2023 Forests of Maine Teachers' Tours

Teachers traveled from across the state to convene at Twin Pines Camps at New England Outdoor Center, outside of Millinocket, and Leen's Lodge in Grand Lake Stream. Maine TREE's Director of Education, Lena Ives, opened the Teachers' Tour experience with an opportunity to get to know fellow participants and an introduction to the array of provided materials and available resources. These tools created a framework for teachers to integrate the upcoming week of hands-on experiences into their classrooms and schoolyards.

Following arrival and introductions, 2023 Forests of Maine Teachers' Tours opened in earnest with a discussion of the importance of brown ash.

Wabanaki Peoples have built and sustained culture around brown ash for thousands of years. This tree, often found in low-lying wetlands, is uniquely suitable to pound, split, and shape into baskets, a practice that is ingrained in Wabanaki ways of being. Brown ash is increasingly at risk in Maine as Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect, continues to expand its range.

The far-reaching impact of brown ash decline exemplifies the multitude of cultural, ecological, and economic factors at stake for forest managers across Maine. Teachers' Tour participants discussed Emerald Ash Borer's devastating effect along with the  community-based monitoring, research, and management efforts  that are building pathways to brown ash resilience in Maine.

Both tours also provided the opportunity to learn and practice tree identification with a Maine Forest Service District Forester. Using the  Forest Trees of Maine  book, teachers familiarized themselves with characteristics of Maine's most common tree species and practiced using dichotomous keys and species descriptions to independently identify unknown trees in the field (or schoolyard, as the case may be!)

On Day 2, teachers on both tours saw exceptional forest-based education programs and toured sustainably managed woodlands in their respective regions. Participants learned about timber management, recreation, and opportunities for students in the Maine woods.

Katahdin region tour participants started Wednesday with a trip to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)'s Maine Woods Initiative at Katahdin Ironworks. AMC manages all of its Maine woodlands for mixed objectives. Recreation is a keystone of the organization's model; however, they are also committed to supporting regional ecological & economic well-being as well as climate research objectives.

The property also hosted an intensive program for high school students interested in forestry this summer. Nine students from Brewer High School spent six weeks camping at Katahdin Ironworks while gaining exposure to forest ecology and management practices, learning how to operate forestry equipment, and visiting forest product companies in the region.

The Katahdin Region Tour also stopped at Baxter State Park to learn about a different approach to managing woodlands for recreation. Like AMC, Baxter manages their woodlands with multiple objectives in mind, including recreation, timber production, and science.

At Baxter, definitions of "wilderness" dictate what recreational and forest management activities can occur throughout the park. The balancing act of preserving wilderness areas and supporting public access keeps park staff engaged and busy.

Downeast region tour participants started their second day with a visit to the East Grand School's Outdoor Classroom. Thanks to the passion of a Maine Guide turned gym teacher and the consistent support of administrators, teachers, and community members, East Grand has developed an extensive gear library and outdoor curriculum. East Grand students learn bicycle mechanics, cross-country ski, and paddle the Allagash as part of school-based physical education.

The next stop for the Downeast Tour was a series of Baskahegan Company sites. Here, teachers learned about managing commercial timberlands for long-term sustainability. Visiting an array of sites gave teachers the opportunity to see woodlands at different stages in Baskahegan's management cycle. The group then traveled to Musquash Tree Farm, a local family-owned woodland, to learn about implementing long-term sustainable management objectives on a smaller scale.

Both tours ended their second day with a presentation from the Forest Society of Maine. Teachers learned about easement structures, large-scale conservation efforts, and the work the Forest Society is doing to develop authentic relationships with Wabanaki Tribes.

On day three, both tours toured public land in Maine, visited a mill, talked about managing woodlands for habitat, and met with Patty Cormier, Director of Maine Forest Service.

