To Protect Restore and Preserve Where Salt Water Touches the Shore

The following press release was provided by Liza Petra, of The Guilford Foundation:

As the final days of summer grace the shoreline, Guilford residents are soaking in the most of our extraordinary waterfront. Bird lovers enjoy watching ospreys on the hunt, great blue herons sneaking up on unsuspecting shiners, and cormorants drying their wings.  

Even the occasional seal can be seen, not to mention kids scooping up clam shells, sea glass and hermit crabs, and kayakers exploring the shore around Grass Island. Families are gearing up for the final lobster bakes, parents aren’t quite so vigilant about sunscreen, and the Jacobs’ Beach lifeguards are headed back to school. Late summer is a glorious time in Guilford, thanks in large part to the exquisite shoreline.

It is against this backdrop that the Guilford Foundation is pleased to highlight a new legacy fund created specifically to preserve the shoreline: the Michael B. & Maryann Bracken Family Fund, whose purpose is to “protect, restore and preserve the Guilford shoreline, and its flora and fauna, where salt water touches the shore.” Like all things of importance, the shoreline needs protection—and Guilford is fortunate to have community members who recognize this.

Michael & Maryann have lived on the Guilford coastline for 45 years. Each year, the couple sail their sloop Nordic Spirit along the coast of Maine—a trip that gives them ample time to experience the unique flora and fauna of the Eastern seaboard. Their appreciation of the shore inspired them to establish a legacy fund to ensure that resources exist to support the shoreline—forever: “We can think of no greater gift than to pass on to future generations land that has been preserved in perpetuity and in its natural state for reflection, recreation and enjoyment.”

The Guilford Foundation is proud and honored that the Brackens selected our organization to fill their philanthropic goals. We look forward to serving as a conduit for their legacy of caring for and appreciating Guilford’s shoreline.

If you are interested in creating your own legacy or learning more about the philanthropic tools we have available to meet your goals, please contact Liza Janssen Petra at the Guilford Foundation at (203) 745 9930 or lizapetra@gmail.com. Join the Brackens in creating a permanent legacy for the causes that matter to you.