PRESS RELEASE
CONTACTS:
BRIAN HINRICHS,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FRIENDS OF KATAHDIN WOODS & WATERS
brian@friendsofkww.org
LUCAS ST. CLAIR,
PRESIDENT
ELLIOTSVILLE FOUNDATION, INC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 23, 2023
Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters Announces $35M Capital Campaign
KATAHDIN WOODS AND WATERS NATIONAL MONUMENT – Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is publicly launching A Monumental Welcome, a $35 million fundraising campaign for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The campaign has three goals: providing funding for a visitor contact station, priority park projects, and Wabanaki-directed projects. $22.8 million has been raised to date.
The campaign will fund Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Funds for this goal also support a new 3.6 mile access road to the site, an eastern lookout, a network of accessible paths and access routes, and state of the art off-grid sustainability features.
Tekαkαpimək translates from the Penobscot language to “as far as one can see” and is pronounced de gah-gah bee mook. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is located within the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation. The land and waters hold special significance to the Penobscot Nation and are inextricably linked with Penobscot culture, ceremonies, oral traditions, language, history, and indigenous stewardship which continues the respectful relationship with the land and waterways that has gone back more than 11,000 years. Katahdin is a culturally significant place to the Wabanaki people where connecting watersheds provide important travel routes for Wabanaki people, comprised of Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations.
Time-limited “Reserved Rights” were written into certain deeds of land allowing for Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. (“EFI”) to construct a visitor contact station on Lookout Mountain. EFI is partnering with a Wabanaki Advisory Board with representatives of the independent Native Nations that constitute the Wabanaki Confederacy – Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk and Sipayik, and Penobscot Nation. Together, the partners are building a visitor contact station in consultation with the National Park Service that reflects the peoples, natural resources, and future of the Katahdin region.
“Our family is honored to support the next step for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, constructing the Tekαkαpimək Contact Station as a gift to the National Park Service and visitors for generations to come,” said Lucas St. Clair, President of Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. “Through artistry and exhibits created by Wabanaki artists and knowledge keepers, visitors to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will receive a profound welcome.”
The campaign will also fund $2.7 million in priority park projects for the National Park Service. Projects already funded include a renovation of the Mile 6.4 Loop Road Overlook, a sign plan, night sky programming, road maintenance, and more.
“I appreciate the efforts by the Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters and Elliotsville Foundation Inc., in beginning this capital campaign. Funding through the campaign will facilitate priority park projects at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, affecting cultural and natural resources, planning efforts, maintenance of facilities, and ongoing work involving roads and trails,” said Mark Wimmer, Superintendent of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. “We look forward to working together to implement these projects to support the development of the monument.”
The campaign’s final goal establishes a $1 million fund for Wabanaki projects as defined by the Wabanaki Advisory Board. The early vision for this fund is to create career pathways for Wabanaki youth. Final funding decisions will be made by the Wabanaki Advisory Board.
The Wabanaki Advisory Board collectively spoke to the projects and campaign: “We as a Wabanaki Advisory Board have been mutually committed to fostering a collaborative partnership with EFI that is needed to create the Tekαkαpimək Contact Station while developing a long-term relationship that will carry into the future.”
With the launch of the campaign, Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is inviting all those who love Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and communities connected to it to support the campaign. The campaign thus far has been made possible by over 200 donors led by leadership gifts from Roxanne Quimby Foundation, Elliotsville Foundation, Inc., Burt’s Bees, L.L. Bean, the National Park Foundation, and NorthLight Foundation. The Quimby Family Philanthropies, Roxanne Quimby Foundation and Elliotsville Foundation, Inc., have challenged donors to take part in this historic campaign with a $10 million commitment.
“Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is proud to play our part in this campaign in partnership with the National Park Service, Wabanaki Advisory Board, and Elliotsville Foundation, with the support of our growing philanthropic community,” said Brian Hinrichs, Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters. “This campaign provides immediate economic impact, with over 90% of construction expenditures here in Maine, and we look forward to welcoming new visitors who will support the ongoing revitalization of local communities.”
To contribute to the campaign, interested donors can visit the campaign webpage or contact Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters staff for more information.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was created by Presidential Proclamation on August 24, 2016. The 87,500 acres of land was donated to the United States by Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby through Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. to mark the centennial of the National Park Service. In 2020, the Monument was recognized for its brilliant dark skies and is the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary on the U.S. eastern seaboard.
The contact station is being built in cooperation with the National Park Service, Wabanaki Advisory Board, Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters, Elliotsville Foundation, National Park Foundation, and other stakeholders. Contractors include Wiphunakson LLC, Saunders Architecture, Alisberg Parker Architects, Atelier One, Haley Ward, Inc, Reed Hilderbrand, Transsolar Inc, Allied Engineering, Inc., Tuhura Communications, Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot), WeShouldDoItAll (WSDIA), Split Rock Studios, DCL, Emery Lee & Sons Inc., OBP Trailworks, LLC, Wright-Ryan Construction, Erin Hutton Projects, and Stern Consulting International.
The Tekαkαpimək Contact Station site is an active construction zone and is closed to visitors at this time. The public will be welcomed in summer 2024.
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What’s New
Posted: June 28, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Trip Report: Seboeis River Paddle
Outside good cell service, away from wall clocks and computers, there are many ways to experience time in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Alternative time-telling questions in this neck of the woods include: Have the fiddleheads come up? Which wildflowers are growing? How are the blackflies? And one of my favorites, what’s the water level on the Seboeis?
