Osprey’s Echo Sea Kayaking is not a non-profit business.  We are a small, family-run and owned business, and Will makes his living primarily at OESK (other than in the winters!). We spend most of our time taking customers out to see the wonders of the Stonington archipelago and the beauty of Webb’s Cove. Our customers are often visitors to the area and come from all over the world.  We enjoy this.

We believe that it is important to do some good in addition to doing well. We believe that it’s important to contribute to causes that we feel strongly about, without considering the economic gain in the process. Contributing doesn’t just mean making donations.  It means taking action and putting some work in. The causes we prioritize include: 

• • • Environmental sustainability.
    • Supporting the local community – Stonington, Maine.
    • Helping youngsters (school children) get new experiences and broaden their perspectives.
    • Helping people with either physical or cognitive disabilities get new experiences.

Now that we are (somewhat) established, we have embarked on some more unique efforts, capitalizing on the fact that kayaking is a reasonably accessible sport for a variety of abilities.  

Here are a few examples of our early efforts:

• • • We keep to our principles of “leave no trace,” and we run a highly sustainable business, avoiding using a great deal of water or plastic (other than our boats!).
    • As part of our effort to run an eco-friendly business, we participate in “island cleanup day” each year, taking out a large group of paddlers – free of charge – in order to assist Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) in the cleanup of accumulated trash from the islands.

    • We are partnering with an innovator in the world of Aquaculture, PenBay Scallop Farm.  PenBay are not taking from the environment, they are giving back.  We are showing them off to our customers and offering both education and some of the best scallops you will ever taste in the process.

    • We take local school children out kayaking – something that is new to many of them.   It’s wonderful to see their faces as they discover their island from the water, from a kayak.  We also give talks at the local schools.

    • We have run several tours for people with a variety of disabilities.  We learned – from a customer – that taking wheelchair bound people on the water in a kayak is an extraordinarily rewarding experience.  They feel free and with a sense of independence that is all too rare.  We are now working with the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center (AOEC) to design specialized tours, and have received help and support from the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) and Island Heritage Trust (IHT).  You can see photos and stories of these extraordinary events in our social media posts.

    • We are running an event in collaboration with the local Adult Education Center, to help locals learn how to navigate the working waterfront – safely!

We are always looking for new ideas, so would welcome them from any quarter.  We hope our customers of all kinds will appreciate these efforts and help support OESK and our efforts in this regard.  Please send us your feedback and any ideas you have for us! You can email us at kayak@ospreysecho.com.

Here’s a cool article published in the Penobscot Bay Press.  It’s a nice read, about our Adaptive Paddling event.  Have a look!   

We think that giving back is important.  We hope you do too.