Clouds part for Stars Over Katahdin, outdoor careers panel, e-Appeal challenge launched, and more…
Just two weeks ago, Friends hosted the 10th Annual Stars Over Katahdin, a community event celebrating Katahdin Woods and Waters’ Dark Sky Sanctuary. The weather forecast was uninspiring (surprise: rain), but the clouds parted throughout the day as we marveled at a partial solar eclipse and again at night for stellar viewing of the Milky Way and countless stars, planets, constellations, nebulae, and more!
After dusk, the clouds parted to reveal the Milky Way stretched across the sky. Photo credit: Taylor Walker
The air is chilly, but our hearts are warm this season with gratitude for the community of astronomers who brought their valuable time, equipment, and expertise to us. We are also warmed by your generosity in response to our October e-Appeal challenge last week! Annual appeal letters are headed to mailboxes soon with moving messages from Rory, a participant in our youth education programs, and Logan, Friends’ board member. Both grew up in the Katahdin region and have become deeply connected and committed to the land we now steward as Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. I hope you will read their stories, and our news shared here today, and be inspired by all that we can accomplish for this place we love.
Stars Over Katahdin Shines
Despite a cloudy forecast, this year’s Stars Over Katahdin was a stellar success. During the day, attendees safely viewed the partial solar eclipse, watched a (model) rocket launch, and walked inside a scale model of the solar system. Rangers from Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument helped orient folks headed in to explore the Scenic Loop Road attractions and recruited some Junior Ranger Night Explorers!
Volunteer Rebecca Spitz launches the model rocket! Photo credit: Taylor WalkerA Round Dance led by Turning Eagle Singers warmed the audience. Photo credit: Taylor Walker
As the sun set, a very special drumming and singing performance by the Turning Eagle Singers brought folks together with joined hands for a circle dance. Kids moved toward the crackling fire as the audience was treated to a lively telling of the mythical Orion, a teaser for the next solar eclipse, and some easy action steps to reduce our own light pollution! Although the clouds moved in and out early in the evening, they moved out to provide amazing stargazing and guided viewing of celestial objects through a variety of advanced telescopes.
Setting up scopes for peeks at the eclipse. Photo credit: Terri Ann Anderson
This annual event, now ten years in, depends on generous volunteers who travel from the far reaches of Maine and New England to share their expertise and passion for the night sky. Friends is grateful for the opportunity to share the wonder of our dark skies each year.
Friends’ education program, Katahdin Learning Project, is opening students’ eyes to future careers in the conservation and outdoor recreation sectors. KLP has been providing free, place-based nature learning to schools in the Katahdin region since 2017. As the early cohorts of students have grown, so has our programming–deepening the connections between the landscape, the folks who work in it, and youth in the surrounding communities.
Outdoor professionals talk to 6th graders! Photo credit: FKWW
Early in October, seven professionals representing the outdoor sector, including Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument, Maine Forest Rangers, Baxter State Park, Katahdin Area Trails, Katahdin Gear Library, and Outdoor Sport Institute spoke to Ashland 6th graders at the Island Falls Fish and Game center. The panel spoke about the many opportunities in the Katahdin region. The students listened thoughtfully and asked great questions. At the end of the day, many remarked that they didn’t know there were so many outdoor professions, and hands went up when asked if they could see themselves in one of these careers!
The career panel is such a popular concept with educators that KLP has scheduled two more in November, at Southern Aroostook Community School and Katahdin Middle High School, to reach 40 high school students.
Teaching students to understand the river helps protect it. Photo credit: FKWW
A special program last week introduced East Millinocket School’s 4th graders to Shantel Neptune and Maddie Huerth from the Penobscot Nation Natural Resource Department when they joined us for a water quality lesson. Maddie and Shantel talked to the students about their work as water scientists while explaining the importance of healthy water to Penobscot people. Students then turned into community scientists; testing water on the East Branch of the Penobscot River for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chlorine, alkalinity, and hardness. The fourth graders left with an understanding of how these tests, as well as turbidity and clarity, reveal the river’s health and how it is intimately connected to the health of salmon, otters, turtles, and more–including us humans.
Update on Wolfden Mining Proposal
As you know, it is not often that Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters shares an advocacy position. We formed shortly after courageous local, regional, and national advocacy efforts to establish the national monument and when the moment calls for it, we’ve taken positions to protect this special place. By now, news that a metallic mineral mine proposed for the Katahdin Region has been well-covered, as well as the required rezoning hearings in Millinocket and Bangor before Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC). Friends thanks the many members, aligned organizations, and concerned citizens who have submitted testimony or spoke at the LUPC proceedings.
Friends’ full position statement can be found here on our blog. Written comment on Wolfden’s rezoning request will be accepted until Thursday, November 2nd. Learn more about the LUPC process and timeline here.
Hunting is permitted (with a Maine state license) on monument lands east of the East Branch of the Penobscot River. These areas are designated in dark green on this NPS monument map. Bear baiting, trapping, and chase dogs are not permitted. Hikers, wear your orange!
Camping – Summer camping will close at the end of the month, but check recreation.gov for more information on reserving the popular Haskell and Big Spring Brook Huts this winter!
Photo credit: Taylor Walker
Ripple Effect
If you know the Katahdin region, or have driven through it on the way to the monument’s north entrance, you have beheld Patten’s historic and prominent 1845 Regular Baptist Church. Down East Magazine peeks inside this unique building and profiles the woman on a quest to save it.
Watch: Maine Public’s Borealis episode featuring Nyle Sockbeson’s (Penobscot, Passamaquoddy) Appalachian Trail journey. Nyle works for Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness and will join the panelists at KLP’s next career panel!
Learn: about Land Back and find further resources from the Bomazeen Land Trust, who believe that “education is the most fundamental element of allyship and liberation.”
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank you to our Deasey level sponsor, Ktaadn Resorts! Home of the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC), Ktaadn Resorts has grown to include a brewery, event center, and miles of adjacent hiking and mountain biking trails built by Katahdin Area Trails, and is host to many Friends’ events.
And thank you to Trust for Public Land for their Barnard level sponsorship! TPL works alongside communities across the country to create, protect, and steward the nature-rich places that are vital to human well-being.
It is not every day that Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters sends an advocacyalert. Our friends group followed from the courageous local, regional, and national advocacy efforts to establish the national monument and when the moment calls for it, we’ve taken positions to protect this special place. You may have heard that a metallic mineral mine is being proposed for the Katahdin Region. As Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) hearings are set to begin next week in Millinocket and the following week in Bangor, we want to take a moment to inform you of our position. In short: Friends of KWW cannot support the Wolfden application for a zone change for the Pickett Mountain Mine Project. It runs counter to our mission as well as protective state laws and rules, and it jeopardizes the future health, outstanding environmental quality, and long-term economic vitality of this region.
Read Our Full Statement Below
An aerial view of Pleasant Lake, photo by Jerry Monkman courtesy of NRCM
The mission of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality and distinctive cultural resources of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of all generations. Created in 2017, shortly after the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, the Friends of KWW is a non-profit membership organization with approximately 1000 members from the Katahdin region, the state of Maine and across the U.S. Our position presents the views of the Friends of KWW, and does not purport to present the views of the National Park Service or any other entity.
In line with our mission, Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is voicing its objection to Wolfden Mount Chase LLC’s application for a zone change for the proposed Pickett Mountain Mine Project (ZP779A).
As we have reviewed and analyzed Wolfden’s proposal, considered the objections of the Wabanaki people and others, and reviewed the Land Use Planning Commission’s criteria for consideration of this proposal, it is clear to Friends of KWW that now is the time to voice our concerns.
The Katahdin region and the shadow of a national monument is no place to operate a metallic mineral mine. The proposed location is approximately 5 miles from the Seboeis parcel of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The primary issues we have identified as points of concern include:
Water pollution in both surface and groundwater, affecting fish populations and the health of pristine lakes and ponds including some designated as Maine Heritage Fish Waters and rivers, including downstream connections to the Penobscot River, sacred to the Penobscot Nation and critical to the monument and area ecosystems
Light pollution risking the monument’s International Dark Sky Sanctuary status
Endangered species impacts on Canada lynx, Atlantic salmon, and northern long eared bat, from limited mobility due to fencing, car strikes, and water pollution risks
Noise, air, and dust pollution, particularly from truck routes near monument lands, adversely affecting wildlife and the visitor experience
Viewshed impacts from a new transmission line and equipment that rises above the 80 foot tree line
Loss of the region’s and monument’s character and reputation as a first-class park and recreation destination, resulting in adverse economic impacts on the outdoor-recreation based economy
Furthermore, the lack of clarity around the location of Wolfden’s ore concentration facility in the region is of significant concern. Combined, the risks are substantial enough to threaten present and future generations’ enjoyment of the national monument as well as the vitality of critical ecosystems that are connected to the monument.
LUPC’s responsibility is to sustainably protect the natural character, natural resources, recreational opportunities, and forest and agricultural based economy of the region, and its mandate is to avoid undue adverse impacts on existing uses and resources of the region.
Friends of KWW supports efforts to improve economic opportunity in the Katahdin Region, and welcomes business and industry that is compatible with the preservation and enjoyment of the national monument. The national monument itself is contributing to these economic opportunities, and many new or expanded businesses are benefiting from them. Friends of KWW cannot support the Wolfden application for a zone change for the Pickett Mountain Mine Project that runs counter to our mission as well as protective state laws and rules, and jeopardizes the future health, outstanding environmental quality, and long-term economic vitality of this region.
Additional Information and How to Speak Up
FAQs answered by Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM)
Commentary: “The Katahdin Region is no place for a large mining operation” by Clarissa Sabattis, Chief of Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and Kirk Francis, Chief of Penobscot Indian Nation
LUPC Background, Documents on Woflden’s Proposal, and Submitted Testimony
Autumn adventures, Brian’s #myparkstory, Stars Over Katahdin registration, be a Junior Ranger Night Explorer, and more…
When was the last time you stood outside at night and looked up at the sky? Many of us do not have a view of the stars from home, trapped in the bubbles of light cast by industry, street lamps, and illuminated windows. Away from city lights, the dark can make us uneasy, but for countless animals considering their fall migrations, long dark nights are essential for safety and travel success. As humans, looking into the vast universe, we can find comfort in spotting familiar constellations, and awe while contemplating our place in the glowing band that is our galaxy. Today, 80% of Americans cannot see the Milky Way.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020 for its stunningly dark skies. With this designation comes an obligation to protect this exceptional natural resource. Your membership support has been crucial in raising awareness, educating the public, and supporting research.
Fall is the perfect time to plan a dark sky trip! Rangers are hosting a series of Night Sky programs in and near the national monument, the bugs are (mostly) gone, and the sun is setting earlier each day! Friends is especially excited for our 10th annual Stars Over Katahdin, a family event open to all on Saturday, October 14th (read all about it below).
Star party at the Overlook. Photo credit: John Meader
#myparkstory/#yourparkstory
From a peaceful solo snowshoe to an off-script camping adventure with two boys, Executive Director Brian Hinrichs has packed a variety of iconic Katahdin Woods and Waters experiences since joining the team. Check out Brian’s park story this month, spanning the seasons and many of our favorite activities (including identifying moose poop).
Atop Barnard Mountain a fine picnic spot awaits! Photo credit: Brian Hinrichs
Fall fun with KatahdinLearning Project
This season, KLP is excited to expand programs into the community and offer programs in Island Falls, Medway and Millinocket in addition to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Education Coordinator Elise shared: “We will be expanding our water quality citizen science project by testing water at three different locations in the Katahdin region. Students will connect the water that flows through their communities to health, environment, and culture.”
Students test pH levels in the East Branch, 2022. Photo credit: FKWW
KLP saw tremendous success with the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collaborative (KROC) summer day and overnight programs for middle schoolers and will keep the adventures going this fall! KLP, Outdoor Sport Institute, Katahdin Gear Library, and Katahdin Area Trails will offer a day hike and an overnight camping opportunity for youth this October. Attention local families – registration will open soon! Reach out to elise@friendsofkww.org with questions.
Welcome to Isabelle Jandreau, who will be working with KLP during our fall programs in her role as a KROC Fellow. Isabelle is from northern Maine and recently graduated with a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Maine. Last summer, she interned with Outdoor Sport Institute and got to know the KLP team through collaborative programs–which made Isabelle the perfect choice to be selected in an innovative pilot program hosted as a fellowship at OSI. The KROC fellow works with various organizations – strengthening programmatic collaborations and adding shared capacity around the Katahdin Region. Isabelle dove in this month (although hopefully not literally) by leading a kayak workshop with students from Stearns High School in Millinocket.
Stars Over Katahdin
On October 14th, Friends will gather with the National Park Service, expert astronomers, and our community to celebrate the darkest skies East of the Mississippi River. The free event will run from noon to 10 p.m. and feature safe guided viewing of a partial solar eclipse, family activities, food from Oak Creek Smokery, campfire chats, and – of course – night sky viewing. Learn more and visit the registration page here.
Learning how to use a telescope before dark. Photo credit: John Meader
Park News
Bookmark the NPS Katahdin Woods and Waters event calendar! Events ongoing through this month and next month include “Night Skies: Bright Futures” with Ranger John and opportunities to earn a Junior Ranger Night Sky Explorer patch.
Don’t run Millinocket for what you get; run Millinocket for what you give! – the Millinocket Marathon and Half is on December 2nd. Get this one off your bucket list along with two Friends’ staffers (we said it, so it’s happening!) this year.
Science-to-action: Lights Out – “Every spring and fall, billions of birds migrate through the US…[contending] with a dramatically increasing but still largely unrecognized threat: light pollution.” Learn more about bird migration and follow along in real time with your custom Migration Dashboard and other tools at BirdCast.
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank you to two of our Hathorn level sponsors: Bangor Savings Bank and Maine Audubon! From supporting community businesses to protecting our state’s wildlife, these two Friends support our work financially and in the community.
Executive Director Brian Hinrichs’ relationship with Katahdin Woods and Waters will be familiar to many of our readers. From curiousity to apprehension (the roads! no cell service!) to a genuine connection, Brian’s park story takes us through the seasons and stages of discovering places within the national monument that create lifelong family memories.
Over the past several months, my first impressions of Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument have been slowly taking shape. #Myparkstory is still being written, but it now has a first chapter spanning three seasons and three unique encounters with this landscape that feels more unusual and inspiring with every visit.
Winter
A few weeks before my second interview to become the Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters in March, I set off to start exploring the monument.
For years, I had read about the development of Katahdin Woods & Waters with fascination. As a Maine resident since 2013 and regular hiker, I was always enthusiastic about the monument’s formation. As a father of three young kids, we tended to stick to more familiar terrain. Acadia was our go-to. Even after hiking Katahdin in 2018, the monument felt intimidating, or confusing. Where to start?
That crisp, bluebird day back in March ended up being the perfect low-key introduction to Katahdin Woods & Waters. In winter, the monument can only be accessed from the North End for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I parked at the North Gate and showshoed down to the Oxbow Road back up the Old River Road along the East Branch of the Penobscot River.
A stop along Old River Rd, March 5, 2023. Photo credit (all): Brian Hinrichs
What I encountered was genuine peace, and the feeling that things were possible in this remote corner of the North Woods that were not elsewhere. Lynx and black bear tracks quickly revealed themselves; a light breeze down Billfish Mountain sounded like a slowly cresting wave; the river had a life of its own, inviting pause and reflection at every bend. The scenery was objectively beautiful, but it was the feeling of the place that lingered.
Spring
Late spring brought the opportunity to start introducing my family to the monument. On the day before Memorial Day, we set out to Barnard Mountain, one of the signature hikes in KAWW. The Loop Road had just opened, and we got to the trailhead a little before noon after leaving Bangor at 9. I was a little nervous about taking our minivan onto the Loop Road, but it did just fine taking things slow and steady.
It was a late-May scorcher and the initial open stretch of road along the International Appalachian Trail brought a series of questions (accusations?) from my oldest, including, “How will you know if I have heat stroke?” After a rough start, a key ingredient quickly turned things around: moose poop! Truly epic amounts of moose poop kept our kids running down the trail, positive a sighting was imminent.
The scene atop Barnard Mountain, May 28, 2023.
While no one laid eyes on a moose (we are far too noisy for that), the views from Barnard were plenty rewarding. We spent almost an hour at the summit, enjoying an epic picnic and soaking in the unobstructed site of a still snow-capped Katahdin. Here, the wind in the trees was even more pronounced, the only sound for miles.
Summer
Summer has meant frequent day trips to the monument with Friends, but I was eager to plan a camping trip with my older boys. At the end of August, we finally found the time.
I made our reservations on Recreation.gov for a campsite at Lunksoos. We’ve had great car camping trips in recent years at Lily Bay, Rangeley, and Peaks-Kenny State Parks, but those sites can feel noisy and crowded in the heart of summer. Lunksoos offered the right balance of seclusion and accessibility.
Setting up camp at Lunksoos, August 27, 2023.
Paddling the East Branch, August 27, 2023.
After a short walk in to set up our tent site, we took a meandering afternoon paddle up the East Branch, with stops along the way as inspired. The silver maple floodplain defining this section of the Penobscot again invites pause: slowly floating under arching trunks; scanning dense layers of ferns; listening to that constant shuffle of leaves and limbs in the breeze. At one of our stops, we spotted big, wet, fresh moose prints, putting my older two boys (now 11 and 8) back on high alert. On the way back down the river, the gentle current let us relax even more, spotting beaver dams and jumping fish along the way.
Sunset on the East Branch, August 27, 2023.
That first night, the skies were clear and we went down to the river to soak it all in. The vastness of the universe can’t hide at Katahdin Woods & Waters. Later on, we all passed out, though some riled-up squirrels had fun pelting our tent with pine cones early the next morning.
Night skies from Lunksoos Boat Launch, August 27, 2023.
We started the second day with a plan to drive up to Loop Road and hike to Orin Falls. The key to camping and hiking with kids is to keep expectations low and be ready to pivot. One of my boys was struck with a serious bout of car sickness as we were approaching the trailhead; it made me reconsider a six-mile hike on a hot day, with a potentially dehydrated kid, even though the promise of a refreshing swim was tempting. As we set out, I remembered Elise Goplerud, FKWW’s Education Coordinator, telling me about a great spot along the trail for some river walking – right under the old logging bridge at the Wassataquoik campsite, about a mile from the trailhead.
A view up Katahdin Brook from the Wassataquoik campsite, August 28, 2023.
The campsite is nestled along Katahdin Brook as it approaches convergence with the Wassataquoik Stream and is a natural resting point. Given the option to stay and explore, or keep hiking, we all felt good about letting go of the final destination and seeing what the new plan would bring. We suited up and hopped in a chilly Katahdin Brook. Totally alone, we were energized to explore, wading under the bridge, splashing in knee-deep rapids, eventually building up the courage to dunk. Later in the week, back at home, when asked what their favorite part of the trip was, it was this.
“River walking” in Katahdin Brook, August 28, 2023.
After getting the minivan back up the Orin Falls Road, we made two more stops. In the name of spotting a moose, we put in for a paddle at Sandbank Stream and explored as much as we could before encountering shallow waters and beaver dams at both ends. Continuing along Swift Brook Road, we couldn’t resist a quick dip at Whetstone Falls. Back at Lunksoos, we enjoyed a lazy afternoon and evening filled with s’mores.
Campfire at Lunksoos, August 28, 2023.
Awaking to rain on our last morning, we decided to take our time packing, getting in one last round of Uno in the tent before the drive to Bangor. It ended up being just about 48 hours in the monument, leaving us all feeling accomplished and still wanting more, which feels like the right balance with kids.
Look Back, Looking Forward
I didn’t grow up hiking and camping. On Long Island, I was a beach kid. A family trip to Yosemite National Park left its mark, but it wasn’t until college near the Adirondacks that these excursions started to become a regular part of my life. My 20s in Madison, Wisconsin added kayaks to the mix as we explored the region’s ample lakes and streams. In Maine for the last 10 years, my family has grown alongside my passion for being outdoors and exploring – it is something I’ve been able to share in real time with my family, learning together along the way.
Bear-resistant food storage at Lunksoos Camps.
