Cara O’Donnell, water resource specialist for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, recently spoke to the Houlton Rotary Club. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Watershed Science from Colorado State University and has been with the Maliseets since 2003. The Maliseets name, Metahksonikewiyik, means “People of the Meduxnekeag River”.

The program to help protect the watershed started in 1995. The Maliseets use the Meduxnekeag for medicine, fishing, trapping, use the trees along the river for baskets, among many other things. They use the river to pass their culture down to future generations. They protect the river for the Tribe and for the community. The watershed covers 500 square miles of rivers, lakes, streams and brooks. It starts at Drews Lake, runs through Houlton to the Canadian border and down the St. John River to the Bay of Fundy.

There is watershed everywhere. No matter where we are, our actions affect the watershed…..we should be aware of everything we do. We should live gently on the earth and consider the generations to come.

Pictured left to right:

Jim Brown, Rotarian; Isaac St. John, assistant to speaker; Cara O’Donnell, speaker; Darryl “Scott ” White, Rotary Club President