Education Coordinator Elise Goplerud, her partner Joe (an arborist and darn-good tree identifier), and I paddled the Seboeis River at around 350 cubic feet per second (“cfs”). By the Gregorian calendar, it was June 11, 2023.
350 is a good number to set your clock for (so to speak). It’s a sweet-spot for a Seboeis river trip. You can check the river levels here on the USGS website.
While we took this trip mostly for fun, we couldn’t help but think of what that 350 number means for Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters’ in-development Three Rivers Paddling Guide. The guide recommends paddling at flows no less than 100 and no greater than 600 – though those lower flows can mean dragging your boat and the higher flows can intensify the challenge of the early rapids.
At 350 cfs, you can make a day trip of the Seboeis River from Grand Lake Rd to Lunksoos Camps, paddling around 20 miles in anywhere from four to seven hours. Make sure to leave ample time for shuttling cars and canoes. We opted to leave a car at Lunksoos Camps and bring our cars and canoes northward. In the parking lot, we met some anglers eager to drop a line for brook trout in the Seboeis’ cool pools. There are many shuttling formulations and if you want an assist, there are local lodges that will help with the back and forth.
That day, we put in around 10:30, snaking past some poison ivy (abundant on road- and river-sides) as we carried boats to the water. Putting in at Grand Lake Rd is something I’d recommend for intermediate paddlers experienced with class II rapids. Here’s why.
The water tugs you downriver from the moment you set off from the shore and it isn’t long before you’ve glided through a long stretch of rocks and rapids. The water quickens as you go, and soon you’ll need to make a swift pull-off before the crash and tumble of Grand Pitch. A large rock on river-left, and the rolling boom of water audible from the gorge below, signals it’s time for a portage. Watch out for the signage, but don’t count on it – black bears like to tear these things down. Our trio felt that given the remoteness of the trip, the repetition of rapids, and the danger of the upcoming Grand Pitch, that this first stretch qualifies as class II whitewater.
The portage is a beautiful spot to unwind from the first stretch of rapids and heavy-boat-carrying. You’re sitting at a confluence of the Davis Brook and Seboeis River, beneath the Grand Pitch and with a stunning view of Sugarloaf Mountain (not the famous ski resort – though the significant site of a fossil discovery that helped prove plate tectonics).
After the portage, there are some riffles of near-rapids, though, generally you’re settling into a flow that in all my time paddling feels so unique to the Seboeis River. It’s always pulling you gently downriver, saying something I hear like “here friend, I have something to show you.”
I have something to show you. One thing the river had to show this time around was the new Snowshoe Lodge, built along the Seboeis Riverside Trail to invite winter travelers to stay among a cheery woodstove and cots on a first-come, first-serve basis. Joe and Elise parked on the riverside to check it out. I pinned against some grasses until the river tugged me downriver for more fun.
I have something to show you. Tiny, tiny brooks – easier to hear than see, covered in summer brush and streaming forth from the gorge walls. Moose – crashing and clumsy through the riverside woods. Deer – bounding with their white-tails bouncing above the ferns. A bald eagle – tracking our way downriver, taking to the air and perching always a long look ahead.
I have something to show you. Not everything the river has to show was obvious to my eyes and ears, and I was grateful to have Joe and Elise as observant paddling companions. We marveled together at the trees in this river corridor – cherry, American elm, the biggest tamarack I’ve ever seen, and towering, thick pines. You’re left to wonder how they survived their many years. Does this special river feed special trees?
For paddlers wary of rapids – though eager to enjoy the Seboeis River – the Philpott Snowmobile Bridge provides an excellent put-in. Whether as a starting point or a passing landmark, I love this intersection of river and bridge. It’s a great snapshot of the Katahdin Region, a place where snowmobilers and paddlers both pass in bliss.
An important side note here: parking is a bit challenging nearby the put-in. The park service is working on it, and in the meantime, be prepared with a high-clearance four wheel drive vehicle.
It feels like the river slows down as you near the end of the Seboeis River and the confluence with the East Branch of the Penobscot. I wondered if the East Branch was full enough that it was back-filling and slowing down the Sebeois. My arms may just have been tired.
I didn’t mind slowing down because as you reach the confluence you enter the Silver Maple Floodplain. Bending, thriving, sprawling, twisting, and breaking silver maples surround you in all directions, draped over lush floodplains of ferns. Two or more trees often lean towards one another from opposing riverbanks, creating a series of arches that invite you through a gateway. Through this gateway, you’re welcomed to the widening flow of the East Branch of the Penobscot River.
As we entered the expanse of the lower East Branch, with wider vistas in sight, we could see haze on the horizon. Another indicator of time – on a larger scale than a season or year – that told us fires burned en masse to the north. I took one last picture at Lunksoos Camps, a red sun shining through the haze. While we stepped off from the East Branch, I could still feel the gentle pull of the Seboeis River.
The clock on the Seboeis said something like 300 cfs, and still I could hear Here friend, I have something to show you.
– Report submitted by Projects Director Sam Deeran. Photos contributed by Sam & Elise Goplerud.
Note: the in-development Three Rivers Paddling Guide is available for paddlers to navigate the East Branch, Seboeis, and Wassataquoik. Please reach out to Elise Goplerud at elise@friendsofkww.org for a copy. We ask paddlers trying out the map to help us ground-truth the information and send feedback after their trip. We’re also happy to provide practical advice on shaping your paddling trip.
Posted: June 22, 2023 by Sarah Andre
My Park Story – Kevin Slater on the East Branch
In 50 years of paddling the East Branch of the Penobscot, he’s learned that every paddling trip is a new experience–and he is an important witness to changes that slowly span the decades. In a recent conversation with Kevin Slater, co-owner of Mahoosuc Guide Services, he talked about the crucial data to watch when planning a river trip, the importance of water safety, and the historically low water levels in northern Maine rivers this spring.
Long before the designation of the national monument, Kevin first paddled the East Branch in 1973–and the following year, began guiding others on the river as a Registered Maine Guide. (Learn more about Kevin, his partner Polly, and Mahoosuc Guide Services here.)
“It’s all beautiful,” he chuckled preemptively before I could ask him to name a favorite spot. His love for the river is expressed in his intimate knowledge and respect for it.
“The most demanding and technical section is from Matagamon to Bowlin Camps, where in one roughly two-mile stretch there are nearly half-dozen Class 2 rapids and four carries.” Ever the teacher, Kevin explains, “it’s just like it sounds. Take your boat out of the water and carry it around.” He emphasized the difference between falls and pitches: “Be aware that an experienced paddler can run the fall. But the pitches are carries.” Kevin punctuated this warning: “A number of the pitches occur right before a blind turn in the river.”
Kevin recommends the upper section of the East Branch for paddlers experienced with rapids and carries–and for those who are not, to “employ the services of a guide.”
Guides like Kevin monitor the CFS, or cubic feet per second, of water entering the East Branch through the Matagamon Dam*. Higher CFS means deeper, faster water and more exciting (and potentially dangerous) paddling. While outdoor recreationists are well aware of the unpredictability of conditions, when we spoke in mid-May Kevin’s voice was slow with gravity.
“Every year is different. 2023 is historically low.” While southern Maine rivers ran high this spring, water levels in northern Maine rivers from the St. John to the Penobscot were “the lowest I’ve ever seen,” he reported. Low snow, earlier spring thaws, and dry summers in the region are factors that Kevin attributes this change to. A guiding trip planned for the St. John the week prior was changed to the Allagash instead, where enough water flowed to carry a canoe along.
Among the things that have NOT changed much, apparently, is Kevin’s desire to be on the water. This summer, he’ll be on the East Branch for three trips taking fisheries biologists on a NOAA grant-funded study of Atlantic Salmon habitat. It’s tricky to catch him on the phone or by email, and he has a habit of leaving you with a taste of something really intriguing. In my inbox is a teaser “if you’re interested” about a federal salmon hatchery in the 1930s and the history of the old East Branch guides. Definitely interested–and look forward to catching up with a bona-fide part of the history of the East Branch and KW&W in the off-season. Thanks, Kevin!
*Data available from the Matagamon Lake Asscociation, to whom Kevin encourages East Branch paddlers provide membership support. His sweet spot for “really good paddling where you’re not a pinball” is 550-900 CFS at the dam.
Posted: June 5, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Friends in Bloom – May eNewsletter
Greetings from the executive director, a monumental campaign, gates open, and more…
My name is Brian Hinrichs and I’m writing to you as the new executive director for Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. I want to start by thanking the incredible staff and board of Friends for the warm welcome over the last few weeks, and express my sincere excitement for what’s to come–including meeting many of you! Now in my third week, it is clear I have joined the organization at a time of significant growth and opportunity, as our big announcement earlier this week makes clear (read more below!). With gates opening, trees budding, and Friends planning their spring and summer adventures, there is much to look forward to.
See you on the trails,
Brian Hinrichs, Executive Director
Capital Campaign Announcement – Friends, together with Elliotsville Foundation, Inc., the NPS, and a Wabanaki Advisory Board, gathered in Bangor with lead donors, partners, and members on Tuesday. In case you haven’t seen the news, we announced the launch of A Monumental Welcome, a $35 million fundraising campaign for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The campaign has three goals: providing funding for a contact station, priority park projects, and Wabanaki-directed projects. Read the official press release here on our blog. We invite you to be a part of giving every visitor A Monumental Welcome; to learn more, please contact Development Director Meghan Cooper at meghan@friendsofkww.org.
Visiting in Spring –
Spring at Katahdin Woods and Waters is a special time. Black flies have arrived along with the trillium, trout lilies, and fiddleheads. All are reasons to celebrate the resilience of the Maine woods! Did you know: black flies require clean, moving water to breed? The East Branch watershed provides ample and ideal habitat for the larvae, which are important food for fish, turtles, and tadpoles. When the flies mature, our native birds and bats depend on them as a food source.
Fortunately, on the water is one of the best places humans can find some reprieve from the maddening swarms. In spring, the rivers run high and swift, providing excitement perfect for experienced paddlers at the northern end of the river. Kevin Slater of Mahoosuc Guide Services has been running the East Branch since 1973, and cautions that only experienced paddlers comfortable with rapids and carries should attempt the stretch from Matagamon to Bowlin–or employ the services of a guide. Friends’ Projects Director Sam recommends the trip from Lunksoos up to the Seboeis River confluence and back anytime from now through foliage season for an accessible day trip with no rapids! For more inspiration, contact elise@friendsofkww.org for suggestions and a digital “in-progress” version of our Three Rivers Paddling Guide.
Learning and Growing – Friends’ Katahdin Learning Project is abuzz this season, providing empowering, place-based experiences in the national monument and our communities.
