About Protect Ancient Forests
Alyssa O’Brien, Co-founder
Greetings from Lincolnville, Maine where the forested mountains meet the sea.
Before imagining Protect Ancient Forests, I received a BS in Psychology and a M.Ed in Elementary Education. Surrounding myself by the awe and wonder of young children, I felt inspired to dedicate myself to caring for our common home on behalf of future generations.
For me, Protect Ancient Forests is about singing on behalf of the woods, the wind, the water, and the wildlife.
Protect Ancient Forests is a devotion to a dream to advocate for these precious ecosystems ~ places where I go to receive creative and spiritual renewal.
Michael O’Brien, Co-founder
Prior to Protect Ancient Forests, I studied Political Science and English and received a JD from the University of Maine School of Law. During law school, I worked as a stern man on a commercial lobster boat. Afterwards, I worked for the Maine Legislature’s Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, where I served as the nonpartisan analyst for the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee. In that role, I learned how to creatively craft legislation and became passionate about public lands management.
For me, Protect Ancient Forests is about building inclusive coalitions and inspiring folks from all around the country to band together in order to lift their collective voices.
My goal is to educate the public about how critical our remaining mature and old-growth forests are, thereby promoting reasonable and achievable solutions that will forever protect our irreplaceable public lands.
A grassroots movement.
We began as concerned Mainers advocating for the protection of irreplaceable ancient forest ecosystems. We now have energized supporters across the state, the nation and around the globe.
We are dedicated to promoting the arts and sciences in order to raise awareness about the critical importance of the planet’s remaining mature and old-growth forests. Additionally, we seek to provide opportunities for youth and future generations to experience the wonder of the natural world.
Our collective mission is permanent protection of our state and federal public lands, whose care is entrusted to each and every one of us.
Protect Ancient Forests is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity.