About – Wild Blueberry Heritage Center

MISSION

Our mission is to provide a deeper understanding of the natural history, science, and rich culture of the 10,000 year old wild blueberry’s indigenous ecosystem. The Wild Blueberry Heritage Center strives to promote the strength of the local community, food system, and natural environment through public education. Our vision is a thriving future for both the biodiverse ecosystem and rural communities of Maine’s wild blueberry lands.

GOALS

Help conserve the United States’ largest wild blueberry region by…
- promoting knowledge of the wild blueberry’s indigenous ecosystem
- collecting, preserving, and presenting local heritage through modern technology
- building strong relationships between agriculture, conservation, economics, and tribal traditions.

Support the local food economy in Downeast Maine by…
- growing pride for the family farm
- promoting local blueberry growers
- nourishing aspirations for growth and sustainability within the wild blueberry industry

Create learning opportunities for locals and tourists alike by…
- cultivating a community-based heritage center that educates visitors about the wild blueberry’s unique ecosystem and history
- developing an accessible virtual museum that reaches a global audience
- offering educational programming to the community year-round

OUR HISTORY

Wild blueberry growers Del & Marie Emerson of Downeast Maine have dedicated their lives to the prosperity of the wild blueberry industry and its small farms. In celebration of the wild blueberry, the Emersons built a building and business known as Wild Blueberry Land that served the rural area as a landmark tourist attraction from 2001-2022.

Founded in 2016 by Marie Emerson with community help and a concern for the future of the wild blueberry industry, the nonprofit 501c(3) Wild Blueberry Heritage Center’s mission is to provide a deeper understanding of the rich history, science, and culture of the wild blueberry’s indigenous ecosystem. In 2023, the Wild Blueberry Heritage Center assumed stewardship of the beloved “blueberry dome” in Columbia Falls, Maine with the hopes of promoting prosperity for both the biodiverse ecosystem and small growers of Maine’s wild blueberry lands through public education and community-based programming.