BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 8, 2026
A women-led grassroots effort to preserve one of Maine’s most iconic landscapes is gaining momentum in Searsport, where the Wild Blueberry Collective has taken steps toward purchasing 158 acres of blueberry barrens with the goal of returning the land to the community. Formed out of friendship and a shared sense of purpose, the Wild Blueberry Collective began in 2021 when Gloria Pearse and Crystal Vaccaro realized they were not alone in their desire to “do something good for the world.” What followed was the assembling of a small but determined group of eight women, many with professional backgrounds in fields ranging from horticulture to education, united by a commitment to land stewardship, community access and cultural preservation. The group has since evolved into a nonprofit organization focused on protecting wild blueberry barrens, a landscape that is rapidly disappearing across Maine.