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Above:Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) Field Team working on Tumbledown Mountain trails. Photo courtesy of MCC. Below: Andy at the Great Circle Trail, Nahmakanta Public Lands.
Many of my fondest memories are from trails in Maine – climbing North Traveler as a kid with my parents, summiting Katahdin decades later with my own kid, finishing a grueling trail race at Bradbury Mountain State Park, counting rare plants atop the Bigelow Range, skiing into the shelter at Camden Hills State Park, exploring Mahoosuc Notch on the Appalachian Trail, and many, many more. Trails are the lifeblood of Maine’s outdoor recreation economy – one which, according to a recent Bureau of Economic Analysis report, employs 32,000 Mainers and injects more than $3.3 billion into the state’s GDP.
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Maine has thousands of miles of recreational trails, and like all aging infrastructure, trails require long-term care, maintenance, and monitoring (particularly considering our increased storm frequency and intensity). Through our Recreational Trails Program, BPL has invested roughly $10 million in motorized and non-motorized trails over the past decade. With sustained heavy use, our trail maintenance needs continue to grow. Recent assessments have identified considerable investment needs at Camden Hills State Park, the Cutler Coast Public Lands, Tumbledown Mountain Public Lands, and Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, to name just a few. Trail work is a team effort, and we appreciate the countless volunteer hours provided by the many snowmobile and ATV clubs, land trusts, Maine Trails Coalition, and others, as well as the annual efforts of our Maine Conservation Corps trails teams. As the popularity of Maine’s trails continues to grow, trail users of all types will need to rally together for creative and lasting solutions that will allow future generations to explore and enjoy Maine’s treasured woods and waters.
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands is pleased to welcome Jacob Alexander as a Forestry Technician within the Eastern Region Public Lands. In this role, Jacob will join a team that ensures sustainable forest management on Maine’s Public Reserved Lands.
Jacob grew up in Machesney Park, IL, about 90 miles west of Chicago. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he majored in Conservation Law Enforcement with a minor in Criminal Justice. Jacob was previously employed as a Forestry Technician in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico for Philmont Scout Ranch. There he led hand crews in various thinning projects as well as hazard tree removals. Jacob also assisted in managing the contracted crews on the restorative thinning sites, mainly focusing on the management of ponderosa pine.
Jacob enjoys getting outside in the summer on his mountain bike, camping, backpacking, or getting out on the water. In winter, Jacob likes to use gravity to his advantage by going snowboarding, or hitting the ponds with some ice skates with a stick and a puck. Jacob is excited to be joining the team and further expand on experience related to forestry management.
Welcome Jacob!
~ Doug Reed, Eastern Region Public Lands Manager, BPL
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Lindsey May departs Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) on the heels of successfully wrapping up her sixth season managing the Field Team program. Lindsey’s Corps journey began in 2006 with a summer of stonework on the Appalachian Trail. After graduating college, Lindsey served in MCC leadership positions that crisscrossed the state for five years, only interrupted to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail and work for a local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. MCC was thrilled when Lindsey took the helm of the Field Team in 2018. Beyond her technical trail knowledge, Lindsey exemplified patience, positivity, and quiet wisdom. Coordinating and executing 150 project weeks with two dozen partners for five dozen Corps members annually is no small feat, and Lindsey handled every twist and turn with mastery. We wish Lindsey all the best on her next adventure of being a stellar mom and hope her path leads back to MCC.
~ Sara Knowles, Director of the Maine Conservation Corps
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Sunrise at Umsaskis Lake on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
Are you a visual artist who would like to develop your art by experiencing the exceptional wilderness of the state's most remote park, Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW)? Or do you know an artist who may want to apply? Help us spread the word that the annual AWW Visiting Artist Program call for artists and application will open in early January 2024. It will be announced through press releases, in the January edition of this newsletter, and through the AWW Visiting Artist Program news subscriber list - join the list now.
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Join naturalist/educator Jamie Cantin for a Winter Discovery session at the Mount Blue State Park headquarters on Center Hill. This Jr. Ranger Program is designed for youth ages five to twelve and is an extension of the very popular summer program. Participants will:
- Learn how animals survive through the harsh winters of Maine!
- Test their skills at making a winter habitat for a new Maine species you will create!
- Explore the winter trails and warm up in our discovery yurt!
- Share this newsletter or this program link with others
Date/Time: Sunday, Dec. 10, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Meet Jamie at the Park Headquarters, 229 Center Hill Road, Weld - by the Yurt.
FMI: Call the park at (207) 585-2261
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The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year - a day of beginnings, of storytelling, of reflection, of celebrating, and more. For ancient astronomers, it was the day that the sun appeared the lowest in the Northern Hemisphere sky and at its farthest southern point over Earth. It’s also the day that the Earth and all of us are closest to the sun. Join naturalist Jeanne Christie for a walk to the shore at Kettle Cove to learn a bit of ancient history, astronomy, and stories of past cultures and to reflect and celebrate the beginning of the longest night of the year.
When: Thursday, December 21, 2023 from 3-4:00 p.m.