The rustic nature of Katahdin Woods & Waters can present some challenges on the surface, but the rewards are endless. There are no crowds and lines, no stress about parking. The camping infrastructure at Lunksoos is brand new and just enough in all the right ways – thank you, bear-resistant food storage!
And then there is the land itself.
What’s unique in KAWW is the feeling that the land will set the agenda for you. It will slow you down, and invite you to stop and look around and savor. This landscape doesn’t come with a bucket-list, though we have some bucket-list worthy views. The reward here is the satisfaction of exploration itself. That may make your monument excursion somewhat inscrutable, but it also makes moreexploring irresistible.
Patten, ME – Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Stars Over Katahdin, presented by Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters on Saturday, October 14th. The event celebrates the darkest skies east of the Mississippi River with opportunities to explore the night sky guided by expert astronomers, state-of-the-art telescopes, and National Park Service Night Sky Rangers. With activities running from 12pm until 10pm at Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps, attendees will also have the chance to view a partial solar eclipse and participate in campfire chats.
“For ten years, some of those before the monument was established, volunteers and community members have been highlighting these exceptional dark skies at the Stars Over Katahdin event,” said Kala Rush, Education Director. “Thanks to our community and this event, we now have an International attraction that uplifts a local wonder and every year brings people to the Katahdin Region.”
The free event is made possible by Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters (FKWW) and its sponsors, including Richardson’s Hardware and Maine Beer Company. FKWW is an official philanthropic partner to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In 2020, the Monument was designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, only the second such designation within the National Park Service and the first in Maine and New England.
Food will be available for purchase on site from Oak Creek Smokery, and camping is available for a $10 cash fee paid upon arrival. Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps is located at the start of Swift Brook Road in Stacyville, Maine.
Photo credit John MeaderCampfire chats. Photo credit John Meader
Woods & Waters Day, teen adventures, salmon restoration, Stars Over Katahdin, and more…
Maine summers have a good reputation–but this one has had some rough spots. Not just the unrelenting damp in your sleeping bag or canceled beach plans, but wildfire smoke and road washouts brought new realities that usually only come through our news feeds. Fortunately, August has provided some sunny, clear days and more than ever, folks are out in the monument enjoying the rivers and trails. Friends’ place-based education program, Katahdin Learning Project, led more than 200 local youth on hikes, paddles, mountain bikes, and overnight trips in Katahdin Woods and Waters and other public lands in the region. While making friends and learning about career pathways, these young people are building resilience (see: wet tents) and gaining an understanding of why conservation matters. I am honored to share these and more stories this month that inspire hope for the future of our national parks and other public spaces, and the generations to come who will enjoy and steward them.
Last weekend, more than one hundred Friends gathered at Shin Pond Village in Mt. Chase for our annual celebration of the monument and the people who make our work possible–YOU. After lunch under the pavilion, folks followed the signs south to visit Tekαkαpimək Contact Station for a special “sneak peek” at the construction and landscaping progress. If you couldn’t join us, I hope you’ll plan a trip to Katahdin Woods and Waters this fall. Cooler days bring fewer bugs and bright foliage–and plenty of camping available on rec.gov for your last-minute getaway! As always, reach out if you need some advice, or visit our blog for a growing reservoir of #parkstories to spark some ideas.
Friends got a sneak peek inside the building under construction at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station. Photo credit: FKWW
#myparkstory/#yourparkstory
Our place-based educators are busy connecting learners with land year-round, but long summer days outside the structure of a school day allow for deeper youth experiences on our trails and rivers. Education Coordinator Elise Goplerud shares her reflections on the impact of these programs in this month’s #myparkstory.
“This summer proved to me that youth do want to be out here and connection to nature is just as innate as our ability to breathe. They just need the opportunity to be in the wilderness, take on responsibility, exercise creativity, and be a little wild.”
Katahdin Learning Project’s summer youth programs wound down in August with our final hurrah–an overnight canoe trip. Most of KLP’s programs this summer were part of a collaborative series in partnership with local non-profits Katahdin Gear Library, Outdoor Sport Institute, and Katahdin Area Trails. Known collectively as the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collaborative, we offered eight introductory-level outdoor adventures to more than 200 middle and high schoolers at no cost.
Woods and Waters Day
Friends’ staff, board, and members came together on Saturday, August 19th for our annual summer celebration in honor of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. More than one hundred Friends and community members gathered under the pavilion at Shin Pond Village for lunch, live music, and a chance to meet Executive Director Brian Hinrichs for the first time. A brief downpour passed over–then the skies cleared for an enlightening afternoon at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station atop Lookout Mountain in the monument. Tekαkαpimək is still an active construction site, but the crews had cleaned it up for the weekend so we could provide a sneak peek at the building and landscaping. Thanks to the NPS rangers for joining us on site to answer your thoughtful questions. Woods and Waters Day was presented by our Katahdin level sponsors Maine Beer Company and Richardson’s Hardware, and supported by Lookout sponsors Bangor Daily News, Downeast Magazine, Elliotsville Foundation, L.L.Bean, and National Parks Conservation Association, and many more. Meet all the businesses and nonprofit organizations supporting Friends here on our sponsorship page!
Catching up with Friends at Woods and Waters Day! Photo credit: FKWW
Trip Report – Katahdin Woods & Waters / Baxter State Park Overnight
From Summer Educator Maggie O’Hara. Friends wishes Maggie the best as she moves on at the end of this month to begin her post-secondary career at Eastern Maine Community College to study Education.
The Katahdin Learning Project, as part of the KROC series, hosted a group of middle school kids on an overnight hiking adventure. We set up camp at the Lunksoos group camping area in the national monument and after we set up, headed to the north end of Baxter State Park. We began our adventure up Horse Mountain and were rewarded with the beautiful East Spur Overlook. Afterwards, we headed back down for a swim in Matagamon Lake, participated in a Leave No Trace lesson, ate a filling dinner, and played games before getting some rest for the next day’s adventure. The next morning, we packed up camp and ventured our way down to Barnard Mountain in the monument. We took the “long way” around the Katahdin Loop Road where we got to see an impressive side of Katahdin at the Mile 6.4 Overlook. And once we reached the summit of Barnard Mountain, we got to see a different side of the mountain! For several of the students this trip was their first time hiking a mountain. They couldn’t get enough and we were so excited to hear that they wanted to sign up for more of the KROC programs this summer!
Youth and trip leaders on day one of our KROC overnight hiking trip. Photo credit: FKWW
Stars Over Katahdin – Register Today!
Mark your calendars for our annual Stars Over Katahdin event October 14th, and get ready to:
View the stars through telescopes with expert astronomers under the darkest skies east of the Mississippi
Listen to astronomers and National Park Service Rangers tell stories and share information during a campfire chat
Monitor light pollution levels and learn about the importance of dark skies Become a Night Sky Explorer Junior Ranger
PLUS- During the day, you’ll have the opportunity to safely view a solar eclipse with the guidance of our volunteer astronomers
Park News – Federal Funds to Aid Salmon Restoration
This year, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will build on past efforts to restore and improve aquatic passages (culverts and bridges) for Atlantic salmon with $138,461 in funds received from the Inflation Reduction Act. This restoration project is part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide $52 million to the National Park Service to fund projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
Atlantic salmon Photo credit: Peter Stenstra/ US Fish and Wildlife Service
Over the past several years, park managers and staff have built durable bridges and culverts to improve Atlantic salmon habitat that has been degraded over time through aging infrastructure and effects from flooding. The additional funding will double these efforts by increasing the number of passage improvements and habitat restorations. Atlantic salmon will have greater access to breeding grounds, food resources and cool water refugia. Improved passage will also restore natural flow regimesand will benefit sensitive wetland resources, aquatic and terrestrial habitats and recreation sites up and downstream of the projects.
Ripple Effect
September is almost here, so get ready for the Trails End Festival in Millinocket–for three days of free concerts featuring live music from the region, Maine, and beyond, food, and fun! (Be sure to say hello to the NPS Rangers while you are there!)
If you need another reason to head to Millinocket, why not sign up for the third annual Maine Woods Rambler, a “punishing and rewarding” ride presented by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, New England Outdoor Center, and Katahdin Area Trails.
September also means back-to-school. Are you a teacher, or do you know a teacher in the Katahdin region who would like to learn more about Friends’ place-based programming? Click here for the the 2023-24 Katahdin Learning Project Catalog.
Sponsor Spotlight
A BIG thank you goes out this month to one of our two Katahdin level sponsors, and longtime presenting sponsor of Woods And Waters Day–
Maine Beer Company is a 1% for the Planet partner supporting many fabulous organizations around our state. Click the logo to learn more, or head to their beautiful tasting room in Freeport to enjoy a Woods and Waters IPA!
Friends’ place-based educators connect learners with land year-round, but long summer days outside the structure of a school day allow for deeper youth experiences on our trails and rivers. Education Coordinator Elise Goplerud shares her reflections on the impact of these programs in this month’s #myparkstory.
Katahdin Learning Project’s summer youth programs wound down in August with our final hurrah–an overnight canoe trip. Most of KLP’s programs this summer were part of a collaborative series in partnership with local non-profits Katahdin Gear Library, Outdoor Sport Institute, and Katahdin Area Trails. Collectively named the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collaborative (or KROC, pronounced Kay-Rock), we offered eight introductory-level outdoor adventures to more than 200 middle and high schoolers at no cost. The spirit of togetherness shone in the programs and students, as we saw participants returning for more sessions. Each time, youth came in more engaged and more willing to take on leadership responsibilities. This summer, we hiked Barnard Mountain in the national monument, mountain biked on the trails at Hammond Ridge, spent the night at Lunksoos Camps, paddled in the Debsconeag Wilderness Area, and got silly as we walked to the Ice Caves. We explored highlights of the Katahdin region’s North, South, East and West. The kids experienced places they’d never been before and realized how much is in their backyard. I can guarantee you won’t hear any of these students say, “there’s nothing to do here”.
Here the kids are setting up camp at the Lunksoos group camping area (that Friends helped fund in 2021!) on our first overnight. It took a lot of assistance from leaders to get camp set up on day one but by our overnight canoe trip these kids were pros at it.
