 July 2024
Andy Cutko, Brian Bronson (with scissors) and others celebrate the opening of the Madison Branch Rail Trail
With blossoming interest in Maine?s trails, including a once-in-a-generation $30 million bond opportunity on the November ballot, I was thrilled to participate in a June 8 ribbon-cutting for the 32-mile ?Madison Branch? extension of the Kennebec Valley Rail Trail. This new section of trail, which extends from Oakland to Embden, was purchased and converted for recreational use with critical funding from the Land for Maine?s Future Program, Northern Border Regional Commission, and Recreational Trails Program. Though it only recently opened to the public, use on this section of trail exceeded that of all other rail trails over Memorial Day weekend, with an estimated 4,000+ riders, walkers, and cyclists!
The Madison Branch purchase was years in the making and was spearheaded by the Bureau?s Off-Road Vehicle Division, dutifully led by Brian Bronson, Joe Higgins, and Lana LaPlant-Ellis. In a way, the opening of this trail serves as a crowning achievement for Brian, the Bureau?s ATV Supervisor, who will retire at the end of July after decades of dedicated service. I?m not sure I?ve ever met anyone as passionate, knowledgeable, and engaged in his craft as Brian. Thanks for all you?ve done for Maine?s outdoors, Brian, and Happy Trails!
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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The Bureau bid a very fond farewell to David Rodrigues, who retired at the end of May. Over his many years of exemplary service for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, David Rodrigues worked for the Land Use Planning Commission, the Off-Road Vehicle Program, the Planning and Acquisition Division, and most recently, as the Director of Real Property Management. Among other successes, David was instrumental in leading our ARPA State Parks investments over the past few years. I appreciated David?s wisdom, extensive knowledge of BPL properties, attention to detail, and patient, collaborative demeanor. We hope he?ll enjoy his new ?found time? birding, e-biking, or spending time on the water!
~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
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All vehicles with a Maine loon license plate receive free admission to Maine State Parks and Historic Sites* on Sunday, July 14, 2024. This is a thank you to all who purchase this special plate that supports the conservation efforts of both Maine's State Parks and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Purchase a Loon/Conservation license plate online from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or at your local town office.
*Please Note:
- No rain date available
- 9 AM to closing; day use only
- Open admission does not apply to Acadia National Park, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Baxter State Park, Peacock Beach, the ME Wildlife Park, Scarborough Beach State Park, Swan Island, the Penobscot River Corridor, or the Penobscot Narrows Observatory in Prospect, though admission to Fort Knox Historic Site will be free with the Loon Plate.
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Summer is the time to pick up your Maine State Park Passport to start on your park stamp collecting, getting to know the parks through the Junior Ranger Program, and for geocaching adventures! You'll have fun exploring and can win prizes along the way.
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Bradbury Mt. State Park, Pownal
Camden Hills State Park, Pownal
Find more programs by using the Park Event Finder.
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site, Bristol
Ferry Beach State Park
Holbrook Island Sanctuary, Brooksville
Reid State Park, Georgetown
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, Freeport
Find more programs by using the Park Event Finder.
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Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) Staff and Leaders welcomed 48 new AmeriCorps members at the Augusta office on June 10. Members completed a week of orientation that will help prepare them for their season in Maine. Training included sustainable trail structures, tool safety, backcountry hygiene, professional communication, and volunteer management.
John Bear Mitchell during the storytelling and place names presentation to the MCC crews on June 13, 2024.
The week was rounded out with a very special presentation about Maine Indigenous history and place names by John Bear Mitchell and the State?s involvement with First Light by Jocelyn Hubbell.
MCC has both group-based and individual placement AmeriCorps positions, and after this training period, members packed their gear and headed to their first project or another training week on chainsaw safety.
Nine Field Teams will travel across Maine to improve public trails at places like Kennebec Highlands, Cutler Coast, and Tumbledown Mt. Public Lands, and for organizations including Falmouth Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Baxter State Park, Kennebec Land Trust, and Maine Woodland Owners. Project priorities range from creating stone staircases to mitigating erosion to carrying out forest management plans. Crews have already spotted at least one moose and added to their edible plant knowledge! (Photo above: Hal's MCC crew during their first hitch on the Appalachian Trail.)
