WATERBORO — Just about 8 a.m. on Thursday, a group of senior citizens climbed up the steps into a chartered bus that would whisk them away to see the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. 

The bus was to make another stop, just up the road a bit in Buxton, to take on more passengers.

And that simple, loose-knit collaboration, forged earlier this year between municipal parks and recreation departments in some small towns west of the Maine Turnpike, makes trips like the botanical gardens adventure more affordable for everyone, proponents say.

It is all in the math, Waterboro Parks and Recreation Interim Director Todd Smith said. Quite simply, the more folks who are on the bus, the less it costs for everyone to take part.

In all, 47 folks signed up for the Boothbay trip, they hailed from Waterboro, Hollis, Buxton, and a couple of people drove down from Baldwin, said Lisa Tutor, Waterboro parks and rec’s administrative assistant. The cost was around $40 per person, which included transportation, admission and a guided tour of the gardens.

If Waterboro had attempted a solo trip, they would have been lucky to get 20 participants — and the price would have been steeper, said Smith.

In Buxton, Recreation Director Nicole Welch had a similar take on the matter.

“Independently, we can’t fill a bus,” Welch said. 

The collaborations began this spring, after Smith and Tutor began thinking about ways they could offer more programs to more people. They emailed parks and recreation departments from Alfred to Limerick, points in between, and north to the towns in the Sacopee Valley. On June 13, representatives from the departments are scheduled to sit down together to determine if there can be more collaboration on more programs.

Waterboro offers a robust parks and recreation program as do many of the other communities. There are senior luncheons once a month, and senior trips; a group meets for cribbage regularly; there are summer day camps for kids; a before- and after-school program; workshops on various disciplines; a walking program; Tai Chi; Waterboro Mustangs Junior Lacrosse and more.

Tutor pointed out that Waterboro’s day camp roster is almost full — but she and Smith know, through the increased communication between agencies, they can point parents to camps in nearby communities that might still have vacancies.

The Boothbay adventure was the third senior trip collaboration originating in Waterboro — the group went to Oxford Casino and New England Aquarium earlier this year.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said participant Bob Gobeil, as he waited to get on the bus on Thursday.

Hollis Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Madison Moody said he hopes to see the programs expand.

“We’ve worked with Buxton for sports programs but hope to work with Waterboro and other towns,” said Moody. “Perhaps expand youth sports … and it’s nice to bounce ideas off each other.”

After the Boothbay trip, one of the participants sent an email to Waterboro Parks and Recreation.

The writer thanked the organizers and inquired about additional opportunities, like the walking program and senior luncheons. Widowed some years ago, she said the senior luncheons sounded like a good opportunity to enjoy a meal and conversation with others.

“I wanted to thank you folks for the wonderful time,“ she wrote. “I am looking forward to going on more of these trips.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.