The kids had plenty of downtime to enjoy the woods without technology (and we didn’t hear any complaints!). However, many evenings also included guided discussions about how to recreate responsibly outdoors, plus storytelling around the campfire or while gazing at the stars. The students learned some history of the conserved lands that we visited, the many types of management styles, as well as the importance of protecting land for wildlife and recreation. Our reflections got deeper throughout the season. A student who first arrived shy and unsure of the outdoors (our first trip, his least favorite part: hiking) was taking on leadership roles, volunteering answers to questions, and seeking more ways to get involved. In his own words: “It just feels really, really good to be out here in the wild”.
George, our youngest participant, was enthusiastic about fishing and spent our first evening together on the shores of Lunksoos boat launch casting a line. After many attempts and tangled lines he hooked one! The excitement of catching a fish is contagious and everyone in the group came to check it out and celebrate George’s success.
On that final canoe trip, the scheduled paddle was modified due to wind and we had more downtime at camp than we expected. The leaders quickly huddled to brainstorm activities so the kids wouldn’t get bored. But before we could actually do any of these activities we saw kids digging in the sand, collecting firewood, and looking more content and at peace than we could have predicted. Free play is a hot buzzword in nature-based education but it’s generally in the context of toddlers and pre-K to early elementary students. We rarely talk about the importance of free play for older students or adults. Free play came so naturally to these middle schoolers– I believe in part because they did it on their own. No leader told them “it’s time to free play so get it in while you can” as in a school setting where their lives, including “free” play, is very structured. Genuinely free play with no time limits, rules, or boundaries made the difference. Leaders were shocked during the debrief when a kid said that one of his favorite parts of the entire program was not the games and activities we played but “how much freedom we gave them.”
Concerning student safety, the youths had proven to us over the summer that we could trust them. Leaders wanted them to experience genuine trust, absent the many common parameters that prevent them making choices for themselves. At some point in the trip I led a trust activity and instead of the typical debrief question “How does it feel to trust your partner,” I asked them “How did it feel to be trusted” which sparked new emotions and prompted moving responses.
The kids felt like true explorers as they descended into the dark Ice Caves in the Debsconeag Wilderness Area. We checked out every nook and cranny that we could fit ourselves into. Along the trail we told jokes and riddles and laughed the whole time.
There was something different and amazing about these programs that you don’t see on day programs with the schools. I saw a hunger for wilderness and freedom that I hadn’t seen with the other groups we work with. Sometimes in this line of work I get discouraged because I’m told by some teachers and parents, and we hear in the media, that “kids just aren’t interested in the outdoors anymore. They only want to spend time on technology”. But this summer proved to me that those people are wrong. Youth do want to be out here and connection to nature is just as innate as our ability to breathe. Youth just need the opportunity to be in the wilderness, take on responsibility, exercise creativity, and be a little wild.
Patten, Maine – This year, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will build on past efforts to restore and improve aquatic passages (culverts and bridges) for Atlantic salmon with $138,461 in funds received from the Inflation Reduction Act. This restoration project is part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide $52 million to the National Park Service to fund projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
Over the past several years, park managers and staff have built durable bridges and culverts to improve Atlantic salmon habitat that has been degraded over time through aging infrastructure and effects from flooding. The additional funding will double these efforts by increasing the number of passage improvements and habitat restorations. Atlantic salmon will have greater access to breeding grounds, food resources and cool water refugia. Improved passage will also restore natural flow regimes and will benefit sensitive wetland resources, aquatic and terrestrial habitats and recreation sites up and downstream of the projects.
“We are pleased to enhance Atlantic salmon habitat for the benefit of the greater Penobscot River watershed,” said Superintendent Mark Wimmer. “Investments from the Inflation Reduction Act will help us provide this project with needed infrastructure for many years to come.”
The projects announced today infuse much-needed funding to put people to work addressing critical ecosystem needs to restore healthy and resilient park lands while benefiting communities surrounding parks. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, the National Park Service is working to address the impacts of the climate crisis, including intensifying drought, wildfires, flooding and legacy pollution in national parks and other public lands. Resources are making significant strategic investments to repair critical facilities and infrastructure and enhance conservation through ecosystem restoration and recreation opportunities.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Woods and Waters Day, youth outdoors, Seboeis paddle trip, and more…
Summer is in full swing, and despite the damp weather, we’re taking advantage of each precious summer day while it’s here. And it’s hard to believe with our minds and hearts fully in summer mode, but we just wrapped up our spring fundraising season last month. This spring, we challenged the Friends community to help us hit our ambitious membership goal of $75,000. We’re delighted to report that fundraising to support Friends’ ongoing operations and programs this spring totaled $85,634, 114% of our goal! This annual membership support is vital for ensuring that experiences like those you’ll read about in this newsletter are possible for educators, youth, art enthusiasts, and paddlers–not just today, but for years to come.
Looking ahead, we’ll be gathering with our Friends community in just under a month with an evolution to our traditional anniversary celebration that we’re calling “Woods & Waters Day.” We hope you’ll join us at Shin Pond Village for lunch and live music, then head into the monument with us later in the afternoon for a sneak peek at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station before it opens to the public in 2024. Learn more and register for Woods & Waters Day here.
#myparkstory/#yourparkstory
This month, our featured Park Story comes from Maggie O’Hara, Katahdin Learning Project’s seasonal place-based educator. Maggie just graduated from Katahdin Middle High School and is headed to Eastern Maine Community College to study secondary education in the fall.
KLP is delighted to have a former participant now teaching the next generation! Photo credit: Maggie O’Hara
“Going out in the woods is not every high schooler’s dream. And being entirely honest, at the beginning of last fall it was definitely not on my top ten things to do. The idea of big hikes, intense canoeing trips, and dealing with nature’s wrath truthfully scared me. But then, I was offered to run a fundraiser at one of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters programs: Stars Over Katahdin.”
Teacher Camp 2023 – Focus on Wabanaki Studies
We are still glowing with gratitude after KLP’s annual Teacher Camp last month. Always a valuable opportunity for learning, this year had a special focus–LD291–the 2001 law requiring the teaching of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine classrooms. Teachers from around the region and state explored integrating Wabanaki studies into school curricula and the purpose and history behind the law. Wabanaki REACH provided a program to expand their understanding of Wabanaki history and present issues. A hands-on map activity helped each individual delve into the important “unlearning” and subsequent learning necessary for educators preparing to incorporate the truth in structures where Wabanaki history, culture, and ways of knowing have been erased. Teachers left empowered with knowledge generously shared by Heather Augustine (Elsipogtog First Nation Canada) of REACH, Nolan Altvater (Passamaquoddy), the Special Projects Coordinator for the Passamaquoddy Historic Preservation Office, and Angie Reed, Water Resources Planner with Penobscot Nation Water Quality.
35 educators from the Katahdin region and state attended Teacher Camp on June 20. Photo credit: FKWW
Nolan’s keynote spoke to the importance of infusing Maine studies with past and present Wabanaki contributions in a culturally competent manner, sharing truth and acknowledging the harmful narratives that previously existed and still persist today. Teaching materials and resources, created with the help of presenters, were shared in attendee folders and at a resource table. Supporting teachers in their ongoing learning and next steps was an important objective of the day. Most importantly, KLP and Friends hoped to spark individual commitments to the process of unsettling our educational systems and centering Wabanaki peoples in determining how their stories are told. To learn more or request resources, please contact Education Director Kala@friendsofkww.org.
The Outdoor Classroom
Surviving the halls of middle school can be tough enough, but KLP was impressed by 6th-8th graders from Southern Aroostook Community School earlier this summer when they learned the importance of wilderness survival skills and safety. On the first day, they learned what being prepared looks like and what to bring with them on a trip. Students crafted various forms of shelters ranging from debris huts to tarps to tents. On day two, they covered team-building, fire starting, and first aid. Kids learned the importance of working together when faced with an emergency. The two days capped off with a thoughtful conversation about careers in the outdoor field, and we can’t wait to see some of these kids on the trail when they are rangers, foresters, or guides!
Middle school students from Southern Aroostook Community School kicked off summer by learning wilderness and teamwork skills. Photo credit: FKWW
Just last week, KLP was joined by NPS Ranger Crystal at Lunksoos Camps’ picnic area for a river ecology lesson with Katahdin Elementary’s Summer Academy. Kids learned about habitats, the very special food web of the silver maple flood plain, and played a salmon game, too. Kudos to the teachers who make summer learning a priority–and have enough bug nets to go around!
Ranger Crystal helped students understand the importance of protecting resources in our national parks system. Photo credit: FKWW
Trip Report – Spotlight on Seboeis
It’s Seboeis Summer in the monument! Photo credit: FKWW
Despite, nay, because of, all the rain we’ve received this year in the Katahdin region, Friends’ staffers Sam and Elise, along with Elise’s partner Joe, enjoyed a late season run of the Seboeis last month. If you missed Sam’s delightful trip report on social media, find it here–and if you are curious for more details or would like to ground-truth the Three Rivers Paddling Guide (working copy), reach out to Elise@friendsofkww.org. With summer rains, the Seboeis continues to run high much later this season. Check the USGS monitoring site, ensure good water levels, and consider a trip!
“As Far As One Can See” at Portland Museum of Art
On Friday, June 30, at 6 PM, the Portland Museum of Art hosted “As Far as One Can See: Visitor Contact Station Rises in Katahdin Woods and Waters” to a full auditorium with standing room only. Friends thanks the panelists: Gabriel Frey (Passamaquoddy), Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot), Todd Saunders, and Lucas St. Clair, who provided lively conversation and insights. The program was punctuated with stunning visuals of this unique project, the creation of a Visitor Contact Station in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument reflecting a Wabanaki worldview, which will be a gift to the U.S. National Park Service and open to the public in 2024. To learn more and join the campaign in support of this project and more, visit friendsofkww.org/a-monumental-welcome
NPS News and Notes
Folks headed into Katahdin Woods and Waters this summer may find assistance at one of the mobile ranger stations! A creative solution to our backcountry setting–the stations will park at the most popular drive-by sites including the Swift Brook Road on the way into Lunksoos Camps and the Scenic Loop Road.
Traveling with kids? Make sure you stop at the mobile station (or the visitor contact station at the Lumberman’s Museum in Patten) for a Junior Ranger Activity book. Learn about dark skies, fishing, or natural soundscapes–and maybe even earn a Junior Ranger badge!
