Friends of Peary's Eagle Island 

                                        The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island           

 

Eagle Island belongs to all of us as a living memorial to Admiral Robert E. Peary, the first to lead a party of explorers to the North Pole. The Island was given to the citizens of Maine by the Peary family in trust for all Americans. The Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks & Lands acts as a trustee in partnership with the Friends of Peary's Eagle Island.

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The Friends' goal is to help preserve and protect this national treasure. We believe that the Admiral and all his family would be pleased that each summer hundreds of visitors "from away" come to enjoy their treasured summer home. This Island home is a national symbol of Admiral Peary's persistence, endurance, and achievement in the face of overwhelming  odds. His personal motto was --"Inveniam viam aut faciam" -- Find a way or make a way.

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In past few years, the Friends have sponsored several numerous projects: the first was replacing the old outhouse with a modern, environmentally safe composting toilet; the second was providing a fire suppression/intrusion alarm system for the main house; and third was building a new Welcome Center based on Robert Peary Jr.'s original workshop. Money for these projects was raised from generous gifts of our members and from grants by charitable foundations as well as the State of Maine. Earlier the Bureau of Parks and Lands, supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society, restored the Admiral's unique library located in the west "bastion" structure. The Friends continue to partner with the State of Maine to maintain the museum and its surroundings to keep this piece of history alive and open to the public.

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We have been most fortunate to have recruited volunteers to do ongoing studies of the birds on Eagle Island, the marine life in the surrounding waters, and the island ecology including restoration of Josephine Peary's lovely island garden.

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The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island maintains this website to provide visitors with all information about Eagle Island, Admiral Peary and his family, the exploration and discovery of The North Pole.

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THE FRIENDS OF PEARY'S EAGLE ISLAND

 

The Friends was established in 1992 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all volunteer organization. The group works closely with the Bureau of   Parks and Lands to identify and support the efforts to maintain and  preserve the main house, caretaker's cottage, as well as the entire17-acre island. .

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 For 2026, the Board of Directors of The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island   consists of the following individuals:

 

•   Name                                 Title / Functions        

•  Steven Ingram                     Chairman

•  Nick Knight                          President 

•  Beth O'Connell                    Treasurer                       

•  Karen Dyer                          Secretary  

•  Marnee Small                      Trading Post Manager/Membership            

•  Kim Payne                           Master Gardener/Newsletter  

•  Wayne Miller                        Docent Coordinator

•  Gaye Miller                          Docent Coordinator 

•  Karon Salch                         Webpage 

•  Claudette Brassil                 At Large