ACK NEWS & NOTES

2020 Course Signup Opens
Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership has begun accepting registrations for its summer programs. While the main focus of the Center is middle- and high school-age students and teacher programs, it does offer several adult programs, as well

The island itself serves as a spectacular classroom for the programs, being centered in the scenic center of Maine's Penobscot Bay, along with the rest of the Fox Islands. The Center provides a unique alternative to the standard summer camp.

Middle and High School
07/05 - 07/11: High School Marine Biology
07/12 - 07/18: High School Island Ecology
07/19 - 08/01: High School Advanced Marine Biology
07/19 - 07/25: Middle School Island Ecology
07/26 - 08/01: Middle School Marine Biology 1
08/02 - 08/08: Middle School Marine Biology 2
08/02 - 08/08: High School Sustainability Leadership
08/09 - 08/15: Middle School Climbing Course

Adult Programs
Women of Water: 07/05 - 07/18
Lithic Ecologies (Archaeology: ) TBD - In this four day course, students will become familiar with the archaeological history of granite production and Wabanaki presence at Hurricane Island as well as the wider coastal environment.
Wilderness Medical Associates Certification Courses: Become certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), or extend your EMS training. Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) runs courses for getting certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and in Wilderness ALS (WALS). Check out its website for more information. Information for April WFR here, August WFR here, and August WALS here. You can register for those courses in our system here.
Teacher/Educator Day: TBD - A free trip to explore and learn more about the programs offered through the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. If you are a teacher or administrator who would like to learn more about the Center's professional development programs, school programs, and summer programs, come visit for the day.
Farm-to-Table Dinners: TBD - Experience an exquisite farm-to-table dinner on Hurricane Island. The Center will be celebrating with the bounty of its beautiful gardens, the skill and artistry of scratch cooking, and the incredible scenery of Hurricane Island. The dinner is prepared and presented by Hurricane Island's culinary team and features locally sourced ingredients.
Bird Banding: TBD - The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) runs bird banding courses on Hurricane. Volunteer Days: TBD - Interested in donning work gloves and spending the day on Hurricane Island? The Center looking for hearty volunteers interested in gardening, trail maintenance, shingling, painting, cabin improvement, and other projects around the island. In return for a little sweat equity, the Center will provide you with free lunch and time to hike and explore the island at the end of the day.

Ocean Wood Campground Reborn
It's good news for Ocean Wood Campground in Birch Harbor, Maine. In 2016 Burt's Bees founder Roxanne Quimby bought the 113-acre campground on Schoodic Peninsula right before it went to auction. The goal was to save the prime ocean frontage from development.

The campground had 3,200 feet of jumbled orange granite front along with about 70 campsites, a gem for anyone kayaking the bold waters of Down East Maine.

The campground had closed in 2010 and the campsites and roads became overgrown, running water unavailable. Loyal campers came to help clear the underbrush in exchange for free camping in very rustic conditions.

The conservationist's plans for the property have been on hold, as Quimby figured out the best use for the property. Recently her vision gelled, according to a recent article in The Working Waterfront. She lives in nearby Gouldsboro and is very familiar with the property.

The plan is to create a tier of three camping offerings with many fewer sites: One is a limited number of wilderness sites, some on the ocean, accessed by foot. Two is glamping sites, with a furnished tent or yurt. Three is sites for small, well-spaced pop-up campers (vs. large RVs, which are accommodated elsewhere on the Schoodic Peninsula).

For the glamping sites, Quimby has brought in architect Todd Saunders, who is best known for the unique 29-room Fog Island Inn he designed on Fogo Island, Newfoundland. Saunders will design and help build about six of these basic sites. He may also include small buildings for a library, co-working space, and children's play space.

Quimby will also renovate a large barn on the property to be used for group gatherings.
In summary, the idea is to honor the campground's long history of public use but also conserve this special piece of land.

Trash, Trash, Trash: MITA Celebrates 2019 Season
The Maine Island Trail Assn. (www.mita.org) had a good stewardship season, with much to celebrate. It added a new stewardship associate position and caretakers on the popular Jewell and Little Chebeague islands off Portland Harbor. It organized more than two dozen group service days, the most ever. Hundreds of volunteers aided in keeping the trail pristine and accessible for visitors. Check out this video for a few highlights from the season. https://vimeo.com/368310757

Join MITA's Holiday Party and Open House, Friday, Dec. 13, 5-8 p.m. for a community holiday party at the office 100 Kensington St., Portland, Maine. Call (207) 761-8225 to RSVP.