Friends’ annual Teacher Camp will be held this year on June 20th at the Stewart Learning Center in Lincoln. This year’s camp will offer educators a deep dive on integrating Wabanaki studies into school curricula, the purpose and history behind LD 291, and participation in a Wabanaki REACH training session to deepen their understanding of Wabanaki history and present issues. Teacher Camp is open to all Maine public school educators. Registration is required and scholarships are available.
Park News
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
This month we thank our Katahdin level sponsor, Richardson’s Hardware. A longtime and generous Friend, Richardson’s is not only the place for hammers and potting soil, but bug nets and kayaks, too.
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a sponsor, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on May 26, 2023. Sign up for our email list at friendsofkww.org/signup.
Posted: May 22, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters Announces $35M Capital Campaign
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACTS:
BRIAN HINRICHS,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FRIENDS OF KATAHDIN WOODS & WATERS
brian@friendsofkww.org
LUCAS ST. CLAIR,
PRESIDENT
ELLIOTSVILLE FOUNDATION, INC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 23, 2023
Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters Announces $35M Capital Campaign
KATAHDIN WOODS AND WATERS NATIONAL MONUMENT – Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is publicly launching A Monumental Welcome, a $35 million fundraising campaign for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The campaign has three goals: providing funding for a visitor contact station, priority park projects, and Wabanaki-directed projects. $22.8 million has been raised to date.
The campaign will fund Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Funds for this goal also support a new 3.6 mile access road to the site, an eastern lookout, a network of accessible paths and access routes, and state of the art off-grid sustainability features.
Tekαkαpimək translates from the Penobscot language to “as far as one can see” and is pronounced de gah-gah bee mook. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is located within the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation. The land and waters hold special significance to the Penobscot Nation and are inextricably linked with Penobscot culture, ceremonies, oral traditions, language, history, and indigenous stewardship which continues the respectful relationship with the land and waterways that has gone back more than 11,000 years. Katahdin is a culturally significant place to the Wabanaki people where connecting watersheds provide important travel routes for Wabanaki people, comprised of Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations.
Time-limited “Reserved Rights” were written into certain deeds of land allowing for Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. (“EFI”) to construct a visitor contact station on Lookout Mountain. EFI is partnering with a Wabanaki Advisory Board with representatives of the independent Native Nations that constitute the Wabanaki Confederacy – Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk and Sipayik, and Penobscot Nation. Together, the partners are building a visitor contact station in consultation with the National Park Service that reflects the peoples, natural resources, and future of the Katahdin region.
“Our family is honored to support the next step for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, constructing the Tekαkαpimək Contact Station as a gift to the National Park Service and visitors for generations to come,” said Lucas St. Clair, President of Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. “Through artistry and exhibits created by Wabanaki artists and knowledge keepers, visitors to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will receive a profound welcome.”
The campaign will also fund $2.7 million in priority park projects for the National Park Service. Projects already funded include a renovation of the Mile 6.4 Loop Road Overlook, a sign plan, night sky programming, road maintenance, and more.
“I appreciate the efforts by the Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters and Elliotsville Foundation Inc., in beginning this capital campaign. Funding through the campaign will facilitate priority park projects at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, affecting cultural and natural resources, planning efforts, maintenance of facilities, and ongoing work involving roads and trails,” said Mark Wimmer, Superintendent of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. “We look forward to working together to implement these projects to support the development of the monument.”
The campaign’s final goal establishes a $1 million fund for Wabanaki projects as defined by the Wabanaki Advisory Board. The early vision for this fund is to create career pathways for Wabanaki youth. Final funding decisions will be made by the Wabanaki Advisory Board.
The Wabanaki Advisory Board collectively spoke to the projects and campaign: “We as a Wabanaki Advisory Board have been mutually committed to fostering a collaborative partnership with EFI that is needed to create the Tekαkαpimək Contact Station while developing a long-term relationship that will carry into the future.”
With the launch of the campaign, Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is inviting all those who love Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and communities connected to it to support the campaign. The campaign thus far has been made possible by over 200 donors led by leadership gifts from Roxanne Quimby Foundation, Elliotsville Foundation, Inc., Burt’s Bees, L.L. Bean, the National Park Foundation, and NorthLight Foundation. The Quimby Family Philanthropies, Roxanne Quimby Foundation and Elliotsville Foundation, Inc., have challenged donors to take part in this historic campaign with a $10 million commitment.
“Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is proud to play our part in this campaign in partnership with the National Park Service, Wabanaki Advisory Board, and Elliotsville Foundation, with the support of our growing philanthropic community,” said Brian Hinrichs, Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters. “This campaign provides immediate economic impact, with over 90% of construction expenditures here in Maine, and we look forward to welcoming new visitors who will support the ongoing revitalization of local communities.”
To contribute to the campaign, interested donors can visit the campaign webpage or contact Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters staff for more information.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was created by Presidential Proclamation on August 24, 2016. The 87,500 acres of land was donated to the United States by Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby through Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. to mark the centennial of the National Park Service. In 2020, the Monument was recognized for its brilliant dark skies and is the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary on the U.S. eastern seaboard.
The contact station is being built in cooperation with the National Park Service, Wabanaki Advisory Board, Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters, Elliotsville Foundation, National Park Foundation, and other stakeholders. Contractors include Wiphunakson LLC, Saunders Architecture, Alisberg Parker Architects, Atelier One, Haley Ward, Inc, Reed Hilderbrand, Transsolar Inc, Allied Engineering, Inc., Tuhura Communications, Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot), WeShouldDoItAll (WSDIA), Split Rock Studios, DCL, Emery Lee & Sons Inc., OBP Trailworks, LLC, Wright-Ryan Construction, Erin Hutton Projects, and Stern Consulting International.
