Each summer, dozens of grad school, college or high school students join our staff to participate in a longstanding Maine political tradition—canvassing.

You have likely talked with one of these enthusiastic people on your front porch about important environmental issues facing our state. The face to face, person to person approach of discussing political issues and gathering support and signatures is, historically and currently, a key part of the democratic process in Maine.

Unlike most states, state representatives here still go door to door to meet their constituents, hear about their concerns, gain their trust and ask for their vote.

I think this personal contact can help our representatives better speak for the people in their district, remain further removed from moneyed interests, and increase our voter interest and turnout. To support this tradition, smaller districts and publicly financed campaigns also contribute to Maine’s lively campaigns and easily approachable representatives.

Just as having state representatives canvass their district is essential to Maine’s democracy, having our canvassers speak with you, hear your thoughts and gain your support is essential to our organization.

And this experience builds civic participation, passion for the environment and appreciation for differing opinions for the summer job seekers who end up working with us.

Like most things that are good for you, it’s not the easiest thing to do, but the rewards for the canvasser, the public at large and our democracy is immeasurable.

Matthew Davis
Advocate

Mission Statement

We all want clean air, clean water and open spaces. But it takes independent research and tough minded advocacy to win concrete results for our environment, especially when powerful interests stand in the way of environmental progress. That’s the idea behind Environment Maine.

We focus exclusively on protecting Maine’s air, water and open spaces. We research problems, advocate solutions, and educate and engage the public at the local, state and national levels to improve the quality of our environment and our lives.

MEMBER ACTION:
Sign up for e-mail issue alerts