Red (Pink and White) Badge of Courage

by Andrew Colvin, Habitat editor

January 20, 2009

Topics: Special Events | People Profiles

The following article appeared in the Summer 2008 edition of Maine Audubon's Habitat.

Some honors are recognized with medals or plaques, but here at Maine Audubon we find that the consistent, longtime support we want to thank people for deserves an emblem just as perennial in nature.

At our annual Peony Bloom Social in June, that emblem is a peony, those pink-hued flowers that balloon in all their glory at Gilsland Farm every year. Given to the extraordinarily committed individuals who have supported Maine Audubon for 20 years or more, the flower is not only beautiful, but dependable-just like them.

Over 25 members of the Peony Circle of Friends attended this year's event, holding their peony blooms high as they walked the gardens of Gilsland. With each bloom representing at least 20 years, that comes out to over 500 years of support for Maine Audubon.

Expand that out to all 1,700 members of the Peony Circle, though, and you get over 34,000 years!

There's really only one thing you can say to that staggering figure: Thank you. To push wildlife conservation in this state as far forward as we have has taken many hands for many years-thank you for helping us do this work for so long. If you keep pushing so will we.