operated?

2) Does the business or service support the community and local

culture?

3) Does the business or service provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for guests, and visitors?

4) Does the business or service provide a pleasant work environment and

educational opportunities for employees?

5) Is the business environmentally conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to conserve natural resources?

If the business or service would get a „yes‟ for only 1 question then their

score is 1. If the business or service would get a „yes‟ for all 5 questions then

their score is 5. Each number will be represented by the symbol. You‟ll

notice that we‟ve only included places that rank at 3 or higher in this section,

to ensure that the key points of ecotourism are being addressed.

LL Bean

http://www.llbean.com

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES:

LL Bean‟s Chairman of the Board

is Leon Gorman (L.L. Bean‟s

Grandson). Other family members

continue to serve on the Board of

Director‟s and hold various other

positions throughout the company.

LL bean employs about 5400

people full-time and upwards of

12,000 people during the holiday

season. Majority of the full-time

and seasonal employees live within

30 miles of the store.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES:

LL Bean has given millions

of dollars to local organizations

and projects to encourage

conservation. Some partner

organizations and programs include

the Trust for Public Land‟s

Katahdin Lake Campaign in Maine,

donating nine-acres to Freeport for

a new town park, helping the

Friends of Acadia group to protect

the air quality in Acadia National

Park, and supporting groups like

the Coastal Conservation

Association and Maine Audubon

Society LL Bean (16). LL Bean has

also donated millions of dollars

and, “is committed to supporting

dozens of health and human service

agencies, education partnerships

and culture and arts organizations

within the communities where the

majority of employees live and

work (LL Bean (17)).” For example:

the company supports organizations

like the Portland Symphony

Orchestra and the Maine State

Music Theatre as well as the local

programs managed by the United

Way of Maine.

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? YES

LL Bean as a company is a

key business that is working

towards being a largely sustainable

and community based organization.

As many of us know, LL Bean has

made its name known worldwide

because of its large direct mail

marketing campaigns through

colorful brochures and magazines.

With the realization of huge losses

of forests and habitats due to clear-

cutting for paper and other uses, LL

Bean has put into place some new

policies to minimize their impact

on woodlands. They have

instituted a policy that 90% of the

fiber in their catalogs is sourced

from a certified system and also

contains at least 20% recycled

fibers. Company wide, they use

100% recycled paper for copiers

and printers. They have installed

motion sensors in most of their

corporate offices for lighting and

added recycling bins to all public

and office areas. As renovations

and upgrades are needed,

appliances and other items are

replaced with Energy Star Rated

appliances and low-flow fixtures.

All future buildings are built to

LEED standards, with most

reaching the Silver certification

level.

Since 1982 LL Bean has used

solar power to heat all the hot

water for all corporate offices and

purchase 30% of their remaining

electric power from „renewable

energy‟ sources in Maine. The

operations department is also

looking into the use of wind, geo-

thermal, co-generation, wood pellet

boilers, and more solar power to

curb their energy usage. LL Bean

is also working to adjust their fuel

usage. They have converted their

entire truck fleet to biodiesel, and

added the first hybrid vehicle to the

fleet.

LL Bean recycles 82 % of all

wastes, and any office supplies that

are no longer needed are donated to

a local nonprofit group that

distributes supplies to public

schools around the state. They

have switched from plastic

shopping bags to paper bags made

from 100% recycled materials, as

well as provide re-usable tote

shopping bags all throughout every

store.

They have purchased a new

machine nicknamed the „pelletizer‟

that takes left-over plastic and

scraps from their shipping

warehouses and turns them into

plastic pellets; which get sent back

to the manufacturer of their

shipping materials to create new

shipping bags.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

Concerning its employees,

LL Bean, “is committed to selling

products that are manufactured

under legal, safe and fair working

conditions. To this end, we have a

well-established labor „code of

conduct‟ that serves as a basis of

our vendor relationships. LL Bean

(18)” Bean‟s employee benefits

range from a fair wage range,

medical benefits, and access to

many company run training and

education programs.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? YES

Bean is completely focused

on its customers and their

satisfaction. All of its products and

recreational based programs

(Outdoor Discovery School) are

geared towards educating the public

about the beauty of the outdoors;

how to protect it, but also enjoy it

in a safe and healthy way. For

more details on LL Beans Outdoor

Discovery School and its programs

check out pages 24 and 25.

Other Fun Facts:

During the summer the

company offers a „Summer Concert

Series‟ every Saturday night free to

the public with bands such as Blues

Traveler and the Indigo Girls.

They host various themed weekends

throughout the year with free

demonstrations and clinics,

example is the LL Bean Hunting

Expo. The company hosts a

Northern Lights celebration from

Thanksgiving until New Years Day

where they have wintertime

activities including horse-drawn

carriage rides, and a tree lighting

ceremony. LL Bean (19)

Mast Landing Sanctuary -

http://www.maineaudubon.org/explore/center

s/mastlanding.shtml

“Located one mile from downtown

Freeport . . . The 140-acre

sanctuary consists of open fields,

salt marsh, an apple orchard,

freshwater stream, and mature

evergreen forest. “

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The caretakers of the

sanctuary live in the old

„Millmaster‟s House‟ located inside

the 140 acres. The parent

organization of the sanctuary is the

Maine Audubon Society which is

based out of the neighboring town

of Falmouth, Maine and manages a

total of one seasonal and 2 year-

round centers and 8 sanctuaries and

camps.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES

The Mast Landing Sanctuary

(and all other managed sanctuaries

of the Maine Audubon Society) was

put in place to offer a preserved

space for birds in the region to nest

and breed as well as a specific

place for the public to learn and

explore an array of environments.

In addition to offering these public

spaces to the community, they

provide a summer day camp and

educational programs for adults.

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? YES

The Mast Landing Sanctuary

was created to help conserve

natural resources and create a

sustainable and pleasant

environment for local birds,

wildlife and plant life .

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

The Mast Landing Sanctuary

and Maine Audubon Society recruit

Environmental Education

Assistants/Junior Counselors

between the ages of 14-18 every

summer to assist with their summer

day camps. Each volunteer is

required to attend leadership

training and some training on the

nature programs.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? YES

The Mast Landing Sanctuary

hosts the Mast Landing Camp every

summer for children in grades 2

through 20th

. The camp focuses on

natural history exploration and

education and involves other

activities like hiking, canoeing and

sea kayaking. The Sanctuary also

provides well-marked walking

trails with posted signs detailing

information on the mammals and

birds you may see while on the

property. The Maine Audubon

Society also hosts many seasonal

nature explorations on the

Sanctuary property as well as at the

other centers and sanctuaries it

manages.

Some of the educational programs

offered are:

- Nature Neighbors – ages

6-7 = children

investigate the local

plants and animals

through group activities

and outdoor exploration

activities

- Aquatic Adventures –

ages 8-10 = children

investigate nearby tidal

pools, streams, and

coastal ecosystems

The Freeport Historical

Society-

http://freeporthistoricalsociety.org/home

The Freeport Historical Society is

located at 45 Main Street in the

Harrington House. The Harrington

House holds the exhibits, research

and archives, and main offices.

The Society‟s mission is to,

“collect and preserve; research and

exhibit; and teach and advocate the

history of Freeport, Maine (Freeport

Historical Society (20)).”

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The Society is managed by local

representatives and has a large

number of local residents that

volunteer as members to help with

various positions like committee

leaders.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES

The Society directly supports the

community and local culture by

preserving and educating about the

rich history of the area. “FHS

actively preserves buildings,

archival materials and artifacts of

historical importance while

encouraging similar efforts within

the community; undertakes research

and develops educational programs

and exhibits which explore and

interpret Freeport‟s history; and

encourages related community

activities which keep our rich past

present (Freeport Historical Society-

Mission Statement (21)).”

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? NO

Although the Society is located in

the restored Harrington House and

they have restored the Pettengill

Farm, they do not have any strict

policies for conserving natural

resources. They have only three

full-time employees and may not

have the need for strict policies at

this point.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

The Society consists of three full -

time employees and many local

resident volunteers and members.

The staff, volunteers, and members

help to put together many

educational programs on Freeport‟s

History as well as workshops on

Pie Making and Stone Wall

building and much more. All

members, volunteers, and

employees are welcome to attend

any of these events.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? YES

The Freeport Historical Society not

only provides tours of the exhibits

and Pettengill Farm, but they offer

workshops like those listed above

and Village Walking tours

throughout the summer. The

Society has even introduced a new

project „Community Ideas and

Input on 2010 Public Programs and

Exhibits‟. They are asking for

thoughts and ideas from local

residents to help create the

programs for 2010.

Freeport Wild Bird

Supply -

http://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/

Freeport Wild Bird Supply is

much more than just a store to buy

bird seed and supplies. It‟s a place

to get together with other‟s who

have a passion for birds and the

outdoors to learn and share ideas.

The store has an extensive

collection of books, full range of

binoculars, birdfeeders and houses

and much more.

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The store is locally owned by

Jeannette and Derek Lovitch, who

both have extensive careers as

biologists and naturalists.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? NO

The business definitely

supports the community and local

culture by participating in many

town activities as well as offering

some fantastic free educational

activities to locals and visitors .

However, they do not have a fully-

integrated program to support the

community like fundraising or

charity events.

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? NO

The business has created an

organic outdoor bird space just

outside their doors to protect the

property around the store. They

work to conserve any water they

may use, use CFL light bulbs in

their overhead lights, and recycle at

every opportunity. However,

because the store is located in a

small shopping center, they are not

allowed to upgrade their heat and

electric systems to something more

earth friendly. As their business

grows, they may be able to move

into a building where they can use

sustainably harvested materials to

build the store and alternative fuels

and energy to run the store.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

Derek, the owner, is the

main guide for all of the

educational programs offered out of

the store. The employees (although

there aren‟t many because of the

stores small size), do join Derek on

many of his workshops and walks

to help and learn about the birds

and environment.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? YES

Not only do they offer an

extensive supply of bird feed for

your home or business, but they

offer birding adventures throughout

the state for individuals and groups

(many of which are free or low

cost)

- Free Bird Walks -

Saturday mornings

(8:00am), may include a

short trip to a local spot

of interest

- Hawkwatch at Bradbury

Mountain - held from

March through May daily

- Tours and Workshops -

Monhegan Island

Migration Weekend

Workshop, Backyard

Birdfeeding Programs,

and much more Freeport

Wild Bird Supply (22) - private guide services are

offered as well

Harraseeket Inn –

http://www.harraseeketinn.com

The Inn is a pet-friendly

luxurious country inn just up Main

Street from LL Bean.

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The Inn is owned by the

Gray family who lives nearby. All

full-time and seasonal employees

are from nearby towns .

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES

The Inn is very conscious of

its position in the community and

works hard to maintain a great

relationship with other businesses

and the townspeople. One great

example of support for the

community is that the Inn has

offered many lobster specials on

their menu at reasonable prices for

guests, with a high profit for the

local lobsterman that they buy

from. The lobster industry is

seeing a decline in need recently

and many businesses in Maine are

working hard to keep the men

employed. The Harraseeket and

their restaurant, the Broad Arrow

Tavern are firm believers of using

organic and locally grown produce,

meats, dairy, fish, poultry and

grains. They, “believe that

supporting Maine‟s farmers,

fisherman, and growers will help

preserve open space and keep

Maine unique and special

(Harraseeket Inn (23) ).” They are very

proud of their local partners and

even list many of the farms they

purchase their items from on their

website.

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? YES

The Harraseeket Inn is a

Partner Member of the Green

Hotels Association and has

received its environmental

leadership certification by the state

of Maine. With this partnership

and certification, the hotel is

committed to the conservation of

water and energy, recycling, and

reducing wastes.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? NO

The Inn certainly provides a

pleasant work environment for

guests, but doesn‟t offer any

strictly environment-related

educational opportunities to

employees.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? NO

The Inn provides a very

pleasant and luxurious atmosphere

for guests, especially with their

full-menu of organic and healthy

options and many spots for

relaxation and comfort. The Inn

offers many different packages

related to relaxation and shopping,

but only offer 1 educational

opportunity to learn how

lobsterman haul in traps. With the

Inn‟s great location on Main Street

and its perfect position with the

local community there are many

more opportunities that they can

dive in to, to offer their guests.

