Friends of Baxter State Park
Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership
Applications due February 15, 2012.
Download the application form (pdf).
In August each year, Friends of Baxter State Park (FBSP) sponsors the innovative Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program (MYWLP). This program embodies the central mission of FBSP to promote education about the values of wilderness preservation at Baxter State Park. Thanks to generous support from the Quimby Family Foundation and the Maine Community Foundation, there is no direct cost to the students.
Ten (10) high school sophomores and juniors have an extraordinary opportunity to spend eight (8) nights immersed in the finest example of wild country in Maine. In Baxter State Park, they share in an experience that is becoming rare. Through this wilderness education program, we set in motion a journey that will last a lifetime. Beyond the amazing personal experience, the participants also learn a very important message to share in their schools and communities: wilderness preservation is an essential value for humans as well as for all other species that rely upon this land.
in the Park’s backcountry.
Accompanied by experienced wilderness leaders, MYWLP participants work with a variety of specialists as they hike from one end of Baxter State Park to the other, camping at different sites, including three nights in the backcountry at Russell Pond. Understanding the wilderness through science, art, storytelling, photography, writing, history, and recreation instills an appreciation of the wild lands of Baxter State Park. This is a journey the participants will never forget.
Applications are due in mid-February. Please note, only students who are sophomores or juniors at the time that applications are due, are eligible to apply. In other words, a student who is a Freshman in February will not be eligible even though they will be almost a sophomore at the time of the program. Participants and alternates are selected from a pool of applications in March. Participants are given supporting materials to prepare them for their experience. The program is held in the second week of August in Baxter State Park. For more information about the application process, deadlines, or other questions, contact Friends of Baxter State Park at info@friendsofbaxter.org or write to us at PO Box 609, Union, ME 04862.