MDIWQC participates in:

Maine State Healthy Beaches Program
Maine Invasive Aquatic Weed Task Force
The Shore Stewards Toxic Phytoplankton Monitoring Program

All MDIWQC projects and programs provide scientific data to these state agencies and to local town managers through our student and citizen monitoring. 

Mission of MDIWQC

Engaging citizens of all ages in preserving and improving the quality of water on MDI through meaningful environmental research and community education.

Vision of MDIWQC

The Mount Desert Island Water Quality Coalition, a nonprofit organization, is supported and driven by island residents, businesses and visitors alike. We believe working cooperatively with the wide diversity of people who have a stake in the quality of MDI's water is the only way to achieve our goals.

Our methods of data collection and presentation adhere to strict scientific standards. As a result, our efforts have earned recognition and credibility throughout the community.

The Coalition is a model for other communities of how to foster a working relationship between students and teachers with community volunteers, engaging them together in the process of solving environmental problems. We have a strong volunteer base because the MDIWQC is a fun, rewarding place for volunteers to invest their time and be effective members of the community. Through the MDIWQC programs, young (and not-so young) people learn about the strength of their voices and achieve a sense of ownership of MDI. This encourages them to sustain community environmental improvements and changed behaviors.

Through community education and outreach, the Coalition strives to help islanders voluntarily change behaviors that could harm MDI's water quality, without the time consuming and financial drain that traditional "top-down" legislative change would involve.