Each unit of the National Park System is required to have a formal statement of its core mission that will provide basic guidance for all planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. Earlier this year, Superintendent Wimmer and his team completed this very important step, and now you can dive into KAWW’s Foundation Document or Foundation Document Overview.
For the most current information from the monument, don’t forget to download the NPS App, then search for Katahdin Woods and Waters, to access alerts, downloadable maps, and more!
The mobile ranger station is ready to help you! Photo credit: FKWW
We are excited that 12 Willows Press is curating an anthology– Rivers of Ink: Literary Reflections on the Penobscot–for release at the end of this year. (There are still a few days left to submit writing.) When the book is published, a portion of the proceeds will benefit A Monumental Welcome capital campaign. Thank you!
Sponsor Spotlight
This month we are shouting out The Wilderness Society, a new sponsor in 2023 with special interest in supporting one specific event, Teacher Camp! We thank them for their generous sponsorship at the Deasey level. Learn more about TWS and their mission here.And thank you to Natural Resources Council of Maine for your Hathorn level sponsorship and support since 2018!
This featured Park Story comes from Maggie O’Hara, Katahdin Learning Project’s seasonal place-based educator. Maggie just graduated from Katahdin Middle High School and is headed to Eastern Maine Community College to study secondary education in the fall.
Going out in the woods is not every high schooler’s dream. And being entirely honest, at the beginning of last fall it was definitely not on my top ten things to do. The idea of big hikes, intense canoeing trips, and dealing with nature’s wrath truthfully scared me. But then, I was offered to run a fundraiser at one of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters programs: Stars Over Katahdin.
At that time, I was not looking forward to the scenario: out in the middle of the woods selling cookies to whoever would pass. But once I was there, gasping at the thousands of stars I saw through the telescope, I made a realization. Being outside doesn’t always mean long hikes or kayaking out in a lake, but it means to simply enjoy the natural world away from your home.
Katahdin at dusk, viewed from Taylor’s Camps before the stars came out. Photo credit: John Meader
We were cautioned to stay off our phones and to try not to use any form of unnatural light (so that everyone could see the stars). So my phone-driven brain was already expecting the worst. But, as the night went on, I slowly forgot about the little computer that was in my back pocket.
Some of my friends came to help out with the bake sale and I was able to take a walk to where telescopes were scattered across the field behind Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps. I was amazed at the sight that traveled ahead of me. Trails sticking out around the field, apple trees fencing the trails, the orange autumn leaves that now looked like different shades of gray from the night, and most importantly: the stars.
Thousands of stars littered the sky above us. It almost felt like you were walking into one of those fish aquarium tanks. The ones that had fish swimming above your head? Yeah, walking out from the trail into that field felt like walking into a sea of stars. I swore I had never seen so many stars in my life. My friends that had followed along ran past me to the telescopes that didn’t have people stuck at them yet; specifically, the ones that were set to look at planets. But even if you weren’t looking through the advanced telescopes, you could still lay back against the grass and point out the shapes your brain made with the stars. Did I already say it took my breath away?
Red light won’t impact your eyes for startgazing! Photo credit: John Meader
In that moment, watching my friends sprint around the field showing each other what each telescope held made me realize the beauty of outdoors. The seasonal autumn feel against the beauty ahead of me began my love for the outdoors. And I think my friends fell in love too, without even realizing it.
Sure, Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps isn’t directly on the monument, but it still symbolizes the mix of community and nature that we strive for. Katahdin Woods and Waters hosts other kinds of events that are similar to this. These kinds of activities are a wonderful opportunity to give people a chance to be outdoors even if they are not ready for the “big hikes”.
What’s New
Posted: November 6, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Friends’ Lucky Stars (and moon) – October eNewsletter
Clouds part for Stars Over Katahdin, outdoor careers panel, e-Appeal challenge launched, and more…
Just two weeks ago, Friends hosted the 10th Annual Stars Over Katahdin, a community event celebrating Katahdin Woods and Waters’ Dark Sky Sanctuary. The weather forecast was uninspiring (surprise: rain), but the clouds parted throughout the day as we marveled at a partial solar eclipse and again at night for stellar viewing of the Milky Way and countless stars, planets, constellations, nebulae, and more!
The air is chilly, but our hearts are warm this season with gratitude for the community of astronomers who brought their valuable time, equipment, and expertise to us. We are also warmed by your generosity in response to our October e-Appeal challenge last week! Annual appeal letters are headed to mailboxes soon with moving messages from Rory, a participant in our youth education programs, and Logan, Friends’ board member. Both grew up in the Katahdin region and have become deeply connected and committed to the land we now steward as Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. I hope you will read their stories, and our news shared here today, and be inspired by all that we can accomplish for this place we love.
Stars Over Katahdin Shines
Despite a cloudy forecast, this year’s Stars Over Katahdin was a stellar success. During the day, attendees safely viewed the partial solar eclipse, watched a (model) rocket launch, and walked inside a scale model of the solar system. Rangers from Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument helped orient folks headed in to explore the Scenic Loop Road attractions and recruited some Junior Ranger Night Explorers!
As the sun set, a very special drumming and singing performance by the Turning Eagle Singers brought folks together with joined hands for a circle dance. Kids moved toward the crackling fire as the audience was treated to a lively telling of the mythical Orion, a teaser for the next solar eclipse, and some easy action steps to reduce our own light pollution! Although the clouds moved in and out early in the evening, they moved out to provide amazing stargazing and guided viewing of celestial objects through a variety of advanced telescopes.
This annual event, now ten years in, depends on generous volunteers who travel from the far reaches of Maine and New England to share their expertise and passion for the night sky. Friends is grateful for the opportunity to share the wonder of our dark skies each year.
To learn more:
International Dark Sky Places Certification
National Park Service – Night Skies
The Future is Outdoors
Friends’ education program, Katahdin Learning Project, is opening students’ eyes to future careers in the conservation and outdoor recreation sectors. KLP has been providing free, place-based nature learning to schools in the Katahdin region since 2017. As the early cohorts of students have grown, so has our programming–deepening the connections between the landscape, the folks who work in it, and youth in the surrounding communities.
Early in October, seven professionals representing the outdoor sector, including Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument, Maine Forest Rangers, Baxter State Park, Katahdin Area Trails, Katahdin Gear Library, and Outdoor Sport Institute spoke to Ashland 6th graders at the Island Falls Fish and Game center. The panel spoke about the many opportunities in the Katahdin region. The students listened thoughtfully and asked great questions. At the end of the day, many remarked that they didn’t know there were so many outdoor professions, and hands went up when asked if they could see themselves in one of these careers!
The career panel is such a popular concept with educators that KLP has scheduled two more in November, at Southern Aroostook Community School and Katahdin Middle High School, to reach 40 high school students.
A special program last week introduced East Millinocket School’s 4th graders to Shantel Neptune and Maddie Huerth from the Penobscot Nation Natural Resource Department when they joined us for a water quality lesson. Maddie and Shantel talked to the students about their work as water scientists while explaining the importance of healthy water to Penobscot people. Students then turned into community scientists; testing water on the East Branch of the Penobscot River for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chlorine, alkalinity, and hardness. The fourth graders left with an understanding of how these tests, as well as turbidity and clarity, reveal the river’s health and how it is intimately connected to the health of salmon, otters, turtles, and more–including us humans.
Update on Wolfden Mining Proposal
As you know, it is not often that Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters shares an advocacy position. We formed shortly after courageous local, regional, and national advocacy efforts to establish the national monument and when the moment calls for it, we’ve taken positions to protect this special place. By now, news that a metallic mineral mine proposed for the Katahdin Region has been well-covered, as well as the required rezoning hearings in Millinocket and Bangor before Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC). Friends thanks the many members, aligned organizations, and concerned citizens who have submitted testimony or spoke at the LUPC proceedings.
Friends’ full position statement can be found here on our blog. Written comment on Wolfden’s rezoning request will be accepted until Thursday, November 2nd. Learn more about the LUPC process and timeline here.
Park News – Know before you go!
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank you to our Deasey level sponsor, Ktaadn Resorts! Home of the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC), Ktaadn Resorts has grown to include a brewery, event center, and miles of adjacent hiking and mountain biking trails built by Katahdin Area Trails, and is host to many Friends’ events.
And thank you to Trust for Public Land for their Barnard level sponsorship! TPL works alongside communities across the country to create, protect, and steward the nature-rich places that are vital to human well-being.
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about becoming a sponsor in 2023, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on October 25, 2023. Sign up for our email list at friendsofkww.org/signup
Posted: October 16, 2023 by Brian Hinrichs
Advocacy Alert: Friends’ Position on Wolfden Mine
It is not every day that Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters sends an advocacy alert. Our friends group followed from the courageous local, regional, and national advocacy efforts to establish the national monument and when the moment calls for it, we’ve taken positions to protect this special place. You may have heard that a metallic mineral mine is being proposed for the Katahdin Region. As Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) hearings are set to begin next week in Millinocket and the following week in Bangor, we want to take a moment to inform you of our position. In short: Friends of KWW cannot support the Wolfden application for a zone change for the Pickett Mountain Mine Project. It runs counter to our mission as well as protective state laws and rules, and it jeopardizes the future health, outstanding environmental quality, and long-term economic vitality of this region.
Read Our Full Statement Below
The mission of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is to preserve and protect the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality and distinctive cultural resources of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of all generations. Created in 2017, shortly after the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, the Friends of KWW is a non-profit membership organization with approximately 1000 members from the Katahdin region, the state of Maine and across the U.S. Our position presents the views of the Friends of KWW, and does not purport to present the views of the National Park Service or any other entity.
In line with our mission, Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is voicing its objection to Wolfden Mount Chase LLC’s application for a zone change for the proposed Pickett Mountain Mine Project (ZP779A).
As we have reviewed and analyzed Wolfden’s proposal, considered the objections of the Wabanaki people and others, and reviewed the Land Use Planning Commission’s criteria for consideration of this proposal, it is clear to Friends of KWW that now is the time to voice our concerns.
The Katahdin region and the shadow of a national monument is no place to operate a metallic mineral mine. The proposed location is approximately 5 miles from the Seboeis parcel of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The primary issues we have identified as points of concern include:
Furthermore, the lack of clarity around the location of Wolfden’s ore concentration facility in the region is of significant concern. Combined, the risks are substantial enough to threaten present and future generations’ enjoyment of the national monument as well as the vitality of critical ecosystems that are connected to the monument.
LUPC’s responsibility is to sustainably protect the natural character, natural resources, recreational opportunities, and forest and agricultural based economy of the region, and its mandate is to avoid undue adverse impacts on existing uses and resources of the region.
Friends of KWW supports efforts to improve economic opportunity in the Katahdin Region, and welcomes business and industry that is compatible with the preservation and enjoyment of the national monument. The national monument itself is contributing to these economic opportunities, and many new or expanded businesses are benefiting from them. Friends of KWW cannot support the Wolfden application for a zone change for the Pickett Mountain Mine Project that runs counter to our mission as well as protective state laws and rules, and jeopardizes the future health, outstanding environmental quality, and long-term economic vitality of this region.
Additional Information and How to Speak Up
Thank you for reading and engaging with this important process.
Posted: October 4, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Fall for the Dark – September eNewsletter
Autumn adventures, Brian’s #myparkstory, Stars Over Katahdin registration, be a Junior Ranger Night Explorer, and more…
When was the last time you stood outside at night and looked up at the sky? Many of us do not have a view of the stars from home, trapped in the bubbles of light cast by industry, street lamps, and illuminated windows. Away from city lights, the dark can make us uneasy, but for countless animals considering their fall migrations, long dark nights are essential for safety and travel success. As humans, looking into the vast universe, we can find comfort in spotting familiar constellations, and awe while contemplating our place in the glowing band that is our galaxy. Today, 80% of Americans cannot see the Milky Way.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020 for its stunningly dark skies. With this designation comes an obligation to protect this exceptional natural resource. Your membership support has been crucial in raising awareness, educating the public, and supporting research.
Fall is the perfect time to plan a dark sky trip! Rangers are hosting a series of Night Sky programs in and near the national monument, the bugs are (mostly) gone, and the sun is setting earlier each day! Friends is especially excited for our 10th annual Stars Over Katahdin, a family event open to all on Saturday, October 14th (read all about it below).
#myparkstory/#yourparkstory
From a peaceful solo snowshoe to an off-script camping adventure with two boys, Executive Director Brian Hinrichs has packed a variety of iconic Katahdin Woods and Waters experiences since joining the team. Check out Brian’s park story this month, spanning the seasons and many of our favorite activities (including identifying moose poop).
Fall fun with Katahdin Learning Project
This season, KLP is excited to expand programs into the community and offer programs in Island Falls, Medway and Millinocket in addition to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Education Coordinator Elise shared: “We will be expanding our water quality citizen science project by testing water at three different locations in the Katahdin region. Students will connect the water that flows through their communities to health, environment, and culture.”
KLP saw tremendous success with the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collaborative (KROC) summer day and overnight programs for middle schoolers and will keep the adventures going this fall! KLP, Outdoor Sport Institute, Katahdin Gear Library, and Katahdin Area Trails will offer a day hike and an overnight camping opportunity for youth this October. Attention local families – registration will open soon! Reach out to elise@friendsofkww.org with questions.
Welcome to Isabelle Jandreau, who will be working with KLP during our fall programs in her role as a KROC Fellow. Isabelle is from northern Maine and recently graduated with a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Maine. Last summer, she interned with Outdoor Sport Institute and got to know the KLP team through collaborative programs–which made Isabelle the perfect choice to be selected in an innovative pilot program hosted as a fellowship at OSI. The KROC fellow works with various organizations – strengthening programmatic collaborations and adding shared capacity around the Katahdin Region. Isabelle dove in this month (although hopefully not literally) by leading a kayak workshop with students from Stearns High School in Millinocket.
Stars Over Katahdin
On October 14th, Friends will gather with the National Park Service, expert astronomers, and our community to celebrate the darkest skies East of the Mississippi River. The free event will run from noon to 10 p.m. and feature safe guided viewing of a partial solar eclipse, family activities, food from Oak Creek Smokery, campfire chats, and – of course – night sky viewing. Learn more and visit the registration page here.
Park News
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank you to two of our Hathorn level sponsors: Bangor Savings Bank and Maine Audubon! From supporting community businesses to protecting our state’s wildlife, these two Friends support our work financially and in the community.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on September 27, 2023. Sign up for our email list at friendsofkww.org/signup
Posted: September 25, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Brian’s Park Story – The Land Invites Us
Executive Director Brian Hinrichs’ relationship with Katahdin Woods and Waters will be familiar to many of our readers. From curiousity to apprehension (the roads! no cell service!) to a genuine connection, Brian’s park story takes us through the seasons and stages of discovering places within the national monument that create lifelong family memories.
Over the past several months, my first impressions of Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument have been slowly taking shape. #Myparkstory is still being written, but it now has a first chapter spanning three seasons and three unique encounters with this landscape that feels more unusual and inspiring with every visit.
Winter
A few weeks before my second interview to become the Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters in March, I set off to start exploring the monument.
For years, I had read about the development of Katahdin Woods & Waters with fascination. As a Maine resident since 2013 and regular hiker, I was always enthusiastic about the monument’s formation. As a father of three young kids, we tended to stick to more familiar terrain. Acadia was our go-to. Even after hiking Katahdin in 2018, the monument felt intimidating, or confusing. Where to start?
That crisp, bluebird day back in March ended up being the perfect low-key introduction to Katahdin Woods & Waters. In winter, the monument can only be accessed from the North End for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I parked at the North Gate and showshoed down to the Oxbow Road back up the Old River Road along the East Branch of the Penobscot River.
What I encountered was genuine peace, and the feeling that things were possible in this remote corner of the North Woods that were not elsewhere. Lynx and black bear tracks quickly revealed themselves; a light breeze down Billfish Mountain sounded like a slowly cresting wave; the river had a life of its own, inviting pause and reflection at every bend. The scenery was objectively beautiful, but it was the feeling of the place that lingered.
Spring
Late spring brought the opportunity to start introducing my family to the monument. On the day before Memorial Day, we set out to Barnard Mountain, one of the signature hikes in KAWW. The Loop Road had just opened, and we got to the trailhead a little before noon after leaving Bangor at 9. I was a little nervous about taking our minivan onto the Loop Road, but it did just fine taking things slow and steady.
It was a late-May scorcher and the initial open stretch of road along the International Appalachian Trail brought a series of questions (accusations?) from my oldest, including, “How will you know if I have heat stroke?” After a rough start, a key ingredient quickly turned things around: moose poop! Truly epic amounts of moose poop kept our kids running down the trail, positive a sighting was imminent.
While no one laid eyes on a moose (we are far too noisy for that), the views from Barnard were plenty rewarding. We spent almost an hour at the summit, enjoying an epic picnic and soaking in the unobstructed site of a still snow-capped Katahdin. Here, the wind in the trees was even more pronounced, the only sound for miles.
Summer
Summer has meant frequent day trips to the monument with Friends, but I was eager to plan a camping trip with my older boys. At the end of August, we finally found the time.
I made our reservations on Recreation.gov for a campsite at Lunksoos. We’ve had great car camping trips in recent years at Lily Bay, Rangeley, and Peaks-Kenny State Parks, but those sites can feel noisy and crowded in the heart of summer. Lunksoos offered the right balance of seclusion and accessibility.
After a short walk in to set up our tent site, we took a meandering afternoon paddle up the East Branch, with stops along the way as inspired. The silver maple floodplain defining this section of the Penobscot again invites pause: slowly floating under arching trunks; scanning dense layers of ferns; listening to that constant shuffle of leaves and limbs in the breeze. At one of our stops, we spotted big, wet, fresh moose prints, putting my older two boys (now 11 and 8) back on high alert. On the way back down the river, the gentle current let us relax even more, spotting beaver dams and jumping fish along the way.
We started the second day with a plan to drive up to Loop Road and hike to Orin Falls. The key to camping and hiking with kids is to keep expectations low and be ready to pivot. One of my boys was struck with a serious bout of car sickness as we were approaching the trailhead; it made me reconsider a six-mile hike on a hot day, with a potentially dehydrated kid, even though the promise of a refreshing swim was tempting. As we set out, I remembered Elise Goplerud, FKWW’s Education Coordinator, telling me about a great spot along the trail for some river walking – right under the old logging bridge at the Wassataquoik campsite, about a mile from the trailhead.
The campsite is nestled along Katahdin Brook as it approaches convergence with the Wassataquoik Stream and is a natural resting point. Given the option to stay and explore, or keep hiking, we all felt good about letting go of the final destination and seeing what the new plan would bring. We suited up and hopped in a chilly Katahdin Brook. Totally alone, we were energized to explore, wading under the bridge, splashing in knee-deep rapids, eventually building up the courage to dunk. Later in the week, back at home, when asked what their favorite part of the trip was, it was this.
After getting the minivan back up the Orin Falls Road, we made two more stops. In the name of spotting a moose, we put in for a paddle at Sandbank Stream and explored as much as we could before encountering shallow waters and beaver dams at both ends. Continuing along Swift Brook Road, we couldn’t resist a quick dip at Whetstone Falls. Back at Lunksoos, we enjoyed a lazy afternoon and evening filled with s’mores.
Awaking to rain on our last morning, we decided to take our time packing, getting in one last round of Uno in the tent before the drive to Bangor. It ended up being just about 48 hours in the monument, leaving us all feeling accomplished and still wanting more, which feels like the right balance with kids.
Look Back, Looking Forward
I didn’t grow up hiking and camping. On Long Island, I was a beach kid. A family trip to Yosemite National Park left its mark, but it wasn’t until college near the Adirondacks that these excursions started to become a regular part of my life. My 20s in Madison, Wisconsin added kayaks to the mix as we explored the region’s ample lakes and streams. In Maine for the last 10 years, my family has grown alongside my passion for being outdoors and exploring – it is something I’ve been able to share in real time with my family, learning together along the way.
The rustic nature of Katahdin Woods & Waters can present some challenges on the surface, but the rewards are endless. There are no crowds and lines, no stress about parking. The camping infrastructure at Lunksoos is brand new and just enough in all the right ways – thank you, bear-resistant food storage!
And then there is the land itself.
What’s unique in KAWW is the feeling that the land will set the agenda for you. It will slow you down, and invite you to stop and look around and savor. This landscape doesn’t come with a bucket-list, though we have some bucket-list worthy views. The reward here is the satisfaction of exploration itself. That may make your monument excursion somewhat inscrutable, but it also makes more exploring irresistible.
Posted: September 18, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Tenth Annual Stars Over Katahdin Event Returns October 14th
Patten, ME – Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Stars Over Katahdin, presented by Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters on Saturday, October 14th. The event celebrates the darkest skies east of the Mississippi River with opportunities to explore the night sky guided by expert astronomers, state-of-the-art telescopes, and National Park Service Night Sky Rangers. With activities running from 12pm until 10pm at Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps, attendees will also have the chance to view a partial solar eclipse and participate in campfire chats.
“For ten years, some of those before the monument was established, volunteers and community members have been highlighting these exceptional dark skies at the Stars Over Katahdin event,” said Kala Rush, Education Director. “Thanks to our community and this event, we now have an International attraction that uplifts a local wonder and every year brings people to the Katahdin Region.”
The free event is made possible by Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters (FKWW) and its sponsors, including Richardson’s Hardware and Maine Beer Company. FKWW is an official philanthropic partner to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In 2020, the Monument was designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, only the second such designation within the National Park Service and the first in Maine and New England.
Food will be available for purchase on site from Oak Creek Smokery, and camping is available for a $10 cash fee paid upon arrival. Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps is located at the start of Swift Brook Road in Stacyville, Maine.
Posted: September 1, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Summer Session – August eNewsletter
Woods & Waters Day, teen adventures, salmon restoration, Stars Over Katahdin, and more…
Maine summers have a good reputation–but this one has had some rough spots. Not just the unrelenting damp in your sleeping bag or canceled beach plans, but wildfire smoke and road washouts brought new realities that usually only come through our news feeds. Fortunately, August has provided some sunny, clear days and more than ever, folks are out in the monument enjoying the rivers and trails. Friends’ place-based education program, Katahdin Learning Project, led more than 200 local youth on hikes, paddles, mountain bikes, and overnight trips in Katahdin Woods and Waters and other public lands in the region. While making friends and learning about career pathways, these young people are building resilience (see: wet tents) and gaining an understanding of why conservation matters. I am honored to share these and more stories this month that inspire hope for the future of our national parks and other public spaces, and the generations to come who will enjoy and steward them.
Last weekend, more than one hundred Friends gathered at Shin Pond Village in Mt. Chase for our annual celebration of the monument and the people who make our work possible–YOU. After lunch under the pavilion, folks followed the signs south to visit Tekαkαpimək Contact Station for a special “sneak peek” at the construction and landscaping progress. If you couldn’t join us, I hope you’ll plan a trip to Katahdin Woods and Waters this fall. Cooler days bring fewer bugs and bright foliage–and plenty of camping available on rec.gov for your last-minute getaway! As always, reach out if you need some advice, or visit our blog for a growing reservoir of #parkstories to spark some ideas.
#myparkstory/#yourparkstory
Our place-based educators are busy connecting learners with land year-round, but long summer days outside the structure of a school day allow for deeper youth experiences on our trails and rivers. Education Coordinator Elise Goplerud shares her reflections on the impact of these programs in this month’s #myparkstory.
Katahdin Learning Project’s summer youth programs wound down in August with our final hurrah–an overnight canoe trip. Most of KLP’s programs this summer were part of a collaborative series in partnership with local non-profits Katahdin Gear Library, Outdoor Sport Institute, and Katahdin Area Trails. Known collectively as the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collaborative, we offered eight introductory-level outdoor adventures to more than 200 middle and high schoolers at no cost.
Woods and Waters Day
Friends’ staff, board, and members came together on Saturday, August 19th for our annual summer celebration in honor of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. More than one hundred Friends and community members gathered under the pavilion at Shin Pond Village for lunch, live music, and a chance to meet Executive Director Brian Hinrichs for the first time. A brief downpour passed over–then the skies cleared for an enlightening afternoon at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station atop Lookout Mountain in the monument. Tekαkαpimək is still an active construction site, but the crews had cleaned it up for the weekend so we could provide a sneak peek at the building and landscaping. Thanks to the NPS rangers for joining us on site to answer your thoughtful questions. Woods and Waters Day was presented by our Katahdin level sponsors Maine Beer Company and Richardson’s Hardware, and supported by Lookout sponsors Bangor Daily News, Downeast Magazine, Elliotsville Foundation, L.L.Bean, and National Parks Conservation Association, and many more. Meet all the businesses and nonprofit organizations supporting Friends here on our sponsorship page!
Trip Report – Katahdin Woods & Waters / Baxter State Park Overnight
From Summer Educator Maggie O’Hara. Friends wishes Maggie the best as she moves on at the end of this month to begin her post-secondary career at Eastern Maine Community College to study Education.
The Katahdin Learning Project, as part of the KROC series, hosted a group of middle school kids on an overnight hiking adventure. We set up camp at the Lunksoos group camping area in the national monument and after we set up, headed to the north end of Baxter State Park. We began our adventure up Horse Mountain and were rewarded with the beautiful East Spur Overlook. Afterwards, we headed back down for a swim in Matagamon Lake, participated in a Leave No Trace lesson, ate a filling dinner, and played games before getting some rest for the next day’s adventure. The next morning, we packed up camp and ventured our way down to Barnard Mountain in the monument. We took the “long way” around the Katahdin Loop Road where we got to see an impressive side of Katahdin at the Mile 6.4 Overlook. And once we reached the summit of Barnard Mountain, we got to see a different side of the mountain! For several of the students this trip was their first time hiking a mountain. They couldn’t get enough and we were so excited to hear that they wanted to sign up for more of the KROC programs this summer!
Stars Over Katahdin – Register Today!
Mark your calendars for our annual Stars Over Katahdin event October 14th, and get ready to:
This free, family-friendly event is open to all, but registration is required. Learn more and sign up here!
Park News – Federal Funds to Aid Salmon Restoration
This year, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will build on past efforts to restore and improve aquatic passages (culverts and bridges) for Atlantic salmon with $138,461 in funds received from the Inflation Reduction Act. This restoration project is part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide $52 million to the National Park Service to fund projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
Over the past several years, park managers and staff have built durable bridges and culverts to improve Atlantic salmon habitat that has been degraded over time through aging infrastructure and effects from flooding. The additional funding will double these efforts by increasing the number of passage improvements and habitat restorations. Atlantic salmon will have greater access to breeding grounds, food resources and cool water refugia. Improved passage will also restore natural flow regimesand will benefit sensitive wetland resources, aquatic and terrestrial habitats and recreation sites up and downstream of the projects.
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
A BIG thank you goes out this month to one of our two Katahdin level sponsors, and longtime presenting sponsor of Woods And Waters Day–
Maine Beer Company is a 1% for the Planet partner supporting many fabulous organizations around our state. Click the logo to learn more, or head to their beautiful tasting room in Freeport to enjoy a Woods and Waters IPA!
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about becoming a sponsor in 2023, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on August 31, 2023. Sign up for our email list at friendsofkww.org/signup
Posted: August 29, 2023 by Sarah Andre
My Park Story – Elise’s Summer Reflections
Friends’ place-based educators connect learners with land year-round, but long summer days outside the structure of a school day allow for deeper youth experiences on our trails and rivers. Education Coordinator Elise Goplerud shares her reflections on the impact of these programs in this month’s #myparkstory.
Katahdin Learning Project’s summer youth programs wound down in August with our final hurrah–an overnight canoe trip. Most of KLP’s programs this summer were part of a collaborative series in partnership with local non-profits Katahdin Gear Library, Outdoor Sport Institute, and Katahdin Area Trails. Collectively named the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collaborative (or KROC, pronounced Kay-Rock), we offered eight introductory-level outdoor adventures to more than 200 middle and high schoolers at no cost. The spirit of togetherness shone in the programs and students, as we saw participants returning for more sessions. Each time, youth came in more engaged and more willing to take on leadership responsibilities. This summer, we hiked Barnard Mountain in the national monument, mountain biked on the trails at Hammond Ridge, spent the night at Lunksoos Camps, paddled in the Debsconeag Wilderness Area, and got silly as we walked to the Ice Caves. We explored highlights of the Katahdin region’s North, South, East and West. The kids experienced places they’d never been before and realized how much is in their backyard. I can guarantee you won’t hear any of these students say, “there’s nothing to do here”.
The kids had plenty of downtime to enjoy the woods without technology (and we didn’t hear any complaints!). However, many evenings also included guided discussions about how to recreate responsibly outdoors, plus storytelling around the campfire or while gazing at the stars. The students learned some history of the conserved lands that we visited, the many types of management styles, as well as the importance of protecting land for wildlife and recreation. Our reflections got deeper throughout the season. A student who first arrived shy and unsure of the outdoors (our first trip, his least favorite part: hiking) was taking on leadership roles, volunteering answers to questions, and seeking more ways to get involved. In his own words: “It just feels really, really good to be out here in the wild”.
On that final canoe trip, the scheduled paddle was modified due to wind and we had more downtime at camp than we expected. The leaders quickly huddled to brainstorm activities so the kids wouldn’t get bored. But before we could actually do any of these activities we saw kids digging in the sand, collecting firewood, and looking more content and at peace than we could have predicted. Free play is a hot buzzword in nature-based education but it’s generally in the context of toddlers and pre-K to early elementary students. We rarely talk about the importance of free play for older students or adults. Free play came so naturally to these middle schoolers– I believe in part because they did it on their own. No leader told them “it’s time to free play so get it in while you can” as in a school setting where their lives, including “free” play, is very structured. Genuinely free play with no time limits, rules, or boundaries made the difference. Leaders were shocked during the debrief when a kid said that one of his favorite parts of the entire program was not the games and activities we played but “how much freedom we gave them.”
There was something different and amazing about these programs that you don’t see on day programs with the schools. I saw a hunger for wilderness and freedom that I hadn’t seen with the other groups we work with. Sometimes in this line of work I get discouraged because I’m told by some teachers and parents, and we hear in the media, that “kids just aren’t interested in the outdoors anymore. They only want to spend time on technology”. But this summer proved to me that those people are wrong. Youth do want to be out here and connection to nature is just as innate as our ability to breathe. Youth just need the opportunity to be in the wilderness, take on responsibility, exercise creativity, and be a little wild.
