Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters

11/02/2026

This Wednesday is the final installment of a three-part night sky series with Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Night Sky Ranger Heidi!

This final talk explores how stories about the stars connect us to the past, help us reflect on the present, and shape the way we think about the future. The program will be held indoors and will include several interactive activities. There will not be a stargazing component.

📅 Wednesday, 11/4
📍 Millinocket Memorial Library
⏰ 6:00pm

Photo: Justin Miller, Stars Over Katahdin 2026

10/29/2026

This is the last weekend Tekαkαpimək will be open so make sure you get up there while you can!

The end (of the season) is near! The last day Tekαkαpimək Contact Station will be open this fall is Sunday, November 1 from 10 am to 4 pm.

After that, Tekαkαpimək Contact Station will be closed until next spring.

Come on out for one more visit - there's still time to squeeze in a trip, and the fall colors are continuing to put on a beautiful show!

To keep up to date on latest conditions and hours, check the "Operating Hours and Seasons" section of our website: https://www.nps.gov/kaww/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

📸 NPS / H. HUMMEL

10/28/2026

Last week, educators from the Katahdin Learning Project spent time with 7th and 8th graders at Stearns High School, bringing classroom learning outdoors and connecting it to a place right in their community.

The 8th graders tested water quality in the nearby Millinocket Stream, continuing a citizen science project they have participated in over the years. By returning to the same stream, students aren't just learning about water quality. They're building on previous observations, collecting real data, and seeing how science can help us understand changes in the places around us.

This year, the lesson also connected with the students' Wabanaki studies. Bringing these two areas of learning together gave students another way to think about the water and the landscape around them, adding context and depth to what they were observing and measuring. They weren't just learning how to test water quality. They were considering the importance of the stream, its place in the local landscape, and the different ways we can understand and learn from the places around us.

10/26/2026

Our October eNews is out, with a look at the changing season, a recap of our biggest-ever Stars Over Katahdin, what’s happening with the Katahdin Learning Project, updates from the National Park Service, and more.

Take a few minutes to catch up with Friends and see what we’ve been up to this fall. Link in comments.

This month, we wanted to give a big sponsor shoutout to National Park Foundation! Thank you for everything you do!

Photo: Chris Bennett

10/21/2026

Free Dark Sky Educational Series starts TOMORROW, October 22 @ 6pm!

Join NPS Ranger Heidi Hummel at the Millinocket Memorