Katahdin Woods and Waters is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a long list of weekend events including ranger-led paddles, dark sky viewing and Indigenous earring-making demonstrations.
The area was designated a national monument in August 2016 and, as far as national monuments go, is still in its infancy.
Rangers have been adding features to make the monument more accessible to visitors, and this weekend will unveil the new Katahdin Loop Road Overlook, which has been rehabilitated with a new picnic area and shelter.
“Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is slowly evolving, both as the landscape recovers through natural regrowth and active restoration efforts, and as the National Park Service and Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters partner on investments to improve the visitor experience,” said Brian Hinrichs, the monument’s executive director.
Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters will host the ribbon cutting at noon Friday, which marks the completion of renovations at the Loop Road Overlook. The group will also host an economic development discussion and walking tour of Millinocket at 4 p.m. that day
Over these first 10 years, rangers have learned about the land, its inhabitants and ancient underpinnings. At the same time, they’ve worked to add accommodations such as vault toilets, primitive roads, wayfinding and direction signs.
The monument’s 87,500 acres contain mountains, waterways, bogs, wetlands and fields with abundant vegetation, rock formations and threatened wildlife such as the Canada lynx. The area is also one of the only remaining dark sky sanctuaries in the world.
President Barack Obama designated the wilderness — consisting of 13 parcels donated by Elliotsville Plantation Inc. and Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt’s Bees — a national monument in a 16-page declaration. The document details the history, land formations, geology, wildlife and waters of the site that the National Park Service is tasked with preserving.
Last year the 7,900-square-foot Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, pronounced “deh gah-gah bee mook,” opened. The $31 million center was funded privately through a capital campaign by Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters, a nonprofit philanthropic group. It was donated to the American people and is operated by the National Park Service.
The National Park Service and representatives of the independent Indigenous nations that constitute the Wabanaki Confederacy — Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk and Sipayik, and Penobscot Nation — worked together to build the visitor’s center.
On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friends will host Passamaquoddy-Penobscot artist Natalie (Kasq) Dana Lolar at Tekαkαpimək Contact Station. Lolar, the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of legendary Passamaquoddy artist Tomah Joseph, hails from Indian Township, known as Motahkomikuk. She will demonstrate the delicate craft of making miniature rattle earrings.
Friends will also host the 10th annual Woods & Waters Day weekend, culminating in a celebration at New England Outdoor Center from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $50 at friendsofkww.org/woodsandwatersday and include a seasonal dinner, dessert, live music, dancing, a silent auction and raffle.
Throughout the weekend, the National Park Service will offer a variety of activities and excursions including a free two-hour ranger-led paddle party at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lunksoos Boat Launch and a dark sky star party that night.
A dark sky ranger will have telescopes, binoculars and stories ready for stargazers on the waterfront point behind River Drivers’ Restaurant. Those attending should bring weather-appropriate clothing and binoculars.
“This weekend’s celebrations will allow us to reflect on the last 10 years, while pointing to an ambitious future driven by collaboration,” Hinrichs said.
Other scheduled events include the following.
1 p.m. Friday: National Park Service BioBlitz at Loop Road Overlook. Free, but registration is encouraged.
4 p.m. Friday: Magic City Tour, 196 Penobscot Ave., Millinocket. Free, but registration is encouraged.
8 a.m. Saturday.: Park service-led bird walk, Tekαkαpimək Contact Station. Free, just drop in.
