Maine Forest Collaborative June Newsletter

HIGH SCHOOL UPDATES 

High school students are just about wrapping up the year, with some final last minute additions to their projects.

Telstar students were able to visit the fish hatchery in Grey and learn about how hatcheries help support Maine fish populations. They also have finalized their whitefish awareness video. Check it out here, and stay tuned for an article to be published in the Bethel Citizen with an article written by the class featured!

PCSS has really been able to get their campsite and trail out there established! Last time I visited I was able to see a new bridge that was built with help of Mr. Keane, a complete fire pit, and cleared camping area. 

TCTC has been BUSY as ever with a recent kayaking and climbing trip in Acadia National Park where they got to scale the famous Otter Cliffs and paddle the salty sea off MDI! I also received a phone call a few weeks ago from Steph and a group of elated students who shared that they had come in first and second in the Maine Future Farmers of America competition and will be going to NATIONALS in the fall!

Excellent job TCTC NR students!!! 

Schenck students made some changes to their presentation and the whole class presented their project to Dan Rogan of OSI, and the new superintendent Mark Jinkins. They did a great job and will be finishing up last minute video edits during these last few weeks. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES 

We had a great final cohort day for our first ever middle school pilot of Maine Forest Collaborative! Ms. Tardif's 8th grade students from Greenville Consolidated School and Mrs. Prentice's 7th and 8th graders from Tremont Consolidated School shared their final project and presentations at the IMRC at UMaine.

Greenville's project focused on forest health and included planting native trees, sowing native seeds, establishing a school FERN plot, and building community awareness around forest heath. We could not have done it without the help of district foresters Jim Ferrante and Kenny Fergusson!

Tremont's project focused on salt marsh restoration, including designing an experiment for salt marsh grass species, planting 800 plugs in Babson Creek Marsh, and establishing feldspar monitoring plots at Acadia National Park land to monitor soil accretion with future classes. Another huge thank you to Tatia Bauer of Maine Coast Heritage Trust whose guidance was instrumental, and Gulf of Maine Research Institute and LENE for supporting the project.

The afternoon at the IMRC was spent exploring the many amaz

ing things available there. Students designed their own MFC keychain with grad student James LeBlanc, recorded interviews on podcast equipment with students from the opposite school with grad student Sam Grimwood, and has an amazing Land to Sea fermentation session with UMaine lecturer Ellie Markovich, and 4-H's own Jessy Brainerd where students got to make sea veggie kraut with seaweed grown by their schools.

In the News

Maine has the most land trusts of any state, according to new report 

A new report shows that Maine's 84 land trusts have conserved nearly three million acres, protecting both public access and natural resource-based industries at a scale that's unmatched in most parts of the country.

->>>  Full Article

Lands Trusts: Maine Calling 

Maine's 80-plus land trusts serve multi-faceted roles, from creating nature trails to hosting workshops to growing food. These charitable organizations work with property owners to ensure that land is managed for the public good. Listen to learn about the range of programs and goals of Maine's diverse land trusts.

->>> Full recording

Scientists say algae are waging 'chemical warfare' on kelp forests in the Gulf of Maine 

Lead author Shane Farrell said the algae have proliferated due to warming waters, and are releasing chemicals that make it harder for kelp to survive. ->>> Full article

For Teachers

Teacher Camp - Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters 

Stacyville, June 24th

The Teacher Camp 2025 registration is now open. Registration is limited. 

Teacher Camp, an annual professional development opportunity through Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters (FKWW) with support from the National Park Service, invites educators of all types to join us for a day of learning and connecting. Teacher Camp connects the following principles to the annual focus: grounded in place, real, empowering, collaborative, integrated, and rigorous.

Teacher Camp will begin at Taylor’s Katahdin View Campground at 38 Swift Brook Rd in Stacyville and will take place from 9 am to 4 pm. After our initial outdoor session, participants and presenters will carpool into Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. 

With support from the National Park Service, attendees will participate in relevant programs and will visit Tekαkαpimək Contact Station. A tour and conversation will be led by Jennifer Neptune, Penobscot.

A light snack will be offered in the morning, and lunch will be provided. 

Cultivating Hopeful Abundance and Practicing Experiential Ecology

This summer Wild Seed Project is offering a three-day professional development intensives for educators, focusing on decolonizing the language of environmental education, building safety and belonging in the natural world, and fostering relationships with Maine’s flora and fauna. Educators will come away with expanded language for describing place-based relationships, ideas and resources for building outdoor education spaces geared towards hopeful abundance and habitat at their schools, and new curriculum to try! This training also provides resources for integrating Wabanaki studies into environmental education in support of state requirement LD 291.The program will run from August 11th-13th 2025, at the MOFGA fairgrounds in Unity, ME. → Find out more and apply here!

This program has been developed in partnership with Kathy Pollard and Ann Pollard-Ranco (Penobscot citizen) of Know yOUR Land Consulting, Wild Seed Project and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. 

Invasive Plant Educational Workshop Series

Time: 10 am - 4:30 pm Locations:

Saturday, June 7 - Oxford CountyTuesday, July 22 - Piscataquis CountyTuesday, Aug. 5 - Aroostook CountyTuesday, Sept. 9 (Maple Focused) - York County

Participants will learn about Invasive plant biology, ecological impacts, identification, fundamental concepts of invasive plant management and related state and federal programs in classroom and field settings.

Each participant will receive an Invasive Plant Field Guide and lunch

Fee: $30