The final #WEOUTSIDE trip of the summer! We had so many adventures but for our final trip, we wanted to slow things down a bit and take stock of what we learned, what we perceive around us and how that will shape us going forward. For this really special day, we once again enlisted Samaa Abdurraqib – Maine Master Naturalist, writer, professor, outdoor leader, Executive Director of the Maine Humanities Council, and probably like ten other things. Samaa was here to help the kids connect what they are seeing and doing in the natural world with their own selves, through observation and nature journaling.

For kids who spent the summer canoeing, hiking, mountain biking, and experiencing all the kinetic activities you can do in the Maine outdoors, this was a change of pace, but with Samaa leading the group at the Cathance River Education Alliance Ecology Center (CREA), it was a wonderful experience. Each participant was provided with their own nature journal and had access to a wealth of objects from the natural world which were all around them at CREA. Flowers, animals, rocks, trees, the river, the sky, and all that you can find in the Maine outdoors were their laboratory. Inside CREA there were models to work from for a closer view of organisms we saw across the pond or in the sky. It was an amazing experience to see how calm and introspective even teenagers become when you can give them a setting in which to slow down, use their senses and reflect on how they fit in with the natural world.

And then we also went swimming!

Special thanks to Samaa for her leadership and dedication to the #WEOUTSIDE program – it takes the efforts of many organizations and individuals to make this program happen and Samaa exemplifies that spirit.

Drones have now been commercially available for several years, but due to the limitations on using them they have not been readily deployed by Maine land conservation organizations. The requirement of a license, along with a steep learning curve, the cost of a “fly-away”, and the perceived limitations of use (weather, etc.) kept many away.

Due to several factors, MATLT has acquired a drone with a primary use of helping to manage and steward conservation properties and trails. Drone technology has now made them more user friendly so there is less of a learning curve and less of a chance of loss of the drone. There have also been technology advances to make the accessibility of video and media easier – not only can drones be used for stewardship, they can also be used to showcase the A.T. in Maine and bring it to people where they are (to a certain degree). And finally, external forces: many of MATLT’s lands and trails have been severely impacted by storms in recent years and with the increasing pace of climate-related events, these aren’t going away. These weather events have impacted our ability to not only monitor lands and trails (for damage, property violations, etc.), but have impacted our ability to even get to areas of these lands.

Drone technology is by no means a solution for every problem, but it is another tool we can use to ensure that this special landscape remains protected and open for public use. And drones do capture beautiful images!

MATLT holds a conservation easement over the summit of Mount Abraham, which you can read more about in this StoryMap. We recently headed up the backside of the mountain with Matt Kusper of High Peaks Alliance to check out the route of a proposed new trail to the summit and for our annual required easement monitoring trip to comply with Land Trust Alliance accreditation standards. As many of you are aware, the rainstorms of the past few years have resulted in significant damage to much of the infrastructure that allows us recreational access to many of the lands in the A.T. region (the lands themselves are just fine). Roads have washed out, bridges have been destroyed, trails have been impacted, and solutions to all the problems are difficult to find. The main trail to the summit of Abraham, the Fire Warden’s Trail, is currently in extremely poor condition and there is the potential for a new route to be created.

It was a cloudy day with rain threatening (which prevented use of a drone), but it was a good opportunity to explore the backside route and quickly get into the alpine zone. Thanks to Matt for guiding! We’ll keep you all posted on the status of the trails.

For our latest #WEOUTSIDE trip, our joint MANA and MATLT expedition headed up to Sebago Lake to check out the lands the Portland Water District owns. Not many people know that the PWD owns and manages land around Sebago in order to protect the water quality for the drinking water for 16% of the population of Maine. For much of this land protection PWD works through Sebago Clean Waters – forests act as a filter for runoff into the lake, but these forests are also a great place for recreation of all kinds.

We met at the PWD office to learn first about getting onto the land. Permits are required for use and this is strictly enforced, which we found out about when we forgot to put one of ours on the dashboard of the MANA van! If you intend to visit, make sure you fill out the permit at the kiosk in the photos. Our guide for the day, Amanda Pratt from PWD, led us on the network of trails and we learned about different aspects of the Sebago system – both the natural involving the forests, wetlands, streams and ponds, but also the infrastructure that delivers this amazingly clean water to our homes.

Of course, we couldn’t not swim on a #WEOUTSIDE trip so after the hike we headed over to a beach that is just outside the “no contact” area where public access is not permitted so water quality can be maintained.

Special thanks to Paul Hunt and Amanda Pratt from PWD for making this happen!

The #WEOUTSIDE crew’s next adventure involved hitting the water for a day of paddling on the Royal River. Thanks to the Town of Yarmouth, we were able to secure the boats and head out from the launch up the river.

