Chebeague Island restoration effort improves shore for people and plovers

 Volunteers plant dune grass as part of the Indian Point restoration project on Chebeague Island. (Courtesy of Penny Asherman) The curving shoreline of Chebeague Island’s Indian Point, also known as “the Hook” to island residents, will flow back into its more natural state and be more accessible to visitors following a restoration project completed by Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust in June. The changes also aim to make the beach better for the tiny birds that share the shore — endangered piping plovers, which have started nesting on its sands. Indian Point, 16 acres of shrubs, brush and 3,700 feet of shoreline at the southern end of Chebeague Island, was acquired by the land trust in 1999 when 30 local landowners decided they wanted the shared property to be protected. Related [Piping plovers have another record-breaking nesting season in Maine](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/07/01/piping-plovers-have-another-record-breaking-nesting-season-in-maine/) It’s one of a few locations on the island where the public can access the beach. At low tide, a sandbar allows people to walk from the Hook over to Little Chebeague Island, which is owned by the state. It’s the land trust’s most popular site on the island, said Penny Asherman, executive director of the Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/indianpoint_now.jpg) An aerial view of Chebeague Island’s Indian Point with the sea wall removed. (Courtesy of Chip Emery) Rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms began to erode the property in recent years. The severe storms of January 2024 washed out the access road and path to the beach, also disturbing a stone sea wall located near the shore. “That spurred us last year to collaborate with the landowners to take action to address the impact of climate change that we know aren’t going to stop, and to help restore the public access and enhance the natural habitat that is there,” said Asherman. Advertisement For the past 18 months, the land trust has partnered on this project — the first fully fledged restoration work led by the organization — with island volunteers, Maine Audubon, state organizations, donors, contractors and the town of Chebeague Island. They removed the deteriorating sea wall, allowing the waves and sand to move naturally. Contractors installed a 400-foot boardwalk to enhance visitor access over the winter. This spring, a team of volunteers planted native dune grass to reduce erosion and enhance wildlife habitat. Finally, new welcome signs and interpretive signage on dunes and shorebirds were added to the property. The Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust is hosting a ribbon-cutting of the boardwalk and tours of the restoration evening of July 2. [](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/05/27-piping-plover-chicks-have-already-hatched-in-maine/) Related [27 piping plover chicks have already hatched in Maine](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/05/27-piping-plover-chicks-have-already-hatched-in-maine/) The project was particularly conscious of the parcel’s smallest seasonal residents. Starting in 2022, a pair of piping plovers nested on the dunes of Indian Point. It was the first time in the 40 years that the endangered species has been studied in the region that plovers have nested on an island in Casco Bay, as opposed to the mainland (a pair was also found on Littlejohn Island that same summer). “That was super exciting for us, but it also helped us shift our thinking about, like, ‘How can we make this property better habitat?’” said Asherman. The first two years, there was one nesting pair at Indian Point. Last year and this summer, there have been two pairs. So far, 11 chicks have fledged from the island, under the careful monitoring of Chebeague Island volunteers. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/indianpoint_plover.jpeg) A piping plover chick born on Indian Point in 2025. (Courtesy of Krista Hayward) Laura Minich Zitske, the associate director of conservation and director of the Piping Plover and Least Tern Project at Maine Audubon, consulted the land trust on this project. She said plovers prefer to nest in long stretches of shoreline, like the state’s southern beaches, over small islands. But with the endangered population consistently growing due to conservation efforts — setting [a record high last summer](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/22/endangered-piping-plover-population-sets-record-high-this-year-in-maine/) — nesting pairs are more motivated to find new territory. Particularly enticing territory with newly abundant dune grass, reduced erosion and the watchful eye of dedicated islanders. “Whatever is good for the beach, ultimately, is also good for the birds,” said Zitske. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [chebeague and cumberland land trust](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/chebeague-and-cumberland-land-trust/), [conservation](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/conservation/), [land trust](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/land-trust/), [piping plover](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/piping-plover/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell) [Sophie BurchellStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell) Sophie is a community reporter for Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth and Falmouth and previously reported for the Forecaster. Her memories of briefly living on Mount Desert Island as a child drew her. [More by Sophie Burchell](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell)