Let Jeanne Christie be your guide on a forest walk and experience the woods in a way that leaves you feeling centered, stress free, and more deeply connected to the natural world.

Shinrin-yoku, "taking in the forest" has been practiced in Japan since the 1980s and is a growing practice throughout the US. It is also know as forest bathing  and forest therapy, though no therapist is on hand - other than nature - and no bathing, other than immersion in nature, takes place. The benefits of forest therapy include relaxation and stress reduction, a boosted feeling of well-being, improved mood, increased attention and focus, and increased resistance to infections.

Scientific evidence supports these findings and more and more doctors are writing health  prescriptions that include requiring patients to get outside and into parks for nature immersion sessions.

Jeanne Christie is a certified Forest Therapy Guide, registered Maine Guide, and award-winning wetlands preservation professional. Lauded as one of Ten Most Intriguing People in Maine by the Portland Magazine, Christie says though she enjoys many outdoor pursuits, hiking, running trails, photography, canoeing, and cross country skiing among them, she most enjoys guiding people on forest therapy sessions because "it brings people into the present moment and all the rich sensory information we tend to tune out. It reconnects us with trees and plants and birds and animals and also with ourselves. Our connection with the natural world is one of the most important parts of who we are – individually and collectively. In this day and age, it’s hard to hold onto that."

Jeanne Christie will be guiding two Forest Bathing Therapy Walks at Bradbury Mt. State Park in Pownal on December 21st:

• 10-11:30 a.m. session for Dog Owners
• 1:00 - 3:45 p.m. session (without dogs)

Learn more about Jeanne Christie at www.ConnectToWilderness.com

Photograph of Jeanne Christie by Meaghan Maurice.

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The Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) was recently awarded two competitive grants from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. One, in support of the BPL's deployment of drones for natural resource monitoring and enforcement; a second, in support of telescopes and star gazing programs at twelve of State Parks.

Deploying Drones for Natural Resource Monitoring and Enforcement

This drone project, in partnership with the Maine Natural Areas Program and Maine Forest Service, has the capacity to dramatically increase efficiency and reduce costs in environmental monitoring, especially for monitoring inaccessible areas and for mapping forest types and wildlife habitat. The grant monies awarded will allow for the purchase of drones, related software, participation in FAA-sponsored training, and development of drone natural resource use protocols. The drones will also enhance the outreach and promotional capacity of all the bureaus within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The drones will be used for:

•  Monitoring forest practices and resulting effects on habitat and water quality (Maine Forest Service)
• Monitoring compliance on conservation easements (Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands)
• Monitoring long term changes in Ecological Reserve wetlands in response to climate change (Maine Natural Areas Program)
• Creating images and videos for outreach and promotional materials (All DACF Bureaus)

(Photo is the DJI Spark drone currently used by the Maine Forest Service.)

Look to the Stars - Telescopes & Star Gazing at Maine State Parks

In this Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund supported project, the Bureau of Parks and Lands is partnering with Cornerstones of Science, U-Maine's Emera Astronomy Center and Maine astronomers and trained naturalists to develop and offer star gazing programs at 12 Maine State Parks for campground guests and park visitors. The grant will be used to purchase twelve telescopes and star kits, two iPads with star apps, and astronomy books, plus hold a night sky training session and practical for park staff and program presenters at the Emera Astronomy Center.  

These star gazing programs will connect visitors to Maine's natural heritage during a time when many fear to be outside, the nighttime. And, viewing the stars has the inherent ability to make people think outside themselves, to wonder about their place in the universe. The experience through this project will connect star gazers with the importance of the stars for navigation by humans and animals, and the importance of natural places, such as State parks, in helping preserve starscapes.

Look for these star gazing programs during the summer of Maine's bicentennial, 2020. They will be announced in this newsletter and online at www.ParksAndLands.com.

Give When You Play!

When you choose to play the Maine Lottery, choose the ticket that gives back to Maine's natural heritage through the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. Ask for it by name. The current ticket is Big Bucks.  Thank you!

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The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands has received recognition from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics for being one of their longest standing Community Partners. Faith Overall, LNT's Education and Outreach Coordinator commented that "for ten plus years partners like Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands have been leaders in the Leave No Trace movement reaching hundreds of thousands of people each year. Without all your efforts, Leave No Trace would not have the reach that it does today."

The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace provide minimum impact guidelines that are applicable not only to backcountry visits, but to local parks and backyards as well. They are:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Continue reading about the Seven Principles.

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Corn Fritters

Ingredients

• 3 cups corn kernels
  • I use one can of whole kernel corn and one can cream style corn
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Additionals

• Sliced scallions (optional)
• Sour cream or garlic aioli (optional)
• Maple Syrup (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the corn kernels, flour, sugar, baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Stir in the eggs and heavy cream until the batter is well combined.
3. Line a plate with paper towels. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with vegetable oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, scoop about ½ cup of corn batter into the pan, spreading it lightly into a flat, circular shape. Cook the fritters for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them once and cook them an additional 3 minutes until they’re golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the fritters to the paper towel-lined plate.
4. You can season them immediately with salt and garnish with scallions and serve with sour cream or garlic aioli for dipping, but I love them on the sweet side with maple syrup and bacon! I have also made them with adding grated cheddar cheese, as well as, cooked crumbled bacon into the batter before cooking!

Contributed by Jen Neumeyer, Boating Facilities Secretary, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

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Ring in the New Year with a guided First Day Hike at select State Parks on New Year's Day. This annual event, in partnership with the National Association of America's State Parks, inspired nearly 55,000 people across the country last year to collectively walk over 133,000 miles on the guided hikes, that included snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, on New Year's Day.

First Day Hikes are being offered at the following locations. Click on the links for each site's details:

• Bradbury Mountain State Park at 10:00 a.m. 
• Holbrook Island Sanctuary at 1:00 p.m.
• Lake St. George State Park at 10:00 a.m. 
• Lily Bay State Park at noon 
• Wolfe's Neck Woods at 2:00 p.m. 

Maine Bicentennial Commission Chairman Sen. Bill Diamond unveiled the Maine Bicentennial Commemorative Coin on Monday, November 25, at the Maine State House in Augusta, and stated, "From the beginning, we received requests for a commemorative coin to mark this historic anniversary of Maine's Statehood. Our staff created a pleasing design that features multiple facets of Maine life, and incorporates our bicentennial slogan: Leading the Way."

A limited edition of brass coins are still available through the Maine 200 online store. The 200 limited edition numbered nickel coins have already sold out.

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