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 this     beautiful island, which was a supreme joy to those who made their home   there for so many years. This Island home is a national symbol of the   persistence, endurance, and achievement, in the face of overwhelming   odds, of Admiral Peary. His personal motto was --"Inveniam viam aut   faciam" -- Find a way or make one.

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            The Friends was established in 1992 and is 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 17 acre   island they rest on. The Bureau of Parks and Lands has done an   outstanding job maintaining the Admiral's house, replacing the roof and   siding with cedar shingles, rebuilding all the windows, and resealing the   deck which surrounds the building.

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              In the past few years the Friends has sponsored several important   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 we   helped build a new Welcome Center designed from plans generated by   copying Robert Peary Jr.'s original workshop located on the west side of   Eagle Island. Money for these latter 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, totally restored the Admiral's   unique library located in the west "bastion" structure. The Friends has   worked with the State of Maine to maintain the museum and its   surroundings and continues to be a partner in all efforts to keep this   important 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 as   a device for all who visit to find information about Eagle Island, Admiral   Peary and his family, the exploration and discovery of The North Pole, as   well as being a research tool for those who want to know more about this   amazing man and all he accomplished.               

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                 THE FRIENDS OF PEARY'S EAGLE ISLAND

 

     The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island was established in 1992 and is a   501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer organization. We work closely with the   Bureau of Parks and Lands of The State of Maine to identify and support   the efforts to maintain and preserve the main house, caretaker's cottage,   as well as the entire 17-acre island.

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     For 2020, the Board of Directors of The Friends of Peary's Eagle Island   consists of the following individuals:

 

•   Name                       Title / Functions        

•   Steven Ingram                     President

•   Nick Knight                          Vice President / Treasurer                           

•   Karen Dyer                          Secretary  

•   Marnee Small                      Trading Post Manager                                 

•   Kim Payne                           Master Gardener  

•   Wayne Miller                        Docent Coordinator

•   Gaye Miller                          Docent Coordinator                           

•   Lisa Blanchard                    Membership      

• Have a question for one of our board members? Contact us at: friendsofpearyseagleisland@gmail.com