One of the great things about the Royal River is that you can paddle either upstream or downstream and it’s relatively flat. The current has been subsumed by the dam in Royal River Park, altering the ecosystem and making it almost like a long lake. This was perfect for this group of teenagers who might have limited paddling experience but made up for it with plenty of enthusiasm for getting ahead of each other.

Heading upriver, there was plenty of excitement (“whose boat will tip over”) but everybody stayed dry. We found a suitable spot on the bank for lunch before tired arms forced us to head back. We were treated to some guys climbing the tree with the rope swing and then jumping off from a height of about 25 feet, and we rewarded them with cheers which caused them to jump from even higher.

For our latest #WEOUTSIDE trip, we took the kids for an adventure they have never experienced: mountain biking. After weather and scheduling issues prevented biking trips in both the summer of 2023 AND the winter session in early 2024, we were determined to get this one in with our great partners Inland Woods + Trails. Once again, heavy rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast. But once again, things were able to hold off and these kids got in three hours of heavy riding! As you can see from the photos, Travis from IWT was amazing and led these kids on adventures at the Bethel Village Trails by the inn. The were shredding on the gravel and through the mud for four mile circuits through the woods. We had one rider (pictured in the photo dapping in the front) who had never before ridden a bicycle of any kind and she was out there learning, too. Special thanks to Barker Mountain Bikes for outfitting and helping us get situated at the trails!

For this trip, the second cohort also got to have an overnight experience of their own (the first group was at the Flagstaff Hut). The overnight was at the Evans Notch Lodge which is an excellent hideaway on the scenic byway through the notch in the White Mountain National Forest. The rains came in but, once again, that didn’t deter these kids from heading over to the Wild River for some swimming and fun before a rustic pizza dinner and then a quiet evening in the lodge. Special thanks to Jen from Evans Notch Lodge for making all this happen!

One of the goals of the #WEOUTSIDE program is to challenge the participants – not because that’s how it was in the olden day and all that, but because sometimes the greatest rewards in the Maine outdoors come from challenging ourselves to reach the end of the trail or the summit of the mountain. With that in mind, we once again enlisted mountaineer and professional challenge-seeker Mardi Fuller to take this group of kids up Caribou Mountain in the Maine portion of the White Mountain National Forest.

And it was a tough one! The weather was humid and all day the threat of thunderstorms was there, but Mardi did a great job of motivating the kids while also making sure that everybody took breaks, was hydrating, eating snacks, and above all having fun. That is the most important aspect of the #WEOUTSIDE program! There can be a fine line between facing the challenge and achieving a goal versus suffering through a hot slog up a mountain you no longer care about. Fortunately, this group of kids was able to have the former!

Caribou is a 6+ mile hike and this group summited – not an easy feat considering we just got them outfitted a few months ago. They were rewarded with ice cream post-hike and they were so tired they didn’t want to swim for the first time on any #WEOUTSIDE excursion.

Thank you again to Mardi Fuller for making this happen.

Our most recent #WEOUTSIDE trip had a new wrinkle we are featuring for the summer 2024 trips: an overnight experience in the Maine Appalachian region! Thanks to our partners for this trip, Maine Huts & Trails, we were able to get half the group out to stay in a remote location (the Flagstaff Hut) for a night in the woods.

The day was sultry and humid with the threat of heavy rain, but we managed to make good time tramping along the shores of Flagstaff Lake. The view over the lake was stunning as usual, and seeing some higher peaks over the big water was not something these kids have experienced in Maine before. But they wanted to keep moving because they were hungry/teenagers and we kept moving on the trail.

After arriving at the hut the group settled in. Despite the rain moving in, everybody wanted to go for a swim and went down to the little beach, enjoying the view while getting in some water time. When the rain was too heavy everybody headed back to the hut for some down time and eventually dinner.

A rainy night but everybody was snug in their bunks. The weather improved and there was time for some kayaking and canoeing in the cove before tramping back to civilization. Everybody was reluctant to leave!

Thanks to the generosity of Nautilus Solar, the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust was once again able to attend a Portland Sea Dogs game and set up a table to talk to anybody and everybody about the A.T. in Maine.

The Sea Dogs and Nautilus Solar Energy have teamed up to shine the light on local non-profit organizations at Sea Dogs home games this season. The Nautilus Solar Community Spotlight will provide 25 general admission tickets for a non-profit organization to each one of our 69 home games. MATLT was able to raffle off some super nice t-shirts and, despite the not-great weather, engage with lots of folks about the outdoors in Maine. Special thanks to volunteer Louise for helping out!

Sea Dogs lost!