Learn more about Katahdin Learning Project and view the 2023-2024 program catalog for Katahdin Region school districts.
All photos: Credit FKWW
Posted: August 15, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Inflation Reduction Act to Invest in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Inflation Reduction Act to Invest in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Date: August 8, 2023
Contact: Jeanne Roy
Patten, Maine – This year, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will build on past efforts to restore and improve aquatic passages (culverts and bridges) for Atlantic salmon with $138,461 in funds received from the Inflation Reduction Act. This restoration project is part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide $52 million to the National Park Service to fund projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
Over the past several years, park managers and staff have built durable bridges and culverts to improve Atlantic salmon habitat that has been degraded over time through aging infrastructure and effects from flooding. The additional funding will double these efforts by increasing the number of passage improvements and habitat restorations. Atlantic salmon will have greater access to breeding grounds, food resources and cool water refugia. Improved passage will also restore natural flow regimes and will benefit sensitive wetland resources, aquatic and terrestrial habitats and recreation sites up and downstream of the projects.
“We are pleased to enhance Atlantic salmon habitat for the benefit of the greater Penobscot River watershed,” said Superintendent Mark Wimmer. “Investments from the Inflation Reduction Act will help us provide this project with needed infrastructure for many years to come.”
The projects announced today infuse much-needed funding to put people to work addressing critical ecosystem needs to restore healthy and resilient park lands while benefiting communities surrounding parks. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, the National Park Service is working to address the impacts of the climate crisis, including intensifying drought, wildfires, flooding and legacy pollution in national parks and other public lands. Resources are making significant strategic investments to repair critical facilities and infrastructure and enhance conservation through ecosystem restoration and recreation opportunities.
The full lists of fiscal year 2023 projects are available online: IRA Restoration and Resilience projects and BIL Ecosystem Resilience projects.
Posted: July 27, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Don’t blink! – July eNewsletter
Woods and Waters Day, youth outdoors, Seboeis paddle trip, and more…
Summer is in full swing, and despite the damp weather, we’re taking advantage of each precious summer day while it’s here. And it’s hard to believe with our minds and hearts fully in summer mode, but we just wrapped up our spring fundraising season last month. This spring, we challenged the Friends community to help us hit our ambitious membership goal of $75,000. We’re delighted to report that fundraising to support Friends’ ongoing operations and programs this spring totaled $85,634, 114% of our goal! This annual membership support is vital for ensuring that experiences like those you’ll read about in this newsletter are possible for educators, youth, art enthusiasts, and paddlers–not just today, but for years to come.
Looking ahead, we’ll be gathering with our Friends community in just under a month with an evolution to our traditional anniversary celebration that we’re calling “Woods & Waters Day.” We hope you’ll join us at Shin Pond Village for lunch and live music, then head into the monument with us later in the afternoon for a sneak peek at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station before it opens to the public in 2024. Learn more and register for Woods & Waters Day here.
#myparkstory/#yourparkstory
This month, our featured Park Story comes from Maggie O’Hara, Katahdin Learning Project’s seasonal place-based educator. Maggie just graduated from Katahdin Middle High School and is headed to Eastern Maine Community College to study secondary education in the fall.
“Going out in the woods is not every high schooler’s dream. And being entirely honest, at the beginning of last fall it was definitely not on my top ten things to do. The idea of big hikes, intense canoeing trips, and dealing with nature’s wrath truthfully scared me. But then, I was offered to run a fundraiser at one of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters programs: Stars Over Katahdin.”
Teacher Camp 2023 – Focus on Wabanaki Studies
We are still glowing with gratitude after KLP’s annual Teacher Camp last month. Always a valuable opportunity for learning, this year had a special focus–LD291–the 2001 law requiring the teaching of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine classrooms. Teachers from around the region and state explored integrating Wabanaki studies into school curricula and the purpose and history behind the law. Wabanaki REACH provided a program to expand their understanding of Wabanaki history and present issues. A hands-on map activity helped each individual delve into the important “unlearning” and subsequent learning necessary for educators preparing to incorporate the truth in structures where Wabanaki history, culture, and ways of knowing have been erased. Teachers left empowered with knowledge generously shared by Heather Augustine (Elsipogtog First Nation Canada) of REACH, Nolan Altvater (Passamaquoddy), the Special Projects Coordinator for the Passamaquoddy Historic Preservation Office, and Angie Reed, Water Resources Planner with Penobscot Nation Water Quality.
Nolan’s keynote spoke to the importance of infusing Maine studies with past and present Wabanaki contributions in a culturally competent manner, sharing truth and acknowledging the harmful narratives that previously existed and still persist today. Teaching materials and resources, created with the help of presenters, were shared in attendee folders and at a resource table. Supporting teachers in their ongoing learning and next steps was an important objective of the day. Most importantly, KLP and Friends hoped to spark individual commitments to the process of unsettling our educational systems and centering Wabanaki peoples in determining how their stories are told. To learn more or request resources, please contact Education Director Kala@friendsofkww.org.
The Outdoor Classroom
Surviving the halls of middle school can be tough enough, but KLP was impressed by 6th-8th graders from Southern Aroostook Community School earlier this summer when they learned the importance of wilderness survival skills and safety. On the first day, they learned what being prepared looks like and what to bring with them on a trip. Students crafted various forms of shelters ranging from debris huts to tarps to tents. On day two, they covered team-building, fire starting, and first aid. Kids learned the importance of working together when faced with an emergency. The two days capped off with a thoughtful conversation about careers in the outdoor field, and we can’t wait to see some of these kids on the trail when they are rangers, foresters, or guides!
Just last week, KLP was joined by NPS Ranger Crystal at Lunksoos Camps’ picnic area for a river ecology lesson with Katahdin Elementary’s Summer Academy. Kids learned about habitats, the very special food web of the silver maple flood plain, and played a salmon game, too. Kudos to the teachers who make summer learning a priority–and have enough bug nets to go around!
Trip Report – Spotlight on Seboeis
Despite, nay, because of, all the rain we’ve received this year in the Katahdin region, Friends’ staffers Sam and Elise, along with Elise’s partner Joe, enjoyed a late season run of the Seboeis last month. If you missed Sam’s delightful trip report on social media, find it here–and if you are curious for more details or would like to ground-truth the Three Rivers Paddling Guide (working copy), reach out to Elise@friendsofkww.org. With summer rains, the Seboeis continues to run high much later this season. Check the USGS monitoring site, ensure good water levels, and consider a trip!
“As Far As One Can See” at Portland Museum of Art
On Friday, June 30, at 6 PM, the Portland Museum of Art hosted “As Far as One Can See: Visitor Contact Station Rises in Katahdin Woods and Waters” to a full auditorium with standing room only. Friends thanks the panelists: Gabriel Frey (Passamaquoddy), Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot), Todd Saunders, and Lucas St. Clair, who provided lively conversation and insights. The program was punctuated with stunning visuals of this unique project, the creation of a Visitor Contact Station in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument reflecting a Wabanaki worldview, which will be a gift to the U.S. National Park Service and open to the public in 2024. To learn more and join the campaign in support of this project and more, visit friendsofkww.org/a-monumental-welcome
NPS News and Notes
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
This month we are shouting out The Wilderness Society, a new sponsor in 2023 with special interest in supporting one specific event, Teacher Camp! We thank them for their generous sponsorship at the Deasey level. Learn more about TWS and their mission here.
And thank you to Natural Resources Council of Maine for your Hathorn level sponsorship and support since 2018!
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about becoming a sponsor in 2023, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on July 27, 2023. Sign up for our email list at friendsofkww.org/signup.
Posted: July 25, 2023 by Sarah Andre
My Park Story – Maggie’s Stars Over Katahdin
This featured Park Story comes from Maggie O’Hara, Katahdin Learning Project’s seasonal place-based educator. Maggie just graduated from Katahdin Middle High School and is headed to Eastern Maine Community College to study secondary education in the fall.
Going out in the woods is not every high schooler’s dream. And being entirely honest, at the beginning of last fall it was definitely not on my top ten things to do. The idea of big hikes, intense canoeing trips, and dealing with nature’s wrath truthfully scared me. But then, I was offered to run a fundraiser at one of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters programs: Stars Over Katahdin.
At that time, I was not looking forward to the scenario: out in the middle of the woods selling cookies to whoever would pass. But once I was there, gasping at the thousands of stars I saw through the telescope, I made a realization. Being outside doesn’t always mean long hikes or kayaking out in a lake, but it means to simply enjoy the natural world away from your home.
We were cautioned to stay off our phones and to try not to use any form of unnatural light (so that everyone could see the stars). So my phone-driven brain was already expecting the worst. But, as the night went on, I slowly forgot about the little computer that was in my back pocket.
Some of my friends came to help out with the bake sale and I was able to take a walk to where telescopes were scattered across the field behind Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps. I was amazed at the sight that traveled ahead of me. Trails sticking out around the field, apple trees fencing the trails, the orange autumn leaves that now looked like different shades of gray from the night, and most importantly: the stars.
Thousands of stars littered the sky above us. It almost felt like you were walking into one of those fish aquarium tanks. The ones that had fish swimming above your head? Yeah, walking out from the trail into that field felt like walking into a sea of stars. I swore I had never seen so many stars in my life. My friends that had followed along ran past me to the telescopes that didn’t have people stuck at them yet; specifically, the ones that were set to look at planets. But even if you weren’t looking through the advanced telescopes, you could still lay back against the grass and point out the shapes your brain made with the stars. Did I already say it took my breath away?
In that moment, watching my friends sprint around the field showing each other what each telescope held made me realize the beauty of outdoors. The seasonal autumn feel against the beauty ahead of me began my love for the outdoors. And I think my friends fell in love too, without even realizing it.
Sure, Taylor’s Katahdin View Camps isn’t directly on the monument, but it still symbolizes the mix of community and nature that we strive for. Katahdin Woods and Waters hosts other kinds of events that are similar to this. These kinds of activities are a wonderful opportunity to give people a chance to be outdoors even if they are not ready for the “big hikes”.