Midcoast Conservancy will offer a full moon hike (or snowshoe, if there is snow on the ground) at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson on Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hikers can enjoy a crisp evening illuminated by the glow of the Wolf Moon, named after the howling of hungry wolves lamenting the scarcity of food in midwinter, and discover a new way of being in the woods. At night, sounds become more pronounced; the group will listen for owls and the rustling of nighttime foragers along the trail.

Participants should meet at the Welcome Center at HVNC at 5:15 p.m.; hikers should dress warmly, wear shoes with good grips and bring a hiking stick if desired, along with a snack, drink and flashlight or headlamp. Grippers or snowshoes will be available to borrow; hikers requiring them should arrive at 5. The hike guide will lead the group to shore of Little Dyer Pond to watch the moon rise over the water. The hike will be about 40 minutes each way, and of moderate ease. For more information or to register, go to https://bit.ly/fullmoonhike25 or call (207) 389-5150.

For more information, go to www.midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.

The Coast Guard Academy’s women’s basketball team, the Bears, visited Boothbay Harbor on a snowy Saturday afternoon, Jan. 11, en route to an away game at Maine Maritime Academy. The team’s 14 players and two coaches were greeted at the Boothbay Harbor Coast Guard Station (BHCGS) where they received a tour of the facilities and spoke with active service members about their roles in the Coast Guard. Snow cut their tour of the harbor short, but the team enjoyed the footbridge before heading to the Blethen house for a meal featuring a Maine-forward menu.

The Coast Guard’s Hayden Laroche-Albert addressed the team about the functions of the BHCGS, fielding questions and speaking of his favorite Coast Guard moments, all involving search and rescue missions. He reported that last summer, BHCGS reached its highest number of boat safety instructional campaigns including safe aide programs for fishermen and safety classes for recreational boaters. Team seniors presented Laroche-Albert with a signed team basketball for the station’s trophy case.

Sector Northern New England Deputy Secretary Commander Megan Drewniak spoke to the team about our region and last year’s accomplishments during personnel shortages. “With few people to accomplish the missions, we still had 258 search and rescue missions, with 59 lives saved, assisted in $1 million of property value saved, and $10.3 million in property assistance. We had over 1,400 law enforcement awards, 288 of those were fisheries, 77 with Homeland Security. We have two northern international borders, which brings a lot of interesting scenarios.”  Drewniak’s awards are numerous, including two Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medals, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, the NOAA Special Achievement Medal, the CG Volunteer Service Medal, three Commandant’s Letters of Commendation, and many others. She was a speaker at Maine Maritime Academy’s Climate Symposium.

The Bears are 11-2 coming off a stinging loss to rival Merchant Marine, but for Glory Blethen, former BRHS MVP, 1,000-point scorer, and state basketball champion, the Jan. 7 game marked another milestone as she became the Bears' all-time leader in blocks. She is also the program's all-time leader in blocks per game with 1.55. Her season includes career highs in points scored, rebounds, assists and steals. She has 11 double-doubles.

For Glory Blethen, the "homecoming" was an opportunity to show her hometown to her teammates and connect with the region’s Coast Guard-rich community. Her father Brian served in the Coast Guard and helped organize the visit. He enjoyed talking with Glory’s teammates about the region and his experiences in service. Glory’s mother Lesley served in the Army, helped organize the visit and prepared a feast for the team’s reception. Glory’s sister Faith, also a local basketball legend, played basketball at George Washington University.

The team has a diverse mix of women, majoring in fields such as management, engineering, psychology and cyber security. Upon graduation, the women will be commissioned officers and will serve a five-year term in a CG station. “They are truly a great group of women,” said Head Coach Alex Ivansheck. “It’s an honor for me to see them realize their potential, not just in basketball, but with where they go and what they do after their time at the academy.”

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust is looking for a few hale and hearty folks, who love sharing their joy for nature, to assist with education programs and events. Volunteers are needed to maintain an outdoor fire and serve hot cocoa to participants at weekend pop-up sledding events. 