Laughing Stock Farm –

http://www.laughingstockfarm.com

The farm is a, “four season,

certified organic farm located in

Freeport, Maine (Laughing Stock Farm

(24)).” The farm has 17,000 square

feet of greenhouses, sitting on just

under 2 acres, to handle a lively

winter crop and 8 additional acres

of land outside for the spring and

summer season of farming. They

provide a summer and winter share

CSA to residents in the area with

healthy, organic, and locally grown

products.

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The owner, Lisa Turner, has

been living in Maine much of her

life. 10 years ago she started

farming on about one fifth of an

acre. Over the years her crops

yielded enough to expand her farm

to the 10 acres that it is today.

Lisa, her husband Ralph, their three

children, a college intern, and 1

full-time, and up to 8 local seasonal

employees take care of all of the

farming today. They also use the

services of local friends for things

like the photography for their

website.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES

Laughing Stock Farm

directly supports the community by

supplying local restaurants, retail,

and residential households with

certified organic produce, peonies

and other items. They serve Maine

in businesses from Portland to

Brunswick.

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? YES

The farm is certified organic

and follows the strict regulations

and rules to keep certified year in

and year out. The family is very

concerned with their impacts on the

environment and research many

ways of using alternative energy to

continue a lively business, but to

also limit their footprint on the

planet.

In order to run their farm all

year long, they need to heat their

17,000 square foot greenhouses.

The family has done much research

on how to heat without using oil.

They chose to stay away from

wood-stoves and boilers and have

turned towards using leftover oil

from local restaurants and

businesses (used cooking oil or

UCO) to heat using two „Clean

Burn‟ furnaces. Doing this has not

only saved money for both the farm

and the local restaurants (normally

there is a disposal fee charged to

restaurants for the oil), but it has

almost completely eliminated the

farms need for fossil fuels or wood

and has eliminated other

transportation costs and pollution

produced to dispose of and treat the

oil. The family continues to look at

others ways to conserve water and

resources as well.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

Their seasonal employees are

provided with fair wages and direct

training on how to properly work

the farm and conserve resources.

Their full-time employee is paid a

fair wage and provided with

medical benefits and paid vacation

days.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? NO

Although the farm provides a

pleasant atmosphere for anyone

stopping by, there are no specific

educational opportunities for

visitors to partake in. The research

that the family has done on biofuels

etc. is posted in detail on the farm‟s

website with details including full

reports with pictures and

commentary, but no direct

opportunities for visitors are

available at this time. For the

future, the farm has the capacity to

give tours and lectures on their

findings and projects relating to

biofuel.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State

Park -

Wolfe‟s Neck Woods State Park is

located a few miles east of town on

Casco Bay. The park‟s 233 acres,

“contains varied ecosystems,

including climax white pine and

hemlock forests, a salt marsh

estuary, and the rocky shorelines on

Casco Bay and the Harraseeket

River. Maine State Parks (25)”

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The park is run by state

appointed park rangers and local

volunteers that help to maintain the

grounds give tours and lectures.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES

The purpose of creating the

park was to preserve and maintain a

natural place for the community

and visitors to enjoy.

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? YES

The park management is very

conscious of the impact of its

employees and guests on property

and has many recycle bins, trash

bins, and dog waste disposal bins to

encourage a clean and sustainable

park. They also do a number of

trash/overgrowth cleaning days

throughout the year. These days

are for clean up of any human trash

as well as overgrowth of weeds and

dead plants to ensure a healthy safe

environment for the wildlife and

the human visitors.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

The state government

provides continuing education

opportunities for the park rangers

as well as short limited training

programs for any volunteers during

the summer season.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? YES

Wolfe‟s Neck is home to a

stately pair of nesting osprey,

beautiful views of the surrounding

islands and peninsula, and many

hiking opportunities to see other

plants and animals. The park is

home to Casco Bay Trail that

follows the coast and provides

many interpretive panels describing

the different ecosystems, osprey

and other birds, and of the other

nearby islands.

One-hour guided nature

walks are scheduled throughout the

season everyday at 2:00pm. The

walks are free with park admission

(pricing from $1.00 for ages 5-11

to $4.50 for adult non-residents)

and cover topics such as: Tide

Pools, Osprey Watch, and Secrets

of the Shore (Maine.gov Park Information

(26))

Wolfe’s Neck Woods

Farm -

http://www.wolfesneckfarm.org/

Wolfe‟s Neck Woods Farm is

a, “626 acre, nonprofit, saltwater

education and demonstration farm

located on Casco Bay . . . that

focuses on the preservation of open

space combined with sustainable

agriculture in an area that is under

constant pressure for development.

Wolfe's Neck Farm (27)”

Is the store or business locally

owned and operated? YES

The farm is partnered and

managed partially by the Pineland

Farms Natural Meats Company

(based out of New Gloucester,

Maine a few towns over) to oversee

all of their organic and grain fed

livestock. The farm educational

programs and location in Freeport

are managed and run by local

executive and full-time staff.

Does the business or service

support the community and local

culture? YES

The farm hosts many local events

to support the community including

events for local artists and families:

- ArtFest - 50 local artists

and crafters exhibit and

sell their creations at the

Old Town Hall in

Freeport

- Annual Night Tree

Program and Chili Lunch

- held in December,

offers children the

opportunity to, “make

natural tree decorations

for the birds. They then

decorate trees along our

hiking trails, enjoy a

bonfire, and listen to a

reading of the children‟s

classic „The Night Tree‟.

Wolfe's Neck Farm (28)”

- The Spring Gala and

Auction - features a meal

of award winning

Wolfe‟s Neck Natural

Beef, a silent auction,

and a live auction held at

the Harraseeket Inn

- 2nd

Annual Golf Outing

to benefit the farm to

protect the land with

sustainable agriculture,

environmental education,

and recreation

Is the business environmentally

conscious and follow sustainable

practices, including helping to

conserve natural resources? YES

The farm has strict policies

on how they grow produce and

raise livestock on their property.

All products raised or grown on

property are done organically with

no pesticides, hormones, or

genetically altered substances. All

products minimize soil erosion;

protect the quality of the soil,

groundwater, and bay water.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant work

environment and educational

opportunities for employees? YES

Many of their „employees‟

are actually local volunteers that

help with caring for the animals

and grounds, help with the

educational programs, and even

help with office duties. All

volunteers are provided with an

orientation to the farm and its

programs and are allowed to attend

many of the farm events and

programs free of charge. The full-

time staff are paid an acceptable

annual salary with health benefits

and are encouraged to participate in

continuing education workshops

and activities throughout their

career.

Does the business or service

provide a pleasant atmosphere and

educational opportunities for

guests, and visitors? YES

More than 20,000 children and

adults visit the Farm to participate

in farm run programs each yet. The

farm has a full line-up of

educational classes for all age

ranges.

- Pumpkin Science I and II

- gather pumpkins from

the farm fields and

dissect them to learn

about plant life cycles

- Do-It-Yourself series -

classes like Make Your

Own Mozzarella, Worm

Composting, Make Your

Own Marmalade,

Beeswax Products

o Pricing includes

materials and

range from $10-

$25.00 per class

- Winter Lecture Series -

hour and a half lectures

on a particular topic held

at the farm Wolfe's Neck

Farm (29) .

o Examples of past

lectures include

the „Future of

Sustainability‟

series with

lectures on the

Future of Wind

Power, Maine

Based Energy,

Virtual Tour of

Solar homes in

Maine, and

Converting to

Solar Electric &

Thermal systems

- Summer Day Camp and

Junior Counselor

Programs

- April Vacation Camp

- Spring Farm School -

includes courses like

Animals on the Farm I

and II, nature walks,

saltwater wetlands and

much more

The farm also has many preserved

nature trails throughout its acreage,

as well as a beautiful oceanfront

campground, Recompence Shore

Campground, with 115 sites and

cottages

(http://www.freeportcamping.com).

Locally Owned, and locally supplied

Freeport has a large group of locally owned Inns, stores and eateries

that purchase and sell locally made and grown goods. Below is a quick

reference guide of these shops that work hard to support their fellow Mainers,

but may not meet the Ecotourism standards just yet.

