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Stories From Here
Announcing the winners and honorable mentions of Stories from Here
In 2026, Frenchman Bay Conservancy hosted our inaugural creative writing contest. We invited writers of all ages to share stories, poems, and essays inspired by the lands, waters, and communities of Downeast Maine.
We received an inspiring range of submissions, each offering a unique perspective on our region. We printed a selection of winning pieces in our Spring Newsletter. Throughout the summer, we’ll announce all of our winners and honorable mentions, and make their work available for all to enjoy on our website.
We are thankful for the time, care, and discernment of our judges — Audrey Gidman, Margie Patlak, Jean Pauly, Hazel Stark, and Cynthia Thayer. And, we are thankful for you. Thank you for sharing your story, encouraging others to share theirs, and seeking out new stories here today. Thank you for joining us in celebrating stories from here. These stories connect us — to friends and neighbors, to land and water, to people who loved this place long before we did, and to people who will love it in the future.
Thank you for loving this place!
Each of these pieces of writing captures something distinct about the lands, waters, and communities that make up this place we love. From the sweep of generational time to the life of a single barnacle, so many of these pieces seem to speak to the last line of Nina Barufaldi’s winning poem: you know, the infinite extends in both directions.
We’re thrilled to share these works with you, and we’re thrilled that you shared them with us.
Read the winners and honorable mentions of Stories from Here!
If you’d like to support Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s community programming and mission — to protect and care for our local lands and waters for the benefit of communities and nature — please consider making a donation to FBC today.
Meet the judges of Stories from Here:
Poetry judge Audrey Gidman is the author of two chapbooks, body psalms (Slate Roof Press, 2023), winner of the Elyse Wolf Prize, and griefnotes (Porkbelly Press, 2026). She serves as guest editor for Frontier Poetry, chapbook editor for Newfound, and the 2026-2028 Poet Laureate of Belfast, Maine.
Essay judge Margie Patlak is a science writer, author, and photographer. Her memoir More Than Meets the Eye: Exploring Nature and Loss on the Coast of Maine was given an “Outstanding Book” award by the American Society of Journalists and Authors in 2022. Her photobook Wild and Wondrous: Exploring Nature’s Artistry on the Coast of Maine was published in 2023, and her latest book Insect Safari: Exploring the Wondrous World of Everyday Bugs will be published in June of 2026.
Fiction judge Cynthia Thayer was born in New York City, grew up in Nova Scotia, and has lived on the coast of Maine for fifty years. She and her late husband moved to Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro in 1976 and transformed it from an old overgrown farm to the vibrant organic farm that it is today. Frenchman Bay Conservancy holds the easement on the entire property. Cynthia is the author of three novels and her latest book, a memoir entitled We’re Going Home, a story of her husband’s accident in the woods with the horses and the creation of Darthia Farm from its beginnings to present day. She teaches writing workshops around the state and mentors young writers.
Youth poetry judge Jean Frances Pauly enjoys engaging young folks through storytelling and song in her position as Youth Programmer at the Ellsworth Public Library. When she’s not at the library you might find her adventuring in the woods or on the water with or without a banjo and a song. She lives with her husband, a large fluffy dog, and a cat with an oversized personality.
Youth fiction and essay judge Hazel Stark is the owner of Maine Outdoor School, L3C and a Registered Maine Guide who has spent her career helping people, especially youth, connect with the natural world through outdoor education. She grew up in Maine with a tent as her bedroom for half the year from age 9-18, a childhood that sparked the outdoor curiosity she now endeavors to share with everyone she meets. Hazel is delighted to support youth fiction and nonfiction/essay writers as a contest judge—and is secretly at work on a rhyming children’s book starring a skunk and a porcupine.