A Culture Inspired by Nature
Downeast Maine is known across the world as a place of rugged beauty and unspoiled wildlands , a place where people feel revitalized and inspired by nature . Arts , tools , dance , food , stories , language , ceremonies , customs , and architecture are intricately tied to the natural resources , geology , geography , and scenic beauty around them .
Skilled craftsmen use wood , stone , clay , and plants to create beautiful and utilitarian products . Artists , writers , and storytellers have memorialized the Downeast landscape in works of art and literature and continue to be inspired by the land , people , and customs of the region .
Traditional outdoor activities are still deeply ingrained in local culture which includes hunting , fishing , guiding , paddling , and seasonally harvesting forest products . Habitat conservation and resource management have been embraced by the communities . They acknowledge conservation is vital to preserving ecosystems that support their forest , farm and ocean-based economy , as well as nature-based tourism , and their highly prized rural quality of life .
Keezer Fruit Baskets - The family of Clara Neptune Keezer was known for basketmaking for more than 200 years prior to her birth . Clara Neptune learned to make baskets from her grandmother and mother , weaving her first basket at the age of eight . She worked with the preferred materials of Maine basket weavers , split brown ash and sweetgrass , to fashion both utility and fancy baskets . Basket weaving was experiencing a decline in Maine in the 1950s , and Keezer was instrumental in revitalizing the basket weaving tradition . She created original designs that earned her recognition by the National Endowment for the Arts ; she was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship Award in Washington , D . C ., in 2002 . Photo courtesy of the Abbe Museum .
Important community festivals ( birding , wild blueberry , lobster , night sky ) and special events ( smelt fry , maple syrup , farming , lighthouses , lobster boats ) celebrate important elements of natural resources .
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