The island in Casco Bay are sometimes referred to as the Calendar Islands because an early English inhabitant reported in awed disbelief that the bay has “as many islands as there are days in the year,” according to Wikipedia. In fact, there are 785 islands (including exposed ledges), as well as six lighthouses, eight forts, and 1,000 species of marine life, including 150 water birds.
Thanks to the efforts of conservation organizations like Oceanside Conservation Trust of Casco Bay and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, as well as the state, several entire islands are protected. Other islands have preserves open to the public.
I don’t have a boat, so I rely on ferries and kind friends, but over time, I am committed to exploring the trails of these islands and getting to know this remarkable bay (the only body of water in Maine referenced in the Clean Water Act).