Katahdin Region Tour participants started Day 3 with a a trip to LP Building Solutions in New Limerick and saw the production of Maine-made building materials in action. LP Building Solutions (LP) is a leading manufacturer of high-performance building products. They manufacture engineered wood building products that meet the demands of builders, remodelers, and homeowners worldwide. LP’s offerings include innovative and dependable building products and accessories like SmartSide® Siding and Trim. Teachers' Tour participants talked to LP staff and toured the facility.

Next, the Katahdin Region Tour visited Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, a tract of land that has been managed by the National Park Service only since 2016. Teachers met with Kala Rush, Education Director at Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters to discuss the Katahdin Learning Project, a place-based program committed to connecting regional youth with their surrounding landscapes.

Participants wrapped up Day 3 with conversations about managing woodlands for habitat. The group visited AFM to learn about maintaining deer yards. Here, deer overwintering areas are a collaboration between AFM foresters and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists. By combining their expertise and resources, the management team is able to achieve more for the landscape and its inhabitants.

The Downeast Region Tour also started Day 3 talking about public land. At Devil's Head, a municipally owned & managed conservation area along the St. Croix river, tour participants met with the Calais City Manager to discuss the value of thoughtfully stewarded woodlands to communities and municipalities.

The group then toured public land managed at the federal scale with a visit to Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. Wildlife biologist Maurry Mills described habitat management on site, from stream connectivity to woodcock clearings.

Next, the Downeast region tour visited Woodland Pulp and St. Croix tissue. Participants walked the production floor of the tissue facility, and saw step-by-step how wood pulp is made into toilet paper. Woodland Pulp and St. Croix Tissue staff also talked with Teachers' Tour participants about career development programming and scholarships available to young aspiring engineers in Maine. Their stories provided clear evidence of the opportunity and success available to young people in Maine's forest products industry.

The Downeast Region Tour braved rainy weather to visit a Downeast Lakes Land Trust (DLLT) property at the end of Day 3. DLLT staff discussed managing for diversity across a landscape to create habitat for a broad range of species at various life stages. Participants looked at recently harvested patch cuts and returned to a discussion of woodcocks, whose habitat needs vary substantially throughout their lifecycle.

Both groups spent time with the Director of Maine Forest Service on Day 3. Patty shared her own career journey with participants and talked about the breadth of approaches the Maine Forest Service takes to stewarding woodlands across Maine.

Day 4 was all about reflecting, integrating, and planning. Teachers broke into small groups by grade level with Project Learning Tree (PLT) facilitators to build hands-on experience with PLT curricula. They worked collaboratively to mock up mini units, integrating field trips similar to tour stops from throughout the week with PLT lessons.

The tours wrapped up with each participant sharing their most impactful takeaways from the week. Participants talked about their newfound understanding of the unique needs of different forest critters, their awe at the innovative leadership of Maine's forest industry, and their gratitude for the wide array of resources available to support them in getting their students outside.

37 educators joined Maine TREE staff from across the state for this year's tours and met over 40 professionals with various roles in Maine's forest sector. 

We are so grateful to the many people and organizations who made the 2023 Forests of Maine Teachers' Tours possible.

 Elmina B. Sewall Foundation ,  Farm Credit Northeast's AgEnhancement ,  Maine Timberlands Charitable Trust , and  Onion Foundation .

Scott Beal, Nick Bolduc, Kyle Burdick, Mark Caron, Monique Claverie, Thomas Cochran, Patty Cormier, Mike Ellis, Kenny Fergusson, Arielle Foss, Kristin Hoffman, Michael Jensen, Jon Kelly, Alex London, Molly London, Todd Massey, Jason McClellan, Ed McGrath, Maddie McVicar, Jake Metzler, Maury Mills, Zach Monroe, David Montague, Lauren Oullette, Kala Rush, Eric Sapier, Mark Savage, Ben Savage, Ted Shina, Mike St. Peter, Ben Stevens, Nava Tabak, Steve Tatko, Steve Zagorianakos, and Carolyn Ziegra.

Sarah Cote, Sara King, Kelly Lunt, and Autumn Theriault.