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Casco Bay Inn: 47 rooms and

suites with wide screen lcd

tv’s, inernet access, and

central location to activities

Kendall Tavern Inn: an elegant 7-

room Inn with antique

furnishings and

comfortable atmosphere

James Place Inn: a cozy 7-room

Inn featuring wi-fi, Jacuzzi

tubs, and flat screen tv’s

White Cedar Inn Bed and

Breakfast: 8-room Inn

awarded the Environmental

Leader Certificate by the

state of Maine, fire places,

full Maine made breakfast

and much more

White Cedar Inn - Winter

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Acorn: footwear, socks, slippers

Brown Goldsmiths: Maine Made

jewelry

Cool As A Moose: apparel and

gifts

Cuddledown Outlet: Linens and

apparel

Freeport Co-op: selling maine

produced apparel and home

goods

Freeport Gallery: Maine artist

gallery and event center

Georgetown Pottery: gallery

displaying gifts and art

from Maine artists

Maine Artisans and Crafts:

gallery of Maine made

crafts and goods

R.D. Allen Jewelers: Maine made

jewelry

Thomas Moser Cabinetmakers:

home furnishings, linens,

furniture

Tripping Gnome Farm: Alpaca

farm with hand spun yarn

and wool

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1912 Café: serves local and

organic foods, served in

biodegradable packaging,

operation and products

were chosen and designed

to have a low carbon

footprint

A.Wilbur’s Candy Shoppe: candy

and specialty food selection

Azure: serves local fresh produce,

meats and seafood in an

eclectic atmosphere

Bow Street Market: locally raised

beef, poultry, locally grown

produce, and locally made

cheeses, desserts, and

coffee, small supermarket

goods

Coffee By Design: coffee and

specialty foods

Cold River Vodka: made from

Maine grown potatoes and

distilled in Freeport

The Corsican Restaurant: use

locally grown produce,

locally made cheeses,

locally caught seafood and

lobster, and locally raised

beef

Derosiers: subs, pizza, local beer

Isabella’s: Breakfast and Lunch

served 7 days a week,

locally owned, homemade

bakery items

Mediterranean Grill: pure oils

and fresh local produce and

seafood, Mediterranean

fair

Petrillo’s: homemade pizza,

seafood dishes, soups and

sandwiches from locally

grown and raised foods

Simple Divine Brownies: bakery,

organic items

Wicked Whoopies: specialty foods

and whoopie pies

Entertainment – LL Bean

Outdoor Discovery School

- offers training and testing of LL

Bean products and different sports .

All instruction is provided by

certified and experienced trainers

and shuttles are provided to

transport visitors to and from

school sites. Pricing begins at $15

for a walk-on adventure (usually an

hour in length) to up to $750 for a

weekend long adventures with room

and board (LL Bean (30)).

- Wingshooting - Shotgun

Sports Essentials (SSE) I

and II held at LL Bean‟s

Fogg Farm in Freeport

o Includes a “fully

appointed Five-

Stand Sporting

Clays facility. (LL

Bean (31))”

- Kayaking - Kayak

Touring Essentials

classes (KTE) ranging

from level I (basic skills)

to level V (surf zone

skills), as well as private

lessons, sunset tours,

island camping and

hopping tours, and other

scenic ocean tours

o all tours begin

from LL Bean‟s

paddling center

located about 3

miles east of the

flag-ship store

right on the ocean

in Casco Bay

- Fly Fishing -Fly-Fishing

Essentials (FFE) course

from level I (casting

skills) to level IV (striper

fishing), as well as

private spey and fly-

casting lessons and

guided saltwater and

smallmouth bass fishing

- Women‟s Only courses -

LL Bean has created a

series of courses for

women only to, “allow

you to further develop

your sporting interests

while enjoying time

outdoors with your peers. (LL Bean (32))”

o Basic safety and

equipment is

provided and

classes range from

KTE I and II, FFE

I, SSE I, and

private lessons in

each

- Bike Tours - Maine

Coastal Camping Bike

Tour

o 2 days cycling

through coastal

Maine byways

with camping at

LL Bean‟s private

waterfront

campground (LL

Bean (33))

