Construction efforts began Oct. 23 on a multipurpose center in Kennebunk, Maine, that will serve as a focal point for connecting people to nature in southern Coastal Maine while also celebrating the life and work of Rachel Carson, often cited as a founder of the modern environmentalist movement.

Located at 188 Brown St., the office and visitor center at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is being remodeled, and crews also are building an adjacent visitor services wing at the site, according to a news release from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The result will be a revamped 11,666-sq.-ft. facility designed to house 15 full-time staff, welcome visitors to the wildlife park and host the service's Gulf of Maine Coastal Program.

The design includes an exhibit hall, trails and a multipurpose room equipped for up to 45 people for environmental education programs and other events.

The park's staff "are really excited to be moving forward with construction," noted Karl Stromayer, manager of the wildlife refuge. "This facility is going to be a wonderful resource to better support both refuge and coastal program staff and to connect people to the natural beauty and wildlife habitats here in southern coastal Maine."

Chris Meaney, project leader of the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, also expressed his happiness with the start of work on the wildlife park's new facilities.

"I'm looking forward to working more closely with the team at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and being co-located at the multipurpose center will provide our respective programs a great opportunity to advance our shared conservation goals," he said.

The architect for the new visitor center at Rachel Carson is Biddeford, Maine's Oak Point Associates, while Benchmark Construction, based in nearby Westbrook, will build the facility. According to FWS, the complex is expected to open to the public in the spring or summer of 2026.

Planners working on the visitor center followed the principles for sustainable federal buildings crafted by the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Environmental Quality, a division of the Executive Office of the President, FWS noted.

The environmentally friendly and energy efficient building also will be bird-friendly as part of FWS's efforts to prevent bird-window collisions at its facilities.

Updating a Tribute to An Early Environmentalist

The improved visitor center will display exhibits showcasing the conservation efforts conducted by the wildlife refuge and the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program as well as the life and contributions of Rachel Carson (1907-1964), a former aquatic biologist with FWS for 15 years beginning in 1936.

A noted author and environmentalist, she resigned from the service and bought a cottage on Maine's Southport Island following the success of her second book, "The Sea Around Us."

Carson gained worldwide fame for her 1962 book "Silent Spring," which sounded the alarm about the potential biological consequences of chemical pesticides.

The federal government established the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in 1966 in cooperation with the state of Maine to protect salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. Located along 50 mi. of coastline in York and Cumberland counties, the refuge consists of 11 divisions between Kittery and Cape Elizabeth.

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