November eNewsletter

Here in November nearby Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, the change within the fall season is plain to see. Leaves are all but gone from the trees, two gates to the park are closing on the 8th, and you can feel a first snowfall looming in the air. The story of this year continues to be written through the weather and the work of Friends.

New Moon Teachings – Water:  You’re invited to the next New Moon Teachings on Thurs, Nov. 4th from 6 to 7:30 PM EDT. This month’s New Moon Teachings is about Water – understanding the importance of ancestral waterways, fisheries, waterscapes, and those whose lives are intertwined with the water through traditional ecological knowledge teachings and the education and empowerment of our youth. We are grateful to host a panel of John Neptune (Penobscot), Dr. Tony Sutton (Passamaquoddy), and Kyle Lolar (Penobscot). The panel will be moderated by Natalie Dana Lolar (Passamaquoddy, Ph.D. graduate student-UMaine). To RSVP for New Moon Teachings, please visit our website.


asəpaskʷačəss-kisohs - Moon when ice forms on the margins of lakes (Penobscot) drum painted by James E. Francis, Sr., Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation for the Penobscot Nation.


asəpaskʷačəss-kisohs – Moon when ice forms on the margins of lakes (Penobscot) drum painted by James E. Francis, Sr., Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation for the Penobscot Nation.

Updates from the Park Service: The Loop Road Gate and the North Gate will be closed for the winter season starting on November 8th. Visitors should also be aware that Charlie’s Road remains closed due to an unsafe bridge. Please visit the NPS website for the latest conditions.

Our National Monuments by QT Luong: QT Luong is the acclaimed author and photographer of Treasured Lands, which documents all 62 national parks. In the fall of 2020, he visited Katahdin Woods and Waters to photograph the monument for his new book Our National Monuments, which documents all monuments subject to the 2017 Dept. of Interior review. He took stunning photos all across the park – including a photo of the dark skies reflecting in the East Branch of the Penobscot (the banner image for this year’s Stars Over Katahdin). While the book was in production, QT let us know that Katahdin Woods and Waters will be featured as the first chapter in the book! Our National Monuments is available for order as of today.

Stars Over Katahdin: Two weeks ago, Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters and Dark Sky Maine hosted our 8th Annual Stars Over Katahdin, in a virtual format for the second year in a row. Our 2021 Stars Over Katahdin virtual presentation was recorded and you can access the entire webinar here on Friends’ YouTube channel. We hope you will enjoy the program for the first time if you missed it on October 14th, or enjoy watching it again. Visit the blog on our website to learn more about the event and to find some great resources mentioned during the presentations.

As we prepare for this winter and the year ahead, all of us here at Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters extend our gratitude for your gifts of time, talent, and treasure which bring our community together and empower our work (for a recent example – sponsors, members, and supporters made this year’s Stars Over Katahdin possible).  We appreciate your committed support of our work for the national monument and the communities connected to it. You’ll hear from us soon with details about our annual appeal – as the year’s end approaches, we hope you will make a gift to support our continued work together.

—- This blog post was adapted from an email transmitted on November 2, 2021. To sign up for our email list, please email info@friendsofkww.org —-