On Saturdays in January and February, when there’s enough snow and the weather cooperates, Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust will host pop-up sledding parties at Salt Bay Farm, 110 Belvedere Road, Damariscotta, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Volunteers host this event, serve the treats and maintain the fire. This is a good opportunity for folks to connect with fellow outdoor enthusiasts and share their love for winter.

An orientation to the sledding events is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Salt Bay Farm. Volunteers will need to be prepared to be outdoors in the snow for prolonged periods and be comfortable carrying firewood, or pulling it in a sled, to the fire site on top of the hill. For more information, please email Angela DesVeaux at adesveaux@coastalrivers.org. For more information on other volunteer opportunities with Coastal Rivers, please fill out a Volunteer Interest Form at: https://www.coastalrivers.org/get-involved/volunteer/ and a staff person will get back to you soon.  

Teens to Trails kicked off its Winter Outdoors Series at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson on January 11, with a Day of Outdoor Play. Students and teachers from six schools enjoyed activities ranging from fat tire biking to shelter building, pizza making to ice skating. The schools are all part of Teens to Trails, an organization helping Maine’s middle and high schools offer Outdoor Clubs as a way for students to enjoy the benefits of spending time together outside.

"The goal of our Day of Play was to provide students with the opportunity for free play and exploration in the outdoors,” said Samantha Andrews, Teens to Trails’ Outdoor Program Manager. “Students rarely get the chance to just be kids and play, away from screens, structured schedules, and academic pressures. We gave them a chance to connect with nature, build new skills, and experience the joy of unstructured outdoor fun.”

An exchange student from India attending Wiscasset Middle High School shared her excitement with a student from Oceanside High School, "It is so great to see my first snow," she said, her face lighting up. "In India, we don't get snow, so this is an experience I will remember forever, and I made a new friend!"

A goal of all Teens to Trails programs is to build meaningful connections between students, their teachers and the natural world. As U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says in his Parting Prescription for America, “Community gives us strength and resilience when facing the big challenges and countless paper cuts that come with moving through the world.”

“Social connection is a core part of being in an Outdoor Club,” says Teens to Trails Executive Director, Alicia Heyburn, “Unlike a team, students don’t need to try out for a Club, they just need to show up and be ready to try something new."

Attendees explored the miles of well marked trails during a nature walk led by Hidden Valley Nature Center volunteer Chuck Dinsmore, including a visit to a bog where pitcher plants poked up through the new fallen snow. After the walk, a campfire by the post and beam Bezon Barn provided a cozy spot to warm up, socialize and try some chicken stew, cooked over the fire by a Registered Maine Guide who was volunteering to teach campfire cooking.

The Winter Outdoors Series is available to the 60+ schools across Maine’s 16 counties that are part of Teens to Trails’ network of Outdoor Clubs. Any middle or high school can join the network. The series continues with ice fishing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, and snow tubing. The next program is at Camden Snow Bowl.

For more information about Teens to Trails visitteenstotrails.org.

Teens to Trails is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit dedicated to connecting teenage students to life-changing outdoor experiences with a vision that all teens have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors together.

Hidden Valley Nature Center is a 1,000-acre conservation property in Jefferson, Maine, offering year-round outdoor recreation and educational programs. Owned and managed by Midcoast Conservancy, their mission is to protect vital lands and waters of midcoast Maine on a scale that matters and inspire wonder and action on behalf of all species and the earth.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section approved for public comment, Draft Amendment 4 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp. The Draft Amendment considers options for setting multi-year moratoria and implementing management triggers. Management trigger options include biologic and environmental triggers comprised of indicators that would signal improvement in stock conditions and the potential to re-open the fishery. 

 The Atlantic coastal states of Maine though Massachusetts have scheduled hearings to gather public input on Draft Amendment 4. Some hearings will be conducted in-person, and some hearings will be conducted via webinar. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings. The public hearing details follow:

 The last time a new plan amendment to the Northern Shrimp FMP was adopted was in 2017 (Amendment 3). Since then, the status of the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) stock has remained unchanged with a depleted stock status and continued fishing moratorium. Given the poor condition of the stock, the Section supported initiation of a new plan amendment to consider several changes to the FMP including to the current management program requirement of annual specifications and addition of management triggers for stock monitoring.