The Tekαkαpimək Contact Station site is an active construction zone and is closed to visitors at this time. The public will be welcomed in summer 2024.
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Posted: May 2, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Celebrate Earth Month – April eNewsletter
Spring arrives, Friends’ Annual Meeting, caring for the earth, and more…
Earlier this month, the development team sent our spring appeal letter to households around the state and country. We hinted at the good news that you probably have heard by now…Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is very excited to introduce our next executive director, Brian Hinrichs! Read more about Brian here, and we think you’ll be excited too. Brian will join the team in May–please help us offer a warm welcome by joining Friends or renewing your support today!
MY Park Story!
This month’s #myparkstory is timed to coincide with the opening of summer camping reservations at recreation.gov. I took my first camping trip to Katahdin Woods and Waters last year–because I could secure a spot in advance and knew it would be there for me when I arrived. Anyone who camps with kids knows what I’m talking about…you can’t roll the dice on a 3-hour plus car ride. I shared my trip highlights here on our blog–check it out! Especially for folks on a budget or who aren’t sure if camping in northern Maine is really their cup of tea, I show how my family spent three wonderfully unplugged days last August in the north end of the monument. I hope that you will email me if you have any questions about planning #yourparkstory for summer 2023.
Annual Meeting Friends kicked off our annual events calendar this week with our Annual Meeting. We hope you were able to join us on Zoom to gather with the staff and board of Friends and Superintendent Mark Wimmer of the NPS at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Attendees got the highlights from 2022 and exciting updates on projects happening now and throughout 2023. The meeting was recorded and captioned–please reach out to Meghan or follow our social media channels to get the link (available soon).
Save These Dates We’ll be sharing more details in the months to come, but mark your calendars now for these in-person events!
Park News
Ripple Effect – Making every day Earth Day
Sponsor Spotlight
Thank you to our Barnard level sponsor NEMO Equipment! We are grateful for NEMO’s commitment to Friends, and their sustainability initiatives, including a 100% recycled content tent fabric with no PFAS chemicals!
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a sponsor, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on April 26, 2023. To sign up for our email list, please email info@friendsofkww.org—
Posted: April 20, 2023 by Sarah Andre
My Park Story – Car Camping at the Upper East Branch
Inspired by the National Park Service–we are excited to bring you more stories this year–Your Park Stories! Throughout 2023, we are sharing stories of meaningful place-based experiences in Katahdin Woods and Waters from the NPS, visitors, the Katahdin region, and Friends. Read on as I share my first monument camping trip as a gentle nudge to get out there yourself! Still have questions? Send me an email.
In mid-April, reservations for campsites at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument opened for the summer at recreation.gov. Just a couple years ago, all sites at KAWW were available “first-come-first-serve,” but having the assurance of a reservation is key to planning a trip with my husband and kids. We live in southern Maine, a solid 3.5 hour drive to the monument. I appreciate the spontaneity of the young and childless (been there) and retired empty-nesters (looking forward to it) but for now, I live a life regulated by calendars: school, sports, camp and work, digital and on paper. The ability to secure a campsite months in advance, put it in the calendars, and arrange 4 people’s individual lives around a 3-day trip is a necessity!
If you are interested in a multi-day backpacking, paddling, or cycling trip, you can do that in the monument. But this park story is about packing simply, not thinking too hard, and relaxing with family. I want folks to know that you don’t need to buy fancy gear or be an endurance athlete to find joy and connection in this remote and exceptionally beautiful place.
Easy, breezy. I booked the Upper East Branch campsite last May for a three-day trip in August. I spent about 10 minutes and precisely $8 dollars (this is the reservation fee, no matter how long your trip or which site you choose). This site is in the north end of the monument–learn more at the official KAWW site. Tip: install the NPS App before your trip and download KAWW maps for offline use while you still have a connection.
Drive right up. Despite what the sign here says, this is pure car camping. The “walk-in” refers to the fact that you must carry your gear approximately 100 feet. The kids were able to immediately run around and stretch their legs while we leisurely unpacked. Be aware that most campsites at KAWW require a much more substantial hike or paddle to access. A great option for car camping at the southern entrance: the seven tent sites at Lunksoos–including one ADA site.
Sorry, Yogi. Food goes straight from the vehicle into the giant steel storage locker. The bear box is a game-changer for keeping provisions organized–and keeps wildlife wild. Note that I recommend a big water jug, as seen here. There are NO sites at KAWW with potable water. Rather than fussing with filtering water, we always bring a big supply of drinking water.
Space to spare. Here you see the distance between our two children’s tents–granting a modicum of privacy rivaling that of our 1500 square foot home. This is especially important if your children are actually teens.
Pressure drop. The East Branch of the Penobscot River runs along the eastern border of the monument’s primary parcel. Hike or bike further down the Old River Road to see the rapids of Haskell Pitch, or don’t leave the campsite and enjoy the constant burbling of the quick-moving shallow water over stones. It is clear, cold, and the perfect spot to park a camp chair (yes, IN the water) on a hot day. Warm up steps away in the sunny space above the bank.
Clean, clean, clean. The national monument may lack many of the amenities of our large national parks, but the reduced traffic also means the new facilities are sparkling. This beauty was a hundred yards or so away from our campsite and accessed only by us during our stay.
