Free Flowing Waters

Part of MOFF’s Community Currents Series, this evening of short films followed by a panel discussion will explore how science, experience and migratory fish are helping to inform our understanding of how to care for rivers.

Free Flowing Waters: What Migratory Fish Can Teach Us About River Health

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Rain date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Venue Name: Outside at Riverbank Park
Parking: Parking spaces are available throughout the park itself, and public parking lots are located on either side of the park. Please adhere to any posted “no parking” signs.
Street Address: Main St, Westbrook, ME
Time: Panel discussion: 6:00PM, Film program: 7:00PM, Wrap 8:15PM.
Tickets: $10 suggested donation
Presented by: Discover Downtown Westbrook, Sebago Clean Waters and Friends of the Presumpscot River
Program notes:
– There are plenty of great restaurant options if you’d like to grab takeout on your way to the screening:

Veranda Kitchen + Bar (Thai) 672 Main St
Casa Novello (Italian) 694 Main St
Angelone’s West (Pizza) 768 Main St
Stockhouse Restaurant & Sports Pub (American) 506 Main St

Event Schedule:

PANEL DISCUSSION – 6:00PM to 7:00PM*

Explore how science, experience and migratory fish are helping to inform our understanding of how to care for rivers.

• Moderator: Will Elting – Sebago Clean Waters. Will Elting is the Community Engagement manager for Sebago Clean Waters, an 11 member nonprofit collaborative focused on forest conservation in the Sebago Lake watershed. Will works to connect people in greater Portland to the landscapes and waterways that they rely on for clean drinking water, and builds partnerships with organizations and businesses around a shared passion for continued clean water access in our communities.
• Samantha Bengs or Zachary Whitener – The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is an independent, non-partisan marine research institute headquartered in Portland, Maine that works with partners and stakeholders to create a thriving ecosystem, economy, and community in the Gulf of Maine region and beyond.
• Colin Holme – Lakes Environmental Association. Colin graduated from the University of Maine after studying environmental science and oceanography. In 2018, Colin was promoted to executive director after years of working with the previous director on local and statewide lake issues. Before taking on this new role, Colin ran LEA’s water testing, mapping, and mitigation programs. He has been a lead coordinator for numerous watershed surveys and regularly works with municipal planning boards and staff to review large and small projects. He has coordinated and led GPS photo inventories, stream restoration projects, and created the official shoreland zoning maps for six surrounding towns. Colin has served on several state-appointed study and advisory groups and plays an active role in his hometown’s local government.
• Clara Franzoni– Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. Clara is serving an 11-month fellowship as a member of Greater Portland Council of Government’s Resilience Corps, an Americorps partnership. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire in both Environmental Conservation & Sustainability and International Affairs. Throughout her college career, she held environmental public outreach and naturalist roles with Connecticut State Parks and New Hampshire Sea Grant, as well as worked as an undergraduate research assistant at UNH’s Coastal Restoration and Resiliency Lab. She also studied abroad in New Zealand through the EcoQuest Centre, conducting field research on benthic invertebrates in local wetlands affected by flooding.
• Michael Shaughnessy – Friends of the Presumpscot River.

Panel subject to change*

FILM PROGRAM – 7:00PM to 8:15PM

• STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: THE CROOKED RIVER SALMON STRONGHOLD | 17.05 minutes | by Erik Heumiller | from: Maine | Short synopsis: This is the story of the Edes Falls Dam removal on the Crooked River — and the plans, hopes, challenges, and partners that helped ensure miles of river remained accessible for wild landlocked salmon in Maine. The film explores the dam removal from multiple perspectives along the river, to foster a better understanding of these restoration efforts, as conservationists look upstream to what’s next.
• THE ALEWIFE JOURNEY: A CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY | 16.2 minutes | by | from: Maine | Short synopsis: Follow the incredible migration of alewives as they journey from Casco Bay up the Presumpscot River, navigating through Mill Brook to reach Highland Lake, offering a fascinating look at one of Maine’s most important seasonal wildlife events.
  
• KENNEBEC RISING | 24.25 minutes | by Derek Dodge | from: United States | Short synopsis: “Kennebec Rising” traces the historic transformation of a vital Maine river and the powerful restoration efforts shaping its free flowing future.
  
• NATIVE TO THE KLAMATH | 13.5 minutes | by Michael E Wier, Ben Galland | from: United States | Short synopsis: “Native to the Klamath” is a story told through the voices of the salmon people. The Klamath River is currently going through one of the largest transformations in history. Native to the Klamath intertwines environmental restoration, reconciliation ecology, social justice, and traditional ecological knowledge. Hear the story of this river renewal through the words of the Klamath River peoples who live by the sacred obligation of stewardship.
  
• LOVE LETTER TO A WILD MAINE RIVER | 3 minutes | by Mihku Paul | from: Maine
• OLD LADIES AGAINST UNDERWATER GARBAGE | 15 minutes | by Liz McGregor | from: Maine | Short synopsis: Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage follows Susan Baur, the 85-year-old leader, and her crew of fearless women as they defy limits, protect the environment, and rediscover wonder and joy through water and community. A reminder that adventure and activism know no age.