Through extending the specifications timeline, the Section may implement multi-year moratoria on harvest rather than meeting annually to implement a new moratorium for the following year. A management trigger for the stock could inform when a moratorium should be re-evaluated if improved stock conditions are evident, indicated through recruitment trends or changes in Gulf of Maine temperature.

Webinar instructions:  Please note that in order to comment during virtual webinar hearings you will need to use your computer or download the GoTo app for your phone. Those joining by phone only will be limited to listening to the presentation and will not be able to provide input. In those cases, you can send your comments to staff via email or US mail at any time during the public comment period. To attend the webinar in listen only mode, dial 631-992-3221 and enter access code 271-746-683. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings.

 For all virtual hearings, please click HERE and select the hearing(s) you plan to attend from the dropdown menu to register for a public hearing webinar. Hearings will be held via GoToWebinar, and you can join the webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are new to GoToWebinar, you can download the software by (clicking here) or via the App store under GoTo.

We recommend you register for the hearing well in advance of the hearing since GoToWebinar will provide you with a link to test your device’s compatibility with the webinar. If you find your device is not compatible, please contact the Commission at info@asmfc.org (subject line: GoToWebinar help) and we will try to get you connected. We also strongly encourage participants to use the computer voice over internet protocol (VoIP) so you can ask questions and provide input at the hearing.

 Hearing Presentation Recording: For those who cannot attend any in-person or virtual hearings, the Commission will also post a recording of the hearing presentation on the Commission’s YouTube page so that stakeholders may watch the presentation and submit comment at any time during the comment process. This recording will be available by early February, with the recording link provided at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input.

Submitting Comments: The Draft Amendment is available at http://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/DraftAmd4_ForPublicComment_Jan2025.pdf or on the Commission’s Public Input webpage at https://asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. All those interested in the management of northern shrimp are encouraged to provide input either by participating in public hearings, which may be conducted in-person or via webinar, or providing written comment. Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 PM (EST) on March 11, 2025 and should be sent to Chelsea Tuohy, FMP Coordinator, at 1050 N. Highland St., Suite 200 A-N, Arlington, Virginia 22201; or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Northern Shrimp Draft Amendment 4).

For more information, please contact Chelsea Tuohy at ctuohy@asmfc.org.

We are pleased to share that Greg Shute, longtime Chewonki staff member and former director of Northern and Coastal Properties, has been selected for the 2025 Special Recognition Award from the American Camping Association (ACA).

The Special Recognition Award was first established by the ACA in 1978 to “… honor groups, organizations, or individuals for their efforts to promote camp on a national level.”

Past recipients include national leaders, activists, and advocates in the youth camping and education field. 

“I’m grateful  for the award and pleased to be recognized by the American Camping Association,” said Shute. “I also want give thanks to my good friend and former colleague Garth Altenburg, who I found out was the instigator  of my nomination.”

According to Altenburg, former Chewonki Camp Director (’06-’18), Shute’s selection for the Special Recognition award was due to his many years working to improve risk management standards in youth camping, improve best practices in backcountry trip management, participation in the Maine Trip Leader working group partnered with the Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife, his contributions to the Wilderness Risk Management Association, and a lifetime of engagement and partnership with Indigenous communities throughout the region to improve awareness and recognition of the historical and current uses of the lands and waters used by so many youth camping and trip programs.

“Greg has had a significant influence on so many for so long, often behind the scenes in an unassuming way, but worth recognizing," said Altenburg.

The award will be presented at the American Camping Association’s National Conference in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 18-21. 

Shute was also recently featured as the Guest of Honor at Chewonki Homecoming Day in October. After 41 years of excellent service to the foundation, Shute formally retired in December 2024 and has departed for an extended tour of the country with his wife Lynne.   

Editor's note: Shute is also a past Alna selectman.

The following statement from Wiscasset schools' athletic director, Brandon Rogers, went out to parents, Wiscasset Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Andersson said:

"Effective Friday, Jan. 24, the Wiscasset Athletic Department has made the decision to part ways with (Girls Varsity Basketball) Head Coach Daniel Wall. This change comes as part of our ongoing commitment to uplift our athletic programs and support our student body in achieving their fullest potential.

"We are pleased to announce that Coach Jamey Roy will step in as the Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. Coach Roy brings a wealth of experience and a positive attitude that we believe will greatly benefit our athletes and the overall program.

"We appreciate Coach Wall's contributions during his time with us and wish him the best in his future endeavors. As we move forward, our focus remains on fostering a supportive and successful environment for our student-athletes.

"Thank you for your continued support of Wiscasset Athletics."

Responding to questions, Andersson said: "The hard work, dedication, resiliency, and pride all of our student athletes are pouring into their teams is really paying off. Brandon Rogers, our coaches, and our volunteers share high expectations for professionalism and sportsmanship; this year’s program is first rate. I am so proud of all the players, coaches, and volunteers at the middle school and high school levels that make up Wiscasset Athletics.

"We have our eyes on a very bright future and invite everyone in the community to come out to our home games and see what’s going on. Our underdog days are done."

The Wiscasset boys' basketball team doesn't play a typical Class D schedule with games intermittently this season against much larger schools. On Jan. 6, Wiscasset lost, 65-64, to the Class C south sixth-place Richmond Bobcats in a road contest. On Jan. 22, Wiscasset lost to Class B Morse, in Bath, 54-31.

But the toughest challenge occurred Jan. 24 with a home contest versus Class C South No. 4 Carrabec. Wiscasset played a strong first half scoring 21 points including two 3-pointers. Wolverine guard Landin Shirey scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the first half. Wiscasset trailed 24-21 at the half, but had two possessions late in the second quarter threatening to take the lead. 

In the second half, Carrabec showed why they are one of the top teams in Class C South. Pressure defense along with accurate shooting stretched their lead to 10 points after three quarters. In the end, the Cobras won 54-40.

Second-year coach Jamey Roy thought his team had a solid first half, but the game got away due to turnovers and too many missed shots. "Carrabec is a legit team, and we played with them in the first half," he said. "We shot well in the first half, but struggled in the second. So far, it's been a good seaason and played well against some tough teams." 

The only other Wolverine scoring in double-figures was Julien King with 12. Other Wolverine scorers were Jevar Garricks, 6; Alex Richard, 4; Tucker Davenport and Spencer Pinkham both scored two.

After the loss, Wiscasset is 7-4 and sits in fourth-place in Class D South Heal point standings. 

Senior Ishmael Martinez played on last year's team which lost in the regional semifinals. He described this year's Wolverines as a better version from last year. Martinez believes the Wolverines still can improve prior to tournament time. "We have some nice depth this season, which helps and we have a better team, he said. "But every once in while we struggle on offense, and tonight, we had trouble with our defense."

Wiscasset has seven games remaining which Roy describes as all "winnable," until the regular season ends and post-season begins. "Even though February is almost here a big part of our schedule is ahead of us. And I think, we have a great chance to improve our tournament seed," Roy said.

Midcoast Conservancy will offer a full moon hike (or snowshoe, if there is snow on the ground) at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Hikers can enjoy a crisp evening illuminated by the glow of the Snow Moon, named for the historically snowiest month of winter. At night, sounds become more pronounced; the group will listen for owls and the rustling of nighttime foragers along the trail. 

Participants should meet at the Welcome Center at HVNC at 5:45; hikers should dress warmly, wear shoes with good grips and bring a hiking stick if desired, along with a snack, drink and flashlight or headlamp. Grippers or snowshoes will be available to borrow; hikers requiring them should arrive at 5:30. The hike guide will lead the group to the shore of Little Dyer Pond to watch the moon rise over the water. The hike will be about 40 minutes each way, and of moderate ease. For more information or to register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events-list/febfullmoon or call (207) 389-5150.