Where: 49 Kettle Cove Rd. at the State Park maintenance shop, Cape Elizabeth.
Questions? Contact Jeanne at Jeanne@connecttowilderness.com
Subscribe to park's Condition Alerts: Text TKC to 888-514-7527
Please share this newsletter or program link with others.
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Participants enjoying a sunrise First Day Hike at Two Lights State Park with Jeanne Christie.
Maine State Park First Day Hikes, part of the nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors, are a combination of led and self-guided hikes, as well as virtual visits to help you kick off 2024.
Join in on the fun and start out your New Year within the beauty and solace of a Maine State Park. Program listings are provided below. You can also download materials for self-guided hikes and view the virtual visits at BPL's First Day Hike page.
Program Listings:
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Our Maine State Park Lifeguard Coordinator, Sean Vaillancourt, will be leading American Red Cross Lifeguard Courses this winter. Use the certificate to become a Maine State Park lifeguard, and the Bureau of Parks and Lands will reimburse the certification expense at the end of the 2024 season. Learn more by texting or calling Sean at (207) 557-2391.
~ Sean Vaillancourt, Popham Beach State Park Manager & Maine State Park Lifeguard Coordinator
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Due primarily to a limited period increase in available RTP funding, the Grants & Community Recreation Program is holding a supplementary grant cycle for eligible trail projects. This grant cycle is now open and will remain open through mid-March 2024.
Applications will be accepted through 5:00pm, March 15, 2024.
Applicants may request up to $50,000 for the regular project category, or up to $120,000 for a large-scale project.
- All details and the application documents are now posted on the RTP Website will remain up for your use in this extra funding cycle.
- Projects awarded in this grant cycle will have two full construction seasons to complete the proposed work.
Cost share and funding eligibility
RTP can reimburse up to 80% of eligible project costs. The balance must come from the project sponsor and can include cash and or in-kind / donated services and materials. Funds must be allocated to both motorized and non-motorized trails.
Eligible projects may include but are not limited to:
- Maintenance and restoration of existing recreational trails.
- Development or renovation of trail side and trailhead facilities.
- Construction of new recreational trails.
For more information about this funding opportunity or the Recreational Trails Program, please contact Doug Beck, State Trail Administrator.
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University of Maine Master’s student Stephanie Dykema lowers a zooplankton net into Horns Pond. Photo by Dr. Rachel Hovel
Researchers at the University of Maine Farmington (UMF) and The University of Maine are investigating changes in ice cover in Maine mountain ponds. Five of the ponds in the study are on lands conserved by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. All the study ponds are part of a long-term monitoring project that began in the 1980s to study the impact of acid rain on freshwater bodies in Maine. For the past decade, UMF has been deploying year-round water temperature buoys in 9 ponds to track how water temperature and ice cover are changing. This year, the research team is looking for winter hikers to share photos of ice-cover in mountain ponds. These photos will help validate the ice-on and ice-off dates that are inferred from water temperatures. For more information on this project - including project ponds and their associated trails, safe winter hiking considerations, and how to submit a photo please visit the Ice Phenology page.
~ Amanda Gavin, PhD Student, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine.
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Pond at Cobscook Bay State Park.
Before you go out on the ice make sure you know how thick it is and the related weight it can carry. Thick ice in one area of a pond or lake does not guarantee the same thickness in another location of the waterbody. Ice thickness is impacted by many factors, including the nearness to shore, presence of vegetation, underwater currents and springs, the daytime and nighttime temperatures, the impact of precipitation, and whether the ice is newly formed hard ice, or old ice that has been sublimating (evaporating into the air), which can make it rotten in spots and more easily fractured.
Venturing onto ice is always at your own risk, but when you measure the ice and inspect the condition you'll be much safer. Stay Safe - If you don't know, don't go!
General Guidelines for Clear, Hard Ice are:
- Less than 4-inches = Stay Off!
- 4-inches = one person with light gear; no groups!
- 5-inches = small group, but spread out!
- 6-inches = single snowmobile
- 9-inches = multiple snowmobiles, but spread out!
Learn how to inspect ice at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Winter Ice Safety Tips page.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
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Snowmobile season is on its way! Here are some tips and resources so that you'll be ready when the snowpack is deep enough on your favorite trail.
Get Ready to Ride!
- Consider joining the Maine Snowmobile Association. You'll find clubs and riders near you, learn about trails, events and volunteer opportunities plus get the latest snowmobile news from around the state. And they'll alert you about the next Maine Snowmobile Show.
- Refresh your first aid kit/emergency repair kit.
- Inspect your snowmobile and perform seasonal maintenance.
- Inspect your riding gear for wear and tear and fix or replace as needed.
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Register your snowmobile.
- Planning to rent a snowmobile? Here is a list of certified rental agencies.
Next month we will feature Snowmobile Safety as part of International Snowmobile Safety Week, January 20-27, 2024.
~ Joe Higgins, Snowmobile Program Supervisor
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Ash tree photo coutesty of APCAW.
