Emma Deans on the Presumpscot. Photo by Kyle Joyce.
Emma Deans grew up on three acres of land in Gorham bordered by the Little River, a tributary of the Presumpscot. After hiking and camping in several wilderness locations as a trail crewmember for the Montana Conservation Corps, working as a communications assistant for the nonprofit Ecotrust in Portland, Oregon, and pursing a master's degree in multimedia journalism at the University of Oregon, she decided to return home to tell the story of her backyard river. This project serves as the final multimedia component for her degree. Deans has a BFA in creative writing from the University of Maine at Farmington and a certificate in documentary writing from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine.
During her junior and senior summers at Gorham High School, Deans served as a trail crewmember for the Presumpscot River Youth Conservation Corps (PRYCC). This summer job strengthened Deans' sense of place and fostered her appreciation for environmental stewardship.
She can be contacted at: everydaygracedeans@gmail.com. To view her website, visit www.emmadeans.com.
Click here to read an article about Deans' involvement with the Presumpscot River Youth Conservation Corps (PRYCC).
Click to read the 2007 PRYCC Report.
Click to read the 2006 PRYCC Report.
A special thanks and recognition goes to Field Production Assistant Kyle Joyce, whose help and guidance on the river was invaluable.
Emma Deans and Field Production Assistant Kyle Joyce, pictured just below the Allen Avenue Extension Bridge in Falmouth on the final stretch of the Presumpscot.
Additional thanks goes to Max García Conover and Sammie Francis for permission to use their song "As Much a Rising Sun as a Setting One" for the video featured on the Home page. Both musicians are based out of Portland, Maine. You can check out their work by clicking on the album covers below:
Album artwork by Meghan Howland.
Album cover photo by Jackie Francis.