Paddle the Charles River Whenever You Want
Season passes are now on sale at a reduced rate at Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Boston. Prices range from $114-$179 according to age and returning pass holder status. Family passes are also available. Passes are valid at all seven rental locations on the Charles and Mystic Rivers, lot of choice for a noon-time workout out of Kendall Square, Cambridge, or do a ten-mile stretch with shuttle service (our favorite). Rent a double kayak and bring a friend for free. Upgrade your pass to include 15 days of offsite rentals - take a paddleboard or kayak on your summer vacation! Offsite rentals include everything you need to put a boat or board on your car. For more information, https://paddleboston.com/

Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble in Good Company
Join Paddle Florida December 5 - 8, 2019, for a paddle down the iconic Rock Springs Run, back to Wekiva Springs State Park and on to Wilson's Landing in Seminole County, as participants camp in rustic cabins for the first two nights and at Wilson's Landing on the way to the finish at Blue Springs State Park in Volusia County. At a total of 30 miles, this trip is perfect for beginners to try out paddle camping. On Saturday evening, paddlers will enjoy the musical stylings of Bing Futch! During this trip, you will make memories grounded in nature with an authentic eco-friendly Old Florida charm in an area of Florida that is vastly undisturbed.

Paddle Florida is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting canoeing and kayaking in Florida. Supported, multi-day trips in each of Florida's five water management districts highlight the state's beauty and cultural heritage while promoting conservation. The registration deadline for the St. Johns River trip is November 21. Register here.


	Inset T: West Hansen paddling the Amazon River. Credit Erich Schlegel. Inset B: The Arctic Cowboys. West Hansen's planned route through the Northwest Passage.

The 2020 Arctic Cowboys Northwest Passage Expedition
From the website westhansen.com The plans for this expedition were originally reported in ACK May, 2019, News & Notes.
Originally planned for 2019, the 2020 expedition includes three solo sea kayakers from Texas: Jimmy Harvey, Jeff Wueste, and West Hansen. They will kayak the entire 1900 miles of the infamous Northwest Passage, located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, from the town of Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, Canada to Baffin Bay, near the town of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. International maritime laws and Roald Amundsen define the Passage as running from one end of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to the other. These huge islands contain waterways that held the mystical route sought by explorers for centuries, to link Europe to Asia.

Prior to the digging of the Panama Canal, the only ocean route between Europe and Asia was around the treacherous Cape Horn, then through the Drake Passage - some of the most dangerous seas on the planet.

Until Roald Amundsen made the first successful sea crossing of the Northwest Passage (1903 - 06), this labyrinth of ice took hundreds of lives as explorers attempted to break through the icy barriers, hull crushing rocks and violent arctic storms to make the journey across the top of the world.

Since then, many sailboats and ships have successfully plied the Passage, though modern sailors still fall prey to the desolate elements. A handful of kayakers have attempted the journey and completed parts of the route in multi-year attempts, going over land and over ice, but no kayaker has made the journey in one single season and without portaging over land.

This is the goal for the Arctic Cowboys: 1900 miles in 60 days, across the top of the world.


	Scenes from TRAQS 2018. Photos by David Eden.

Traditional Qajaqers of the South (TRAQS) 2020 Event Registration Open
TRAQS 2020 will take place March 26-29 at the Lake Placid Camp and Conference Center in Lake Placid, Florida, with its beautiful waterfront and fantastic orange-scented breezes.

Helen Wilson, the Internationally famous mentor and new President of Qajaq USA, will be there for TRAQS 2020. Alison Sigethy and Greg Stamer will return as a guest mentors. Ben Fontenot will also return to lead the paddle-making class.

TRAQS is planning new fun group activities including a moonlight paddle and a harpoon throwing contest as well as the always popular bonfire. This is in addition to the array of on-water activities and morning Yoga. It is once again offering an "extended" TRAQS experience. This includes Thursday night, March 26, lodging, three additional meals, and personalized mentoring Friday morning.