The Center for Arts and Ecology is a nonprofit that operates onsite at the Desert of Maine. CAE’s mission is to inspire people, through education and immersive arts and ecology programming, to engage with the complex history of the land, the awe-inspiring resilience of nature, and the power of a present and engaged community.

The Desert is a crucial site of Freeport’s agricultural history that nurtured close-knit communities that have much to teach us. On the other hand, the Desert is also a visible reminder of economic decline and harmful disturbance to the land. CAE is committed to telling the stories of the past with complexity as Freeport builds a future on the cutting edge of agricultural innovation in soil regeneration and sustainable farming as part of a nature-centric future.