Let it go. Relaxing, unplugging, and shedding the stresses of everyday life: while not ONLY possible here at this site or Katahdin Woods and Waters, the quiet and distance from other people really accelerates the process. The Upper East Branch site is buffered by literal miles from the road and the next site down the river. Here you can see me letting go of folding clothes and “making the bed.” Ahhh.
Eat well, defined by the moment. This trip, we didn’t bother with a campfire, although I am a fan of cooking hot dogs on a stick. If you DO wish to have a fire, you will need to request a fire permit in advance and purchase firewood locally. Since everything tastes better when you’re 1) outside 2) hungry from early morning dirt-road runs, I opted for the ease of just-add-hot-water at breakfast. My son turned 16 on this trip, so we drove out the 17 miles back to Mt. Chase Lodge one evening for a special meal on the lawn at Upper Shin Pond. On our last night, we grabbed a couple of whoopie pies at Matagamon Wilderness to share. (Along with a mood ring, since lost.)
Enjoy the view. Exceptional scenery can be found with modest effort along the river inside the monument and out. We climbed Horse Mountain in Baxter State Park (where the birthday boy enjoyed a few minutes of cell service), strolled to the Oxbow picnic area in the monument, and walked along the world-class Seboeis Riverside Trail to the picturesque gorge at Seboeis River Grand Pitch.
Found time. Seven hours of driving logged on a learner’s permit, a collective six books read, and 36 hours with almost no digital connection…We’ll be back again to experience that pace. And I like to think a trip like this can help us stay a bit more in the moment even at home the rest of the year.
Don’t forget to be in touch with your questions, and share Your Park Story with the #myparkstory and #katahdinwoodsandwaters. See you on the trail! -Sarah
Sarah Andre is the Development Coordinator at Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. She lives in Westbrook, Maine and enjoys visiting KAWW for leisure and work in all four seasons.
Posted: April 4, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Brian Hinrichs Selected as Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters
Brian Hinrichs Selected as Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters
Today, the Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Brian Hinrichs to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director.
Brian brings 15 years of non-profit management experience, most recently as the Executive Director of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra where he oversaw growth in the annual budget and reserves, operations and endowment fundraising, and community programming.
“Brian has impressed staff and board with his skillset and success as an Executive Director. Recognizing his management experience, passion for our mission, and care for relationships, we are thrilled to welcome him as the next leader of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters,” said Molly Ross, Chair of the Board of Directors.
On a family-favorite trail in Bangor City Forest. Credit: Alexandra Hinrichs
Brian joins Friends at a key moment in its growth. The organization has a membership of nearly 1,000 people, a collaborative network that includes dozens of organizations, a 13-person board of directors, and a seven-person full-time staff with seasonal support.
“It is an honor to be stepping into this role with Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters at such an exciting time, and I thank the board and staff for their trust. The mission of Friends is one that resonates deeply and personally for me,” said Hinrichs.
In 2023, the organization has three priorities: completing an inaugural capital campaign, operating the youth program Katahdin Learning Project, and supporting National Park Service priorities including improved access to the national monument.
“I look forward to working alongside the National Park Service, with Wabanaki partners, and in the Katahdin Region to help ensure the monument and surrounding communities thrive for the benefit of present and future generations,” Brian continued.
Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters is an official philanthropic partner of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, part of the National Park System. The organization also partners with the National Park Service through an education agreement.
“I look forward to working with Brian and building upon the foundation that Sam Deeran and the Friends staff have established over the years,” said Mark Wimmer, Superintendent of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
While keeping his home in Bangor, Brian will frequent the Katahdin Region and work out of the Friends’ office in Patten. He will also travel across the state and elsewhere on behalf of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters. Brian will start his job with Friends in mid-May, taking the baton from Acting Executive Director Sam Deeran. At that time, Sam will transition to the role of Projects Director for Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters.
Snowshoeing from the north entrance of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Credit: Brian Hinrichs
A Fulbright scholar, Brian received his B.A. in Music and English from Colgate University and his M.B.A. from the Wisconsin School of Business, UW-Madison. He has been the Executive Director of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra since 2013, where his work within its ranks, among its supporters, and in the Bangor community earned him the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce’s Arts and Culture Award in 2022. While living and working in Bangor, Brian organized outdoor adventures throughout Maine for family and friends. His interest in Maine’s natural and cultural richness inspired him to learn more about the mission of Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters.
Posted: March 30, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Just around the corner – March eNewsletter
Spring snow, inspiring women, vacation camp, a new ranger, and more…
March is upon us with all its charms–longer days and strong afternoon sun lures even the coziest cabin-dwellers out for fun in the soft, sticky snow. Soon snow will yield to mud, and the next season of trail stewardship and maintenance will begin. Migratory birds are navigating home, and our spring membership appeal letter will be taking flight soon as well. As you hang up your snowshoes and tuck the woolens into storage, be sure to look for a letter from Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters arriving in your mailbox.
YourOUR Park StoryFor this month’s #myparkstory, the female staff at Friends are joining the National Park Service in recognizing Women’s History Month! Because conservation, science, and outdoor recreation jobs are filled mostly by men, it’s important to highlight the stories of the women who’ve inspired or mentored us. We challenge you to think about a woman who inspired your path to the outdoors, and share her story with a young person in your life.