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As crews hit the trails, the five new Environmental Stewards joined their host sites at the Maine State Aquarium, the City of Portland, The Nature Conservancy, Mt Blue State Park, and Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. There they will add capacity in areas of youth education, habitat management through prescribed burning and interpretative nature programming. They will join the ranks of nine stewards already making improvements in the state since January. Follow MCC on Facebook to learn how you can volunteer on MCC projects and stay in touch with their work throughout Maine.
We are very excited to welcome and guide this group of AmeriCorps members as they gain skills, learn about Maine, and have a fun season spent outdoors!
(Photo above: MCC Stewards pulling invasive species at Effie Berry Conservation Area)
~ Alina Allgyer, Field Coordinator, Maine Conservation Corps
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Graduates of the Maine State Park Lifeguard Academy with Sean Vaillancourt, State Park Lifeguard Coordinator and Manager of Popham Beach State Park. Photo by Kurt Shoener.
Lifesaving is a difficult and remarkable profession even in the best circumstances, within a controlled medical environment. Maine State Park Lifeguards spend hours training to save lives in a dynamic cold water environment. Open Water rescue training requires physical and mental strength, and specialized training to rescue people in such a harsh unpredictable environment. Maine State Park Lifeguard Academy prepares our lifeguards to be ready to assist any swimmer in need. These photos depict just a few of the lifesaving skills that lifeguards learn.
Congratulations to our 2024 Lifeguards!
And, a big THANK YOU to all the guest presenters and dedicated volunteers that make this training possible!
We are still hiring lifeguards for the season, if you have a current lifeguard certification or are interested in become lifeguard certified please reach out to me for more information at (207) 557-2391.
~ Sean Vaillancourt, State Park Lifeguard Coordinator and Popham Beach State Park Manager
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Strength training during the Lifeguard Academy. Photo by Sean Vaillancourt.
Rescue techniques traing at the Maine State Parks Lifeguard Academy. Photos by Kurt Shoener.
The trainers and trainees at the Lifeguard Academy, including Beacon the lifeguard dog who paid a visit with his handler from our neighboring lifeguard agency Scarborough Beach State Park. A big THANK YOU to all the guest presenters and dedicated volunteers that make this training possible.
Purple Martin in flight. Copyright Logan Parker; used by permission.
Purple martin housing structures have been installed on Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) locations in Corinna, Skowhegan and Augusta by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) biologists in collaboration with BPL's Outdoor Recreation Vehicle Program, Public Lands staff and partners Viles Arboretum, and the Somerset Country Soil and Water Conservation District. The goal is to increase nesting sites for Purple Martins and in turn their statewide population. The photos below show the installation of the fabricated nests that were built by MDIFW with materials from the Purple Martin Conservation Association.
Wildlife Biologist Amy McLaughlin notes that, "The nest structures are a good start, but it takes communities to build colonies!" Resources are available below for landowners, school groups, and conservation organizations interested in learning more about becoming landlords for a new colony to contribute to Purple Martin conservation.
Resources:
MDIFW biologists putting the Purple Martin nest structure together.
Bird lure that will be attached to the nest structure to attract Purple Martins.
Adjustment of the nest portholes on the Purple Martin nesting struture.
The MDIFW team and the completed Purple Martin Nest structure. Note the wide cylindar midway on the nest pole. It is a predator guard to keep the nests safe from climbing predators.
Purple Martin on a nest shelf. Photo copyright Steve Mierzykowski. Used by permission.
Amy cautioned patience, "With such a low population of Purple Martins in Maine, it might take quite a while to attract any birds. With luck, we might attract the attention of some dispersing youngsters this fall who could choose to settle down at one of the sites next spring."
We will provide a Purple Martin update in Summer, 2025. In the meantime, learn more by reading Flying Purple Insect Eaters, Purple Martins and Other Aerial Insectivores in Maine by Amy Meehan McLaughlin, Wildlife Biologist.
It is wonderful what a little ingenuity and collaboration can accomplish!
~ Joe Higgins, Supervisor of the Off Road Recreational Vehicle Program
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A image from the film, The Buzz on Native Plants, by Tara Roberts Zabriskie.
The Buzz on Native Plants is a film by Tara Roberts Zabriskie in collaboration with Don Cameron of the Maine Natural Areas Program, the Bureau of Parks and Lands, and several Maine nonprofits. It was made through the support of the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.
The film explores the relationship between native plants and pollinators and how they can benefit local ecosystems in our ever changing climate. The goal of the film is to raise awareness about the importance of biodiverse native ecosystems, especially now that natural communities are being impacted by climate change.
The film's New England Premiere will be at the Maine Outdoor Film Festival on Friday, July 26 at Maine Studio Works. Watch the 3-minute trailer on the Maine Outdoor Film Festival Website and get your tickets for the event.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, BPL Interpretive Specialist
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There was a good turnout for the opening of the Town of St. George's accessible trail.
The original trail to Fort St. Georges State Historic Site was built in 2006 by the town Conservation Commission, in tandem with the historical society, after town historian Jim Skoglund sold a narrow strip of land to the town for the trail.?
Over time the trail became less and less passable, wet and rutted. A few years ago, the town Conservation Commission, in tandem with the local Historical Society, embarked on a project to rebuild the trail as a far more accessible, dry and pleasant walk to the point. The half-mile trail, officially opened June 1st of this year, was upgraded with a $165,000 grant from the Maine Bureau of Public Lands, Recreational Trails Program. Matching funds for the grant included donations from local residents and other caring individuals.
The gravel trail now includes a wooden bridge over a stream in a gully, plus wooden walkways crossing boggy areas. It can be navigated with a walker or wheelchair, and yet preserves a natural, organic theme as it wends its way through hardwoods such as ash and birch to the river. Kennebec Trail Company of Bath was the contractor. A devoted group of local volunteers helped with trail construction and restoring a kiosk at the parking lot.
Two of the first to enjoy the new accessible trail.
Reviews from people using the trail have been glowing. "The builders of the trail have done such a great job - it is beautiful, and I can imagine how hard the work was, but well worth it. Thank you so much for making a beautiful area, and a great historical artifact, so accessible," wrote one grateful visitor.
Parking for Fort Point is located at a natural spring ~ where people fill water jugs ~ at Wiley?s Corner, Route 131 in St. George. The public is invited to explore this special place.
~ Steve Cartwright, Select Board Member, Town of St. George, Maine
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An Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) shown larger than life, and EAB on a penny, and baskets made from Ash trees.
The Emerald Ash Borer has gotten a free ride to Maine, where is is not naturally meant to be, and it is spreading, killing Ash trees as it spreads through Maine's forests. The destruction is tied to the lifecycle of the EAB. The adult lays eggs on the Ash, the larvae burrow into the tree making zigzagging tunnels, know as galleries, and then feed on the vascular tissues of the tree. Ash trees did not co-evolve with the EAB, so they have not developed any defenses against it. Too many feeding larvae can weaken an Ash and leave it susceptible to other stressors, or even kill the tree outright by destroying it's ability to transport food and water throughout it's trunk and limbs.
"Brown Ash (used interchangeably with black ash, Fraxinus nigra), are a cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and a crucial part of wetland ecosystems in the Northeast." (Source:? Ash Protection Across Wabanakik) Not only will the habitats change, but the cultural lifeway of basketmaking among Maine Tribal Nations will be impacted if EAB continues to spread across Maine form both the south and north.
Please do your part. Help stop the spread of EAB and other invasive forest pests by not transporting firewood. Leave your firewood at home. Buy your wood where you will burn it. Do not bring wood into any of the Bureau's Parks or Public Lands. Maine State Park campgrounds sell firewood to campers at a nominal fee for those who want a campfire at their campsite.
Please do go see Jeremy Frey's basketry exhibit, Woven, at the Portland Museum of Art. It is an amazing exhibit that includes a video in the main gallery that shows the basketry process from tree selection to completion. Be sure to go downstairs to get hands-on with an Ash log, watch another video, and try your hand at creating a basket design. I hope it will also help you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into basketry, the importance of Ash trees, and motivate you to help stop the spread of EAB.?
Explore the Ash Trees Across Wabanakik website to learn about the work that is being done to help Ash trees survive EAB, and to regenerate those that die. You too can get involved. Sign up for their newsletter?to stay informed.
~ Jocelyn Hubbell, BPL 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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