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Bureau of Parks and Lands
[ [link removed] ]
December 2022

In this Issue:

* Director's Note: The Outdoors is for Everyone [ #link_1 ]
* Get Lifeguard Certified with Maine State Parks this Winter and Secure Your Job at a Beach This Summer! [ #link_5 ]
* Welcome Kristin Anderson [ #link_12 ]
* Welcome Mathew Henion [ #link_10 ]
* Winter Camping - A Maine Tradition [ #link_6 ]
* Ice Safety - Tips for Checking Ice Conditions [ #link_8 ]
* Get Ready to Ride - Snowmobile Season is Almost Here! [ #link_4 ]
* Holiday Gifts that Support Maine's Iconic Places [ #link_3 ]
* Wabanaki Winter Market [ #link_13 ]
* Ring in the New Year with a First Day Hike at a Maine State Park [ #link_2 ]
* The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Visiting Artist Program Call for Artists - Coming in January 2023 [ #link_9 ]
* Recommended Reads [ #link_7 ]
* Real Maine Dash of Maine Cooking Challenge [ #link_14 ]
* The Camp Cook - Hot Spiced Cider and Apple Waffles [ #link_11 ]
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Director's Note: The Outdoors is for Everyone

Participants in the Thrive Outside event at Bradbury Mt. State Park. Photo by Micheli Oliver.

Participants in the Thrive Outside meeting at Bradbury Mt. State Park. Photo by Micheli Oliver.

Interpretive Specialist Jocelyn Hubbell and I were thrilled to be part of a recent gathering at Bradbury Mountain State Park organized by the Nature Based Education Consortium [ [link removed] ] (NBEC) and The Third Place [ [link removed] ]. NBEC, in partnership with BPL, the Outdoor Foundation, The Third Place, Maine Initiatives, the Leonard C. and Mildred F. Ferguson Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy, issued 235 State Park passes to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) across Maine. BPL is committed to expanding outdoor access to all people in Maine ? particularly those faced with economic, historic, or cultural barriers. The Bradbury State Park gathering, known as an ECO-BIPOC Thrive Outside event, was attended by 18 community members dedicated to a shared vision - creating opportunities for BIPOC communities to connect with nature. The gathering marked an important step in what we hope will be a much longer conversation.

If you would like to learn more or become part of these initiatives, please e-mail Anthony Jackson at [email protected]. Thanks Anthony for organizing an outstanding day of new connections!

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

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Get Lifeguard Certified with Maine State Parks this Winter and Secure Your Job at a Beach This Summer!

Two orange lifeguard rescue buoys in the sand with the ocean waves rolling in behind them.

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 2023 season. Learn more by emailing [email protected] or calling 207-389-1335.

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Welcome Kristin Anderson

Photo montage of Kristin Anderson in the outdoors.

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands is pleased to announce the addition of another staff member to the planning team. Kristin Anderson returns to her native Maine after 15 years of working in Yosemite National Park. In her new role as a Recreation Specialist, she brings expertise and much-needed additional capacity to work on planning, policy, and management associated with the growth in types and volume of outdoor recreation activity on the Bureau?s Parks and Lands.

While in Yosemite, Kristin held several positions including Wilderness Ranger, Yosemite?s first female Climbing Ranger, Environmental Planner, and Director of the Art and Nature Center education programs. A graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a BA in social and behavioral sciences, she is currently working on a Master of Environmental Management at Western Colorado University, where she is a climate action fellow learning to look at the world through a lens of sustainability.

As an active rock climber and backcountry enthusiast with deep personal and professional experience, Kristin is a welcome addition to the BPL team. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and watercolor painting. She is excited to explore all of Maine?s Parks and Public Lands.

~ Rex Turner, Outdoor Recreation Planner

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Welcome Mathew Henion

Mat Henion, the Bureau's new Outdoor Recreation Grants Specialist, hiking in a red cliff canyon.

Maine?s Bureau of Parks and Lands is excited to welcome Mathew Henion to the team as our new Outdoor Recreation Grants Specialist within the Grants and Community Recreation Program. In this role Mat will manage active Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) projects, working with sponsors to shepherd outdoor recreation acquisition and development projects from concept to completion.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established to assist federal, state and local governments in the acquisition and/or development of public outdoor recreation facilities. Administered at the federal level by the National Park Service and at the state level by the Bureau of Parks and Lands in the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, LWCF grants can provide up to 50% of the allowable costs for approved acquisition or development projects for public outdoor recreation.

Mat has a B.S. from the University of Connecticut in Natural Resource Management and received a M.S. from the University of New Hampshire in Recreation Management and Policy. Prior to working for the State of Maine, Mat was the UConn Outdoor Programs Coordinator, a L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery School Manager, and a Development Director for a Connecticut-based outdoor adventure summer day camp. For the past three seasons he served as a Recreation Ranger for our Eastern Public Lands in the Downeast region. He is excited to use his passion for and broad experience in outdoor recreation to steward the legacy and future of the LWCF investments in Maine.

~ Douglas Beck, Outdoor Recreation Supervisor, Grants and Community Recreation Program

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Winter Camping - A Maine Tradition

Winter camper with equipment in a snowy forest clearing.

Off-season and winter camping areas are available, beginning on December 15 at select Maine State Parks, and on Public Lands. If you are new to winter camping, plan to camp at a Maine State Park first. These locations [ [link removed] ] provide the challenge of winter camping and offer a good range of front country and remote sites to test your skills. Even for the experienced it is good to start the season off with an easily accessible location as a test run before heading out to more challenging terrain. Highly experienced winter campers, or those who will be led by a Registered Maine Guide [ [link removed] ], are ready for the remote settings found on Maine's Public Lands [ [link removed] ].


* View the Winter Camping Video [ [link removed] ]?and see all the details on our Off-season and Winter Camping webpage.

~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist and Rex Turner, Outdoor Recreation Planner

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Ice Safety - Tips for Checking Ice Conditions

Tunk Lake on a cold winter day with ice skaters enjoying the ice. Photo by Jacob van de Sande.

Ice skaters on Tunk Lake. Photograph by Jacob van de Sande.

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 [ [link removed] ].

~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist

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Get Ready to Ride - Snowmobile Season is Almost Here!

Snowmobile rider taking a break in a beautiful location with a wooded hillside in the background.

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 [ [link removed] ]. 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.
* Register your snowmobile [ [link removed] ].?
* Planning to rent a snowmobile? Here is a list of certified rental agencies [ [link removed] ].

Next month we will feature Snowmobile Safety as part of International Snowmobile Safety Week, January 21-29.

~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist

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Holiday Gifts that Support Maine's Iconic Places

Maine State Park coffee blend, the Allagash Explorer booklet, and a MOHF lottery ticket.

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:


* Annual Park Pass?for purchase at the parks and online [ [link removed] ].?
* Maine State Park branded clothing [ [link removed] ].
* Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Lottery Ticket [ [link removed] ]
* Coffee at Wicked Joe online:
* Maine State Parks Blend [ [link removed] ]
* Allagash Wilderness Waterway Blend [ [link removed] ]

* Allagash Explorer - A Take-along Companion for Maine's Wilderness Waterway [ [link removed] ]
* Loon/Conservation License Plate information [ [link removed] ]?- order online from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles [ [link removed] ].
* Snowmobile Trail Fund Sticker [ [link removed] ] at IF&W online

Maine State Park t-shirts and hats for sale at the online store. [ [link removed] ]
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Wabanaki Winter Market

Basket image announcing the Wabanaki Winter Market on December 10 in Orono.

Featured basket by Debora Nicholas (Passamaquoddy)

Wabanaki Winter Market

*Collins Center for the Arts, Orono, ME*

*Saturday, December 10 from 9AM - 3PM*

Get map directions [ [link removed] ]

The Wabanaki Winter Market is the largest gathering of Wabanaki artists in New England, featuring members of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance who have received national awards and new artists representing the next generation of weavers. Wabanaki basketmakers and other Wabanaki artists will be present during the market selling and showcasing their work.

Join them for a day of demonstrations, storytelling, traditional music, drumming, and dancing. There's something for everyone!?

For more information, please call the Hudson Museum [ [link removed] ] at (207) 591-1904.

~ Courtesy posting of a Press Release?

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Ring in the New Year with a First Day Hike at a Maine State Park

First Day Hike participants at Lily Bay State Park walking on a snowy trail in the woods.

Participants enjoying a First Day Hike at Lily Bay State Park.

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First Day Hikes logo

Maine State Park First Day Hikes, part of the nationwide [ [link removed] ] 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 2023.

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 [ [link removed] ].

Program Listings:

* Holbrook Island Sanctuary [ [link removed] ], Brooksville
* Lily Bay State Park [ [link removed] ], Greenville
* Popham Beach State Park [ [link removed] ], Phippsburg
* Two Lights State Park [ [link removed] ], Cape Elizabeth
* Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park [ [link removed] ], Freeport

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The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Visiting Artist Program Call for Artists - Coming in January 2023

Sunrise on Umsaskis Lake on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Photo courtesy of Matt LaRoche. [ [link removed] ]

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 [ [link removed] ] (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 January 2023. 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 [ [link removed] ].?

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Recommended Reads

Book cover image of the AMC Guide to Winter Hiking & Camping.

There are plenty of excellent resources detailing how to safely and enjoyably camp in the winter. Two very useful books are the "AMC Guide to Winter Hiking & Camping" by Yemaya Maurer & Lucas St. Clair and "The Winter Camping Handbook" by Stephen Gorman. Both books not only appeal to those looking to get into or improve their winter camping but also to those who actively recreate in our winter outdoors. The books spend time teaching the reader about proper preparation and planning, clothing essentials, gear, food planning, traveling in winter landscapes, safety, emergency situations, and other important considerations. You?ll find useful checklists, tables, illustrations, and photos in each book. Even if you?re not planning to camp deep in the backcountry, these books are great resources for your winter adventures.


* AMC Guide to Winter Hiking & Camping: Everything You Need to Plan Your Next Cold-Weather Adventure. Yemaya Maurer & Lucas St. Clair. 2009. Appalachian Mountain Club Books, Boston, MA.
* The Winter Camping Handbook: Wilderness Travel & Adventure in the Cold-Weather Months. Revised edition. 2016. Stephen Gorman. The Countryman Press, New York, NY

~ Rex Turner, Outdoor Recreation Planner


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Book cover image of the picture book Over and Under the Snow.

*Over and Under the Snow?
*Written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Above the snow, the world is hushed and white, but underneath is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many others who live outside and must survive winter. (Picture book. Ages: 4-8)*
*

~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist

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Real Maine Dash of Maine Cooking Challenge

Real Maine Dash of Maine Cooking Challenge photo.

Deadline to enter is December 14, 2022!?

Share your Real Maine Holiday Recipe!

*Join us in celebrating holiday traditions that highlight Real Maine ingredients!*

Real Maine [ [link removed] ] is proud to support the Maine Public Dash of Maine Cooking Challenge 2022 Holiday Edition! [ [link removed] ]

Join us by sending?your favorite recipe and photo of your completed dish to enter the challenge!

Do you have more than one favorite holiday main dish, side, appetizer, dessert, or sharable snack and can't?decide which one of your favorite recipes to share- submit them all!

You may enter multiple times but be sure not to miss the *December 14 deadline!*

*How to enter:*


* Create your recipe that features Maine's best ingredients.
* Take a photo(s) of your completed dish.
* Include a brief description of what makes your recipe and its Real Maine ingredients one of your favorite holiday dishes.
* Send both to [email protected] and [email protected].
* Contest participants that cc:?Real Maine <[email protected]> with their contest submission will be entered to win additional Real Maine prizes.

Final Dash of Maine Cooking Contest winners will be selected by a celebrity panel including Maine chef Stephen Corry ("Petite Jacqueline"?and?"555 North") and chef David Turin ("David's"?and?"David's 388") based on these criteria ? *originality, connection to the holidays, and use of Maine ingredients.* Two winners will each receive a $250 gift certificate to Now You're Cooking in Bath and Real Maine prizes, including a Real Maine baking-length apron.?

The two final winners will have the chance to visit one of the celebrity chef's professional kitchens and cook their winning dish with the renowned regional chef while wearing a Real Maine apron! These mini-cooking sessions will be videotaped and shared online and over social media in January. As a further extension, Maine Public will package all the submitted recipes together in online recipe cards that will highlight Real Maine [ [link removed] ] members!

~ Reprint of DACF Agriculture Resource Development bulletin

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The Camp Cook - Hot Spiced Cider and Apple Waffles

Hot spiced cider on a glass garnished with a slice of apple and slice of orange. Photo by Jocelyn Hubbell.
Hot Spiced Cider

*Ingredients*
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup water
1 quart cider?
1/4 tsp. Cardamom
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. or less of Cinnamon
Apple (I use McIntosh)
Orange or tangerine

This recipe is my own and you'll see that I do not add any sugar. Try it and adapt as you go by tasting often as you make it. Have fun! Tip: Keep the apple slice from browning by dipping it in lemon juice before you place it on the glass as a garnish.?

*Directions:* Place 1 cup of fresh cranberries in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Place over high heat and cover to bring to a boil. When you see steam escaping from the lid uncover, take off heat and stir. The cranberries should still be whole or just slightly burst. Add 1 quart cider. (Use cider not apple juice). Return it to a medium-low heat. Add the spices sparingly and taste as you go. Not letting the cinnamon overpower the cardamom and nutmeg is my preference. Ladle into mugs or glasses and garnish with a slice of orange and apple. I like to be sure a few cranberries get into each glass, but this depends who you are serving and their preference.

Tips: Once made, it is easy to keep the spiced cider warm on the low side of the fire, on the stove, or in a crockpot. You can also make it ahead then jar and keep in the refrigerator for a week or so. Be sure to taste and adjust the spices or add more cider as needed after you heat it as the flavor will intensify over time. Keep two cups of steamed cranberries on hand for the cranberry lovers! Try cooking some just al dente so they can be skewered and used as a garnish.

~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist


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Sweet potato waffles garnished with cranberries and maple syrup. Photo by Jocelyn Hubbell.
Sweet Potato Waffles

*Ingredients*

3 eggs - divided into whites and yolks
1 large sweet potato, peeled & cubed
1 large apple, cored & cubed (peel if preferred, I don't)
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. Canola oil
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup walnut pieces for garnish
Maple syrup or thicken the Hot Spiced Cider recipe by adding more cranberries and letting it boil down to thicken.

Here is another of my original recipes for you to enjoy and adjust to make your own! This recipe serves 2-4 people.

Tips: "Temperature" - A key to making waffles is to heat your waffle iron to the correct temperature. Start with a medium griddle and adjust from there. Thick waffles need to cook longer than thin waffles so they usually do better on a slightly lower heat. "Cooking time" - Watch and smell to know when to open the waffle iron. When you first close the waffle iron you'll see steam escaping. When there is hardly any steam escaping and you smell a good crispy but not burnt scent you'll know they are done. They will also lift easily out of the iron when done.

*Directions:*?Heat the waffle iron. Do not add oil or butter to the iron.

Add 1/2 c. water to a saucepan, cover, and place on high heat to bring to a boil. Peel and cube the sweet potato, add to the boiling water* then turn down the heat to medium-low. Add the cubed and cored apple once the sweet potato is almost soft. Once the apple is soft remove mixture from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl to cool.

Divide the three eggs into whites and yolks. Set yolks aside. Whip the whites until glossy and stiff. Set aside.

Over a small mixing bowl sift the cornmeal, flour, and baking powder. Add to the cooled mashed mixture and stir well. Add the tablespoon of canola oil and stir well. Add the egg yolks and stir well. Gently fold in the egg whites gently distributing the whites throughout the mixture but leaving them in clumps. Clumps throughout the mixture assures a good rise.?

Spoon mixture into the center of your heated waffle iron. Close the iron and watch for the steam to stop emerging. Once ready plate, garnish, and add maple syrup.

*If you have leftover mashed sweet potatoes use them instead by adding to the cooked and mashed the apple.?

Variations: "Batter thickness" - This is a thick hearty batter. If you prefer a lighter batter reduce or eliminate the cornmeal and replace it with flour, add more liquid (water, cider) - a tablespoon at a time and before you add the egg whites! "Garnishes" - In the photo above I used the some of the cranberries from the hot spiced cider recipe as well as walnuts. Try a dollop of roasted** mashed sweet potatoes with cooked diced apples and walnuts, and keep experimenting! **Slow roasted vegetables always taste the most flavorful.

~ Jocelyn Hubbell, Interpretive Specialist

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www.ParksAndLands.com [ [link removed] ]

Send article suggestions or newsletter comments to?Jocelyn Hubbell <[email protected]>, Interpretive Specialist, webmaster, and newsletter editor for the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.




Maine State Government is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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