Sarah – I found that I could make a difference in conservation and get more youth outside in nature by volunteering locally on the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust’s board. The executive director always encourages me with her words and example to stretch my leadership skills in and out of the boardroom. Rachelle, thanks for showing me it doesn’t have to be a boy’s club!
Elise- My 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Kaplan, showed me that learning takes many shapes. We weren’t just 3rd graders- we were explorers, artists, builders and scientists. The most important lesson I learned that year was caring for our mother earth–in fact, it inspired my career today. It’s now my turn to teach the next generation empathy and compassion for this amazing planet we live on. Who knows, maybe I’ll inspire someone the way Mrs. Kaplan inspired me!
Meghan – Some of my earliest connections to nature were through the creatures that visited my family’s field and gardens and my mother’s enthusiasm in teaching me about them. Bluebirds, tree swallows, and more inhabited the birdhouses on my family’s property, and we watched generations of new birds leave their nests and fly into the big, wide world outside. Today, I cherish every interaction with the natural world, whether it’s in my own field or on a trip into the monument. My mom is still the first one I text when the snow buntings visit in the winter or when I see the first swallows (tree, barn, or cliff) of the spring!
Kala – My mom, Cindy, taught resilience by showing me that any outdoor space was a place for a walk and self-care. My grandmother, Anita, shared her love of gardening, flowers, and hard work. More recently, colleagues and mentors Julie Isbill and Susan Adams encouraged me to connect the next generation with nature here in the Katahdin region, where I have the privilege of watching students grow. I’m especially inspired by strong young women like Silvia, who encompasses kindness in all spaces, including as a volunteer with KLP!
Who are the women who nurtured your passion for conservation, outdoor education, or Katahdin Woods and Waters? Join us on social media: post your story on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #myparkstory and #katahdinwoodsandwaters
Vacation Camp – What are the impacts of four days of place-based education? Empathy towards living beings, a love of the outdoors, care for ourselves and each other, and stewardship of our communities and the environment. Last month, Katahdin Learning Project staff delivered the second annual February Vacation Kids Camp! This week-long program provides a safe, educational, and FUN experience for local kids at no cost during the school break. Walking through the woods was a highlight for many of the children, and at the end of the walk, they had a different perspective on wintertime. Winter is not a time to endure, but a time to enjoy. Vacation Camp is made possible through collaboration with the Katahdin Gear Library (a program of Millinocket Memorial Library) and Outdoor Sport Institute, community support, and members like you! Psst–registration for April Vacation Kids Camp will open April 3rd.
UMaine Library receives the W. Kent Olson Conservation Papers – Ken Olson, a board member from 2017 to 2019 and a charter member at Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters, has donated his professional papers to the Fogler Library at the University of Maine. Ken’s papers span a three-decade career in conservation with time as chief executive at three nonprofits: The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, American Rivers, and Friends of Acadia. As a leader and advocate for Friends of Acadia and Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters, Ken has done much to foster kinship between our two Friends’ groups and parks. We thank Ken for this gift and are grateful to know his sharp writing and thinking are archived in good hands at UMaine.
Park Service News
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
It’s the beginning of our 2023 sponsorship year, and to kick it off, we are sharing our gratitude with two very special sponsors who make it possible for Friends to reach a statewide audience with our mission and highlight our other Katahdin, Lookout, and Deasey sponsors in print and digital ads!
Thank you to Lookout sponsors:
Would you like to see your business logo in our BDN and Down East ads this year?
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about becoming a sponsor in 2023, email sarah@friendsofkww.org
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on March 20, 2023 . To sign up for our email list, please email info@friendsofkww.org—
Posted: March 1, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Making winter tracks – February eNewsletter
Skiing in the monument, sponsor love, community trails, and more…
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but all this month Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters is sweet on a very special type of supporter: our corporate and non-profit sponsors! We’re grateful for the mission-minded businesses and organizations large and small, local and national, who care for the monument and those connected to it. We spotlight two sponsors each month (scroll to bottom)–and rely on their support all year long.
Your Park Story
Members Mary and J.R. reached out last month for some visitation advice and happily, they were willing to share their subsequent #myparkstory with me! It’s the quintessential winter hop to the Katahdin region, especially for those suffering meager snowfall in the southern and coastal regions of Maine. Here’s their dispatch:
We drove up to Katahdin Woods and Waters on a sunny February morning. After a nice lunch at Matagamon Lodge, we parked at the north gate and enjoyed four hours of skiing on nicely packed pulk trails–without another human encounter! Just as the sky turned a pretty pink, we skied back into the parking lot. After a cozy night spent in the region (a local business graciously allowed us to park our self-contained camper van), we headed south for a second day of great skiing at Penobscot River Trails. We’ve been supporters of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters since the very beginning and enjoy seeing the changes as they come. Signage has improved greatly! It’s a beautiful area to visit in all seasons. -Mary and J.R. Krevans, Bar Harbor
What’s your park story? Join us on social media: post your adventures on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #myparkstory and #katahdinwoodsandwaters.
Executive Director Search – A thoughtful process, led by Friends’ board treasurer and Chewonki President Emeritus, Don Hudson, is well underway! Staff and board alike are excited to meet candidates in the next few weeks. In the meantime, we continue to forge ahead with our planned work for 2023 and prepare to welcome our next leader this spring.
Happy Birthday to Us! On February 28th, Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters will turn six years old! Many of you (such as the Krevanses!) have supported us since the very beginning, and many more have joined to grow Friends into the strong organization we are today. Thank you.