APCAW is holding an online ash protection update and open forum for discussion on Monday, December 11 from 1-2:30 pm on Zoom. The Maine Forest Service and other organizations who are working to protect ash trees will provide an updates. The open forum will allow for questions and discussion about ash inventory, ash seed collection, EAB monitoring, and ash management. This session is open to everyone who would like to learn more about protecting ash.
~ Ella McDonald, APCAW
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Girl Scouts Love State Parks 2023. This annual program gets girls out into the parks to explore and challenge themselves to see, do, and learn through camaraderie and fun to meaningfully connect with nature. It inspires a connection to nature throughout their lives, whether continuing to visit parks for recreation and nature observation, helping with conservation efforts, or exploring a career in the parks, conservation, or the natural sciences.
Project WILD trainees with their course certificates given by Mount Blue State Park Park Naturalist & Project WILD instructor Jamie Cantin. Photo by Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist and Project WILD instructor.
Parking at Tryon Mountain trailhead in Pownal was expanded with the help of a Recreational Trails Program grant. The trailhead provides access to the Tryon fields to the west where Bobolinks and other grasland birds nest, to Tryon Mt. and the historic quarries to the east, and the Bradbury-Pineland Corridor Trail. Photos by Stephen Richardson.
New Americans experience Grafton Notch State Park with Park Manager Jen Birkemose and in partnership with the Maine Association of New Americans and the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. Photo by Simon Rucker.
Winter events at Holbrook Island Sanctuary: ice skating, sledding, and the snow cat! Photos by Charlie Cannon, Sanctuary Manager.
Maine Public visited Popham Beach State Park to film the beginning and end of episode 5 of their outdoor multimedia series Borealis hosted by Aislinn Sarnacki. Aislinn and Jennifer Rooks visited with a camera operator and filmed the beach and Popham's ADA access mats which they featured in the episode as a highlight on Maine’s efforts to create more accessibility for Maine outdoor places.
View Borealis Episode 5. View more Borealis episodes.
The Sebago Lake Shoreline Restoration Project - Natural materials at Sebago Lake State Park are being scientifically engineered into structures designed to capture and hold the sand brought in by wave action in order to rebuild and protect the beach in partnership with the Portland Water District, Cumberland Country Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
View News Center Maine's Shoreline Restoration report.
View the Sebago Lake State Park Shoreline Restoration webpage.
Lilibeth and Peter McKeown receive a Volunteer Award at Mount Blue State Park presented by Park Naturalist Jamie Cantin. Their volunteering is integral to the success of park programs and special events. Always looking to learn more and help out, they recently completed Project WILD training as well. Photo by Jocelyn Hubbell.
For a more in-depth look at 2023 visit our newsletter archive.
View the 2022 Highlights Report.
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When you purchase gifts during this holiday season and throughout the New Year, please show your support for Maine's beautiful State Parks, Public Lands, trails, and conservation efforts. Here are some suggestions for gifts that give back:
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The Wabanaki Winter Market at the Collins Center for the Arts (Orono, Maine) is New England’s largest holiday gathering of Wabanaki artists. The popular annual December event features members of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance who have received national awards, as well as new artists representing the next generation of weavers.
The event provides the public with an opportunity to purchase Wabanaki art directly from the artists and to learn about these ancient traditions.
The Wabanaki Winter Market is FREE and open to the public. Get all the details at the University of Maine Hudson Museum Wabanaki Winter Market page.
~ Courtesy posting by Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
(Photo courtesy of the Hudson Museum and Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance)
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Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces by Phillip G. deMaynadier, John Klymo, Ronald G. Butler, W. Herbert Wilson, and John V. Calhoun
Whether you have a favorite Maine butterfly, want to learn more about Maine's State Butterfly, the Pink-edged Sulphur, or learn about the incredible diversity of butterflies and the habitats they both serve and rely upon, this newly released guide is recommended. Over 120 butterflies are documented. The species accounts include beautiful color photographs, identification tips, and concise sections about biology and adult behavior. A distribution map and flight graph accompany each account, providing a quick at-a-glance resource to location and dates of occurrence.
Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces has become my new go-to butterfly book, and a companion to my old and tattered Butterflies of the East Coast, An Observers Guide by Cech and Tudor. I'll be ready to greet the butterflies by name when they return next year! Request it at your favorite local book store or purchase it online through Cornell University Press.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
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Kuhkomossonuk Akonutomuwinokot, Stories Our Grandmothers Told Us edited by Wayne A. Newell and associate editor, Robert M. Leavitt
This beautifully illustrated book is a wonderful collection of stories in a side-by-side bilingual format of Passamaquoddy and English. Sure to delight children and adults alike, and best read aloud or memorized and told in storytelling tradition. Wayne A. Newell's introduction is not to be missed. I was also delighted to see the pronunciation key and glossary of Passamaquoddy words.
I found my copy at the Gulf of Maine books in Brunswick. I am very grateful to all the Passamaquoddy storytellers who kept their oral tradition alive for generations and to all who contributed to this book and made it available to everyone.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist
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Send article suggestions or newsletter comments to Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist, webmaster, and newsletter editor for the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.
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