 July 2025
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.
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.
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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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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.
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
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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 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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The old concession stand at Griffith Head and soon to be the new nature center!
Please donate to Reid State Park 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. Thank you!
~ Haylee Parsons, Manager of Reid State Park
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 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.
Thank you for helping us keep Maine’s Parks and Public Lands wild, beautiful, and accessible for all.
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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 13, 2025. 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
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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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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.
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Camden Hills State Park, Camden, Maine
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site, New Harbor, Maine
Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park, Brooksville, Maine
Mount Blue State Park, Weld, Maine
Range Pond State Park, Poland Springs, Maine
Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine
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Volunteers disembark from the Windjammer Angelique to control bittersweet on Warren Island State Park. Photo courtesy of MITA.
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. 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.
Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) collaborated with Windjammer Angelique to bring 45+ volunteers to control invasive bittersweet 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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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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