Katahdin Learning Project’s February Vacation Camp – KLP is building on the success of our inaugural vacation camps last year. This February’s free weeklong camp met capacity almost immediately! Kids will munch on healthy snacks and lunch thanks to the support of Thrive Penobscot, the Northern Forest Center, Katahdin Collaborative, Elliotsville Foundation, Our Katahdin, and Yum Bakery. We are excited to foster future leaders as high school volunteers connect campers with residents at Stearns Assisted Living through a service project.
Lumbermen’s Trail – Friends is cheering together with Katahdin Area Trails and numerous nonprofit partners on the news of a $40,000 grant through Maine’s Recreational Trails Program to fund a new one-third mile trail in the gateway community of Patten. “The Lumbermen’s Trail” will begin behind the Patten Lumbermen’s Museum on town and museum-owned land. Winding through ancient conifers, hikers will find museum relics and a children’s story walk. Julie Isbill, project manager with the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program of the National Park Service: “I love the project. It is very organic, very grassroots. We are hoping there will be a whole system in Patten. Our plan is to start with this, and eventually, we could have miles of walking trails.”
Park News
Maintenance is working on hiring 8 seasonal employees and one permanent Maintenance Worker Supervisor. KAWW maintenance is hiring, for the first time, a Roads dedicated NPS crew to re-deck bridges, replace culverts, ditch, brush, mow, and gravel roads throughout the monument. Larger scale roads projects to be contracted out are two bridge replacements and one culvert. Additional work to be contracted will be brushing and ditching work on the Wassataquoik and Swift Brook Roads. NPS trail crew are to work on signage, brushing, and tread along the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) corridor. This work will be supported by the Maine Conservation Corps.
Ripple Effect
Sponsor Spotlight
Gratitude going out to our final spotlight sponsors from 2022! Trust for Public Land joined us at the Barnard level last year–thank you!
And thank you to Bangor Savings Bank in Millinocket for their Hathorn level sponsorship!
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about becoming a sponsor in 2023, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on February 23, 2023 . To sign up for our email list, please email info@friendsofkww.org—
Posted: February 1, 2023 by Sarah Andre
Happy New Year! January eNewsletter
Gratitude, Your Park Stories, Executive Director search, and more…
As we begin a new year of monthly newsletters, we want to begin by thanking you for being a part of the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters family. More than 300 donations arrived in the last few weeks of the year during our annual appeal and each one makes a difference. It’s an extra special treat when a check or online donation is accompanied by a short note: “Thanks for all you do,” or “Keep up the good work!” We couldn’t say it any better ourselves, so to all who donated, volunteered, collaborated on a program, shared a post on social media, or reached out in 2022–thanks for all you do, and keep up the good work.
Inspired by the National Park Service–we are excited to bring you more stories this year–Your Park Stories! Throughout the year, we’ll be sharing stories of meaningful place-based experiences in Katahdin Woods and Waters from the NPS, visitors, the Katahdin region, and Friends. I hope you’ll join us on social media: post your adventures on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtags #MyParkStory and #KatahdinWoodsAndWaters. For this month’s #MyParkStory, Acting Executive Director Sam Deeran shares a photo essay on how Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument inspired a big life move.
Seeking the next Friends Executive Director – The Board of Directors and staff of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters are pleased to announce the opening of the job of Executive Director. 2023 promises to be an exciting and important year for Friends and we look forward to welcoming a leader who will guide the organization into its next chapter. Read the full announcement on our blog–and please share!
Trust for Public Land to engage community – Have you heard? In December,Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors, announced the purchase of 31,367 acres from Conservation Resources, a timber investment management organization. Over the next several years, the nonprofit will work with community leaders, outdoor advocates, public officials, and communities connected to this land to examine long-term outcomes for the property, to ensure southern access to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is enhanced, and to protect trails on the property.
February Vacation Camp returns to Millinocket Memorial Library – Friends’ Katahdin Learning Project staff are excited for our second year of Vacation Camps! Offered at no cost to Katahdin region youth, the full-day program will introduce kids to outdoor skills, winter sports, and local ecology while parents work during the school break. Registration will open February 6th–keep an eye on Friends’ Facebook & Instagram
Winter recreation in the monument – The best way to explore Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in winter may be by foot or on skis from the north entrance. This end of the monument is open seven days a week and offers groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Winter hiking, camping at Haskell Hut, ice fishing, and fat tire biking are also accessible from the north entrance. Check trail conditions here.
Did you know that snowmobile travel is allowed on approximately 22 miles of trail within the monument? Local snowmobile clubs maintain the trails under special use permits. Learn more and review all rules here before your trip.
Jobs at Katahdin Woods and Waters – The National Park Service is hiring now for seasonal maintenance workers for trails, facilities, roads, and equipment as well as Archeologist and Resource Manager. Visit nps.gov/kaww/
Ripple Effect
As Friends, we strive to amplify the work of our local, regional, and national colleagues and share news from the communities of the Katahdin Region. Check it out!
Sponsor Spotlight
We’re still thanking our amazing 2022 sponsors! Thank you to Deasey level sponsor Burt’s Bees!
And thank you to Lee Auto Mall for their Barnard level sponsorship!
Sponsors provide crucial funding that supports our mission and work. To learn more about becoming a sponsor in 2023, visit friendsofkww.org/sponsorship or contact sarah@friendsofkww.org.
—This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on January 30, 2023 . To sign up for our email list, please email info@friendsofkww.org—