Acadia Youth Technology Team members Emma Forthofer and Yehyun Kim use Canon cameras and lenses to capture images of loons and loon chicks while canoeing around Somes Pond in June/FOA/AYTT/Will Newton)

How can you remotely monitor water quality in a place such as Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park? It requires an investment of sorts, in both dollars and equipment. And that's one area where Canon U.S.A. has gotten involved with Friends of Acadia.

As a bonus, the collaboration is designed to assist in the training of a new generation of young photojournalists who are sharing the wonders of Acadia with the wider world.

Canon U.S.A.’s donation, which includes cameras and other optical equipment, will be used by FOA’s Acadia Youth Technology Team and by the FOA’s communications department. This will allow the continued operation of sophisticated water-quality monitoring equipment on Jordan Pond and wetland restoration and monitoring at Sieur de Monts Spring. It will also support invasive species surveys, monitoring, and removal throughout the park.

Water monitoring on Jordan Pond is supported by the NexSens CB-400S data buoy. This solar-powered unit sends data from its sensors to a base station at the Jordan Pond House every 15 minutes. It tracks water quality indicators such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, algae growth and more.

Wetland restoration at Sieur de Monts is underway. This restoration included the removal of a septic field. In addition, a consultant has completed a preliminary wetland delineation, assessed the status of vernal pools, begun communications with permitting agencies, and begun the mapping and restoration plan development. This wetland restoration project will restore a forested wetland by planting native wetland plants and incorporating improvements to water flow through the area to reconnect the wetland hydrology to the larger watershed.

“This is the sixth year that Canon U.S.A. has provided vital support for FOA and for projects and programs in Acadia,” explains Lisa Horsch Clark, FOA's director of development. “Canon’s generosity definitely makes a difference for FOA and the park.”

For the past six years, Canon U.S.A. has donated digital camera bodies, lenses, and additional high-quality photo equipment to the photojournalist team. The team’s mission is to capture the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources of Acadia National Park through digital photography, writing, and videography. The media produced by the team are used by the park and FOA to better communicate with, and educate, park visitors, both online and in Acadia.

“Canon U.S.A. is proud to collaborate with Friends of Acadia and support these great initiatives,” said Chris Sedlacek, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “It is through such initiatives that we demonstrate our dedication to Kyosei -- "all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future." -- by engaging in activities that promote environmental responsibility.”

Last year, identification and removal of invasive species was a key element of the park’s efforts to enable native plants, and the wildlife that depend on them, to thrive. Support from FOA’s Wild Acadia partner, Canon U.S.A., helped the park’s five-person invasive plant management team survey more than 900 acres and treat 72 densely-infested sections last year.

In past seasons, the photojournalist team captured more than 4,000 photos and hundreds of hours of video footage of birds, sunrises, volunteers, sunsets, camping, night skies, Schoodic and Isle au Haut attractions, special events, and iconic landscape views. Team members created and edited two short films that were featured on the Department of the Interior’s website. The work of the Acadia Youth Technology Team is showcased in photo galleries published every Friday on the Friends of Acadia Facebook Page.