WRITTEN BY BRITTNEY NICKERSON
Acadia National Park has received funding from the National Park Foundation for its new Junior Ranger Angler program. The program is one of 57 projects nationwide intended to encourage fishing. Partners include Camp Beech Cliff, Friends of Acadia, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, White Pines Programs, the BIPOC Naturalists Program, and Registered Maine Guides.
The program is expected to span multiple seasons, beginning in summer 2026 and continuing through the end of 2027. It includes several smaller programs and single-day community engagement events.
WildQuest! is a weeklong immersive summer camp for Black, Indigenous, and other teenagers of color. Additional events include a BIPOC Naturalists squid-fishing event in September; fishing programs during Camp Beech Cliff’s Adult Outdoor Skills Day on Sept. 20 and Family Outdoor Skills Day on Oct. 17; and a family ice-fishing event to be announced.
The Junior Ranger Angler program focuses on fishing because the activity can be accessible to people of all ages and experience levels. Program representatives say fishing offers an approachable way to get outside and engage with wildlife, supporting the National Park Foundation’s broader goals.
The skills-day programs create opportunities for families and communities to come together. Programs such as WildQuest!, which is designed for teenagers, seek to foster that engagement early in participants’ lives.
Program organizers acknowledge that teenagers can be difficult to reach because of after-school commitments, so the programming is scheduled during the summer.
“Teenagers are at an important point in their development, gaining independence, deciding which communities they belong to, and beginning to see themselves as capable adults and potential leaders,” said Nicole Rawlinson, the National Park Foundation’s senior program manager who oversees Junior Ranger Angler grants.
The program aims to help more teenagers see themselves not only as future anglers but also as future stewards of the land.
Its activities “can serve as an open door — whether that young person continues building skills around fishing, explores other outdoor activities, or simply begins to see parks as places where they feel truly connected,” Rawlinson said.
The Junior Ranger Angler program has also developed programs for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, with the goal of expanding access and creating a sense of belonging among communities historically underrepresented in outdoor recreation and conservation professions.
“As a Black Registered Maine Guide and professional outdoor educator, that distinction matters deeply to me,” said Kareem Dieng, Camp Beech Cliff’s director of outdoor education. “Representation is not a superficial consideration. It can be transformative for a young person or first-time participant to learn from someone with whom they identify and who understands the practical, cultural, and historical barriers that can affect access to outdoor recreation.”
The program provides mentors from across the state, including Registered Maine Guides, BIPOC naturalists, anglers, and outdoor educators.
Participants will learn fishing fundamentals such as casting, safely handling hooks and fish, and practicing responsible harvesting and release. They will also develop transferable skills, including trip preparation, risk assessment, and navigating unfamiliar environments with confidence.
WildQuest! participants will also learn sea kayaking, rock climbing, campcraft, teamwork, and outdoor leadership.
Many of the programs will take place at Camp Beech Cliff on Mount Desert Island. Those interested can learn more at campbeechcliff.org or visit bipocnaturalists.com for information about the BIPOC Naturalists Program.