New Faces of ACT in 2025

In 2025 ACT saw many new faces and with their boots hitting the ground and running we have not had a chance to officially introduce them here! Karen Chenard, Anna Gallerani and Archie Adams started their Board roles in January and Ashley Poirier started her Board position in October.

Karen Chenard

Originally from the Boston area with summer’s spent in

Maine, Karen’s love for the outdoors has taken her across the country. She attended school in Boulder, Colorado and considers the Rocky Mountains her home away from home. A lover of both mountains and ocean, she eventually returned to New England, drawn back by her deep Maine roots. She is on the trails daily with her husband, Randy, and their dog, Bauer, finding a deep sense of peace and purpose in her walks. Her husband jokes that if given the chance, she could walk forever. Time seems to stand still when she’s immersed in the beauty of nature. Karen is passionate about making the outdoors more accessible to the community and is grateful for the opportunity to enjoy well-maintained trails close to home. A fun twist to her ACT journey: she was the first to recruit Randy to volunteer with ACT, and in turn, he later encouraged her to join the Board! Now, she looks forward to continuing to share her love for nature and giving back to ACT alongside him. 

Last year Karen was Co-Chair of the PR Committee and this year she will be our Volunteer Coordinator!

Anna Gallerani

This year serves as the Vice President and a member of the finance team, last year she was co-chair of the PR Team. She balances her career in tech with as much time outdoors as possible. After spending 10 years living out West, she realized the importance of publicly available trails and spaces and was so grateful for the trail systems in and around her new hometown of Arundel. 

She's excited about the opportunity to be a part of ACT and the community of volunteers who are passionate about furthering ACT's mission. She believes that time in nature can bring tremendous clarity and perspective and loves the Wallace Stevens quote: “Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”

You may run into her, her husband, and their two dogs taking "lunch laps" on the ACT trails, skiing at Sugarloaf, or on their oyster farm in Cape Porpoise.

Archie Adams

Is an avid outdoor enthusiast who finds joy in exploring the Arundel Conservation Trust trails with his dog, Finn, paddling along local rivers, and surfing the waves off Maine’s beaches. He first became involved with ACT through Trail Fest and quickly developed a deep appreciation for the opportunity to connect with the Arundel community, local businesses, and fellow outdoor adventurers. Archie serves on both the Events and Trail Committees, contributing his energy and expertise to strengthening ACT’s mission of conservation and community building. Professionally, he brings valuable experience in the strategic development and management of solar and energy storage projects across the Northeast. His passion for sustainability and environmental stewardship aligns perfectly with ACT’s commitment to preserving natural spaces for future generations.

Ashley Poirier

Ashley is a naturalist, community advocate, and environmentalist at heart. As a chair of the PR Team and member of the Events Team, she brings years of volunteer and event coordination experience along with a deep passion for connecting people to nature.  Ashley appreciates that the Arundel Conservation Trust’s vision is not just about the land, it is also about the community that lives around it. It is a belief within the organization that keeping the community at the center of what ACT does ensures both the people and the land benefit from the organization's efforts. For Ashley, land conservation is finding the balance between letting nature succeed as it always has and knowing that humans will always affecting it. With conservation we can keep the scales from tipping by ensuring natural preservation and fostering the human propensity to explore. She loves sharing the joys of nature with her children and helping other families experience that same wonder.