- Outdoor leadership -

Registered Maine Sea

Kayak Guide course,

Maine Outdoor

Leadership/Recreation

Guide Course, L.L. Bean

Federation of Fly Fishers

Casting Instructor

Preparation Workshop LL

Bean (34) , and a variety of

Wilderness Medical

Associates First Aid

Courses LL Bean (35)

- Weekend Adventures in

Maine -

o LL Bean- Island

Kayak Camping

Trip on Casco Bay

o LL Bean - Island

Hopping Kayak

Trip

o LL Bean- Belgrade

Lakes Canoe

Camping Trip

Create Your Own Ecotourism Adventure

Freeport is easily accessible by many forms of transportation.

However, to limit your carbon footprint to and from this vacation destination,

try some of these ideas:

Drive: Enterprise Rent A Car

Company now offer a full line of

Toyota Prius and Honda hybrid

vehicles that get 50+ miles per gallon.

If you plan to drive to Freeport, then

renting a hybrid will not only save

you gas, but will decrease your

traveling carbon footprint by as much

as 30-50%. As an extra bonus, the

company

plans to plant 50 million trees in

partnership with the National Arbor

Day Foundation

.

Ride: Why not skip driving and really

relax and unwind with no worry of

sitting in traffic; book a train ride to

Maine. Amtrak runs a speedy and

scenic train service to

and from Portland, Maine with

connecting hybrid or propane fueled

bus lines to and from Freeport.

Amtrak offers great discounts for

booking in advance and during certain

weeks throughout the year.

www.amtrak.com

Sail: Many of us don‟t have access to

our own sailboat yacht, but many of

us wouldn‟t mind spending an

afternoon out on the sea in Maine.

Why not hop the train to Portland,

Maine and reserve a sailboat or

schooner ride up the coast to land you

in Freeport. Many private schooner

and sailboat owners will take visitors

the short ride up to Freeport, and

because of the year round high

average wind speed, there is no need

for additional engine power and gas

on the boat.

Scoot: For the light packer and

adventurous folk, hop a train to

Portland and reserve and rent a

scooter from Stanley Scooters

(www.stanleyscooters.com) to drive

along route 1 and route 88 to

Freeport.

The drive is about 35 minutes on

these back roads with speeds topping

out at 40 miles per hour. Route 1 and

Route 88 are some of the most scenic

roads in the area, following the

coastline, and passing through some

of the prettiest villages and

neighborhoods in southern Maine.

Freeport is a true gem of Maine. It is working towards new ways of attracting

visitors, while preserving natural resources and its overwhelming natural

beauty. Future plans and projects for town include extending the train service

into Freeport Center, as well as building a recreation center geared towards

teaching sustainable practices while enjoying fun outdoor activities such as

fishing and kayaking. Come support a wonderfully scenic and friendly town

and feel free to stop into the town office to show your support for the

fantastic ecotourist activities and future projects!

Resources and Links:

Freeport Historical Society (1)

Freeport Historical Society (2)

Freeport Historical Society (3)

Freeport Historical Society (4)

Freeport Historical Society (5)

Freeport Historical Society (6)

Freeport Historical Society (7)

Wikipedia - L.L. Bean (8)

Americanprofile.com (9)

Freeportecon.com (10)

Freeportecon.com (11)

Freeportecon.com (12)

FutureFreeport.com

FreeportUSA.com (13)

University of Maine (14)

The International Ecotourism Society (15)

LL Bean (16)

LL Bean (17)

LL Bean (18)

LL Bean (19)

Freeport Historical Society (20)

Freeport Historical Society- Mission Statement (21)

Freeport Wild Bird Supply (22)

Harraseeket Inn (23)

Laughing Stock Farm (24)

Maine State Parks (25)

Maine.gov Park Information (26)

Wolfe's Neck Farm (27)

Wolfe's Neck Farm (28)

Wolfe's Neck Farm (29)

http://www.freeportcamping.com

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LL Bean (30)

LL Bean (31)

LL Bean (32)

LL Bean (33)

LL Bean (34)

LL Bean- Island Kayak Camping Trip on Casco Bay

LL Bean - Island Hopping Kayak Trip

LL Bean- Belgrade Lakes Canoe Camping Trip