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Bureau of Parks and Lands
[ [link removed] ]
July 2025

In this Issue:

* Director's Note: Making Waves in Water Safety [ #link_1 ]
* Maine Conservation Corps Launches New Shore Corps Steward Program [ #link_5 ]
* Donate to Reid State Park's Nature Center Project [ #link_7 ]
* Donate to the Park or Public Land of Your Choice [ #link_8 ]
* Sunday, July 13 is Conservation Plate Appreciation Day [ #link_2 ]
* The Junior Ranger Program - A Summer Favorite for Youth and the Young at Heart [ #link_3 ]
* Park Programs and Events [ #link_4 ]
* Volunteers Help Control Bittersweet at Warren Island State Park [ #link_6 ]

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Director's Note: Making Waves in Water Safety

Ocean surf rescue training photo.

Photo Above: Surf rescue training. Photos Below: Swift water rescue and short haul aircraft rescue.

The recent record-breaking heat has inspired many Mainers to find cool bodies of water to be around, on, or in. As a result, June was a good month for BPL staff to dive into Lifeguard and Water-Rescue training -- and this year, we’re stepping up our efforts like never before. Popham Beach State Park Manager Sean Vaillancourt, who heads up BPL’s Lifeguard Training, spent several days on York Beach in a Rescue Watercraft Awareness, Operations, and Technician course led by Safety Third Training. If you’ve ever ventured more than waist deep off Popham Beach, you understand the importance of a quick and timely response to a water incident, and good old surfboards may not be the best tool. 

Swift river recue training in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

At the other end of Maine, Rangers with the Allagash Wilderness Waterway are engaging in multiple water safety trainings – Swift Water Rescue, Deep Water Rescue, and Short Haul Aircraft Rescue. These AWW training modules, initiated in recent years by Superintendent Mark Deroche and his colleagues, provide hands-on experience that will prepare our staff for critical life-saving action in Maine’s most remote settings. 



Short haul rescue.

We thank our partners at Northeast Whitewater for the AWW water safety courses and friends at the Maine Forest Service for the Short Haul Rescue Training. More generally, we appreciate the efforts of Lynn Elgin, DACF’s new Safety and Training Coordinator, for ramping up BPL’s safety readiness across the board!

~ Andy Cutko, Director, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands

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Maine Conservation Corps Launches New Shore Corps Steward Program

Maine Shore Corps Stewards doing site measurements.

Photo Above: Shore Corps Stewards doing site measurements on the State of Maine campus where the MCC offices are located. Photos Below: Maine Shore Corps Stewards on a training walk through Viles Arboretum in Augusta, Maine; Instructor Parker and Shore Corps Steward Daniel collect live willow stakes for transplanting.

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Maine Shore Corps on a visit to Viles Arboretum in Augusta, Maine.

Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) is thrilled to announce the beginning of Shore Corps Stewards - a new initiative focused on nature-based erosion control and education!

In late May, MCC welcomed four new Shore Corps Stewards, who have now officially begun their year of service. These passionate members are placed with impactful partners across the state, including:


* 7 Lakes Alliance
* Auburn Water District
* Midcoast Conservancy & Island Institute
* Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands - Southern Parks


Shore Corp Stewards, Parker and Daniel, collecting live willow stakes for transplanting.

These stewards are charged with protecting Maine’s precious water bodies and shorelines by combining outreach, education, and hands-on demonstration projects. Using the OUR SHORE [ [link removed] ] assessment tool and educational materials, they help landowners take meaningful steps toward reducing erosion and increasing shoreline resilience.

During their first two weeks, stewards hit the ground running with an intensive orientation that included:


* Workshops with Wells Reserve, NOAA, DACF, and ME IF&W on habitat planning, environmental communication, and native species.
* In-depth training with DEP on permitting and nature-based solutions, including earning a provisional certification in Erosion Control Practices.

Many thanks to Nathan Robbins, John Maclaine, Parker Gassett, Gary Fish, Cameron Dufour, Corinne Michaud-Leblanc, Brayden Gordy, Jessica Brunacini, Maggie Kelly-Boyd, and others who contributed to a well-rounded and impactful orientation!
We look forward to the incredible impact this new group will have over the next year!

~ Deidrah Stanchfield, Individual Placement Program Manager, Maine Conservation Corps.

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Donate to Reid State Park's Nature Center Project

Old concession stand at Reid State Park that is to be turned into a nature center.

The old concession stand at Griffith Head and soon to be the new nature center!

Please donate to Reid State Park [ [link removed] ] to support a nature center at Griffith Head. The old concession stand is being refurbished into a nature center, and we need your help to make the transition a reality. Any dollar amount you can give is appreciated. Donate Now [ [link removed] ]. Thank you!

~ Haylee Parsons, Manager of Reid State Park

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Donate to the Park or Public Land of Your Choice

Wild About Maine State Parks donation logo. [ [link removed] ]

If you're wild about Maine State Parks and Public Lands, consider making a gift to help protect and enhance the places that matter most to you. Your donation [ [link removed] ] directly supports what you love, whether it's building new trails, improving accessibility, advancing outdoor education, conserving natural resources, or preserving public access for future generations.

You can:


* Give directly to the park of your choice
* Choose “All Maine State Parks and Historic Sites” to support the most urgent projects
* Select “Any Public Lands” to fund the greatest need across our treasured lands

Please donate now [ [link removed] ].

Thank you for helping us keep Maine’s Parks and Public Lands wild, beautiful, and accessible for all.

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Sunday, July 13 is Conservation Plate Appreciation Day

Maine Conservation license plate - the loon plate.

All vehicles with a Maine loon license plate receive free admission to Maine State Parks and Historic Sites* on Sunday, July 13, 2025. This is a thank you to all who purchase this special plate that supports the conservation efforts [ [link removed] ] of both Maine's State Parks and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Purchase a Loon/Conservation license plate online [ [link removed] ] 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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The Junior Ranger Program - A Summer Favorite for Youth and the Young at Heart

Junior Ranger Program Mascot of the Maine State Parks

Did you know that during the summer months you can get to know some of Maine's iconic State Parks through the Junior Ranger Program?

Pick up your Junior Ranger booklet at one of the ten State Parks that offer the program, ask the ranger in the booth if the park is holding a special program for the Junior Rangers. (Camden Hills State Park and Mount Blue State Park are holding special programs for Junior Rangers. See the Park Programs and Events listing below.) Complete the activities in the booklet while you are at the park (In one or several visits), then ask a ranger at that park review your completed booklet, then collect your prize. Some of the parks offer badges, others offer patches. 

See the list of parks and all the details about the Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ].

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Park Programs and Events

*
Camden Hills State Park*, Camden, Maine


* Now through August 22 - Bald Rock Trail Rehabilitation [ [link removed] ]
* July 4 -  Mount Battie Auto Road open until 10:00 p.m. [ [link removed] ] 
* July 5 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ] 
* July 10 - Full Moon Observation on Mt. Battie [ [link removed] ]
* July 12 - Looking for Sasquatch [ [link removed] ] 
* July 12 - Bird Walk [ [link removed] ]
* July 19 - Looking for Sasquatch [ [link removed] ]
* July 19 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ]
* July 26 - Sky Tour-Stargazing & Evening Fliers [ [link removed] ]
* July 26 - Bird Walk [ [link removed] ]
* July 26 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ]

*Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site*, New Harbor, Maine


* July 5 -  Kids Dig [ [link removed] ]
* July 12 - 17th Century Days [ [link removed] ]
* July 13 - 17th Century Days [ [link removed] ]

*Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park*, Brooksville, Maine


* July 2 -  Interactive Touch Tank and Intertidal Exploration [ [link removed] ]
* July 4 -  Scenic History Hike [ [link removed] ]
* July 4 -  Serenaders: a Bluegrass Quintet [ [link removed] ]
* July 11 - Bobby Cleveland & the Fisher Cats [ [link removed] ]
* July 12 - Naturalist Walk [ [link removed] ]
* July 16 - Mushrooms!!! [ [link removed] ]
* July 18 - Scottish Small Pipes [ [link removed] ]
* July 25 - Hallzeek  [ [link removed] ]

*Mount Blue State Park, *Weld, Maine  


* July 4 - Life Under Logs [ [link removed] ]
* July 4 - Wildlife Olympics [ [link removed] ]
* July 5 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ]
* July 6 - Fishing at the Beach [ [link removed] ]
* July 11 - Life Under Logs [ [link removed] ]
* July 11 - Wildlife Olympics [ [link removed] ]
* July 12 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ]
* July 13 - Fishing at the Beach [ [link removed] ]
* July 18 - Life Under Logs [ [link removed] ]
* July 18 - Wildlife Olympics [ [link removed] ]
* July 19 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ]
* July 20 - Fishing at the Beach [ [link removed] ]
* July 25 - Life Under Logs [ [link removed] ]
* July 25 - Wildlife Olympics [ [link removed] ]
* July 26 - Junior Ranger Program [ [link removed] ]
* July 27 - Fishing at the Beach [ [link removed] ]

*Range Pond State Park*, Poland Springs, Maine


* July 2 - Forest Walk Meditation [ [link removed] ]
* July 9 - Forest Walk Meditation [ [link removed] ]
* July 12 - Book Swap [ [link removed] ]
* July 13 - Wildlife that Lives Here [ [link removed] ]
* July 16 - Forest Walk Meditation [ [link removed] ]
* July 19 - Adopt a Tree [ [link removed] ]
* July 23 - Forest Walk Meditation [ [link removed] ]
* July 26 - Book Swap [ [link removed] ]
* July 27 - Wildlife that Lives Here [ [link removed] ]
* July 30 - Forest Walk Meditation [ [link removed] ]

*Reid State Park*, Georgetown, Maine


* July 3 - Tidepools with the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust [ [link removed] ]
* July 11 - The Lobster Lady and Knot Tying [ [link removed] ]
* July 25 - Batty About Bats-They Work the Night Shift for You! [ [link removed] ]

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Volunteers Help Control Bittersweet at Warren Island State Park

Volunteers disembark from the windjammer Angelique to control bittersweet on Warren Island State Park. Photo courtesy of MITA.

Volunteers disembark from the Windjammer Angelique to control bittersweet on Warren Island State Park. Photo courtesy of MITA.

Photo montage of volunteers pulling the invasive bittersweet on Warren Island State Park.

The volunteers pulling the invasive bittersweet on Warren Island State Park. Photos coutesy of MITA.

Burning the bittersweet pulled by the volunteers on Warren Island State Park. Photo courtesy of Sandie Sabaka.

Burning the bittersweet pulled by the volunteers on Warren Island State Park. This photo and the one below of three Coastal Steward Managers: Alex, Christina and Chris, are courtesy of Sandie Sabaka, Manager of Warren Island State Park.

Coastal Steward Managers Alex, Christina and Chris, at Warren Island. Photo by Sandie Sabaka.

Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) collaborated with Windjammer Angelique to bring 45+ volunteers to control invasive bittersweet [ [link removed] ] at Warren Island State Park. They pulled, hauled and burned massive quantities of the invasive bittersweet - completing so much more than I can do in a season. It is through their volunteer commitment and hard work that Warren Island is healthier than it was before they arrived. Thank you MITA , the Angelique crew, and all the volunteers. You've made a great positive impact to Warren Island!

~ Sandie Sabaka, Manager, Warren Island State Park

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