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

Top of page

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

Top of page

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 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, are ready for the remote settings found on Maine's Public Lands.

• View the Winter Camping Video?and see all the details on our Off-season and Winter Camping webpage.

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

Top of page

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 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.

Program Listings:

• Holbrook Island Sanctuary, Brooksville
• Lily Bay State Park, Greenville
• Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg
• Two Lights State Park, Cape Elizabeth
• Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, Freeport

Top of page

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

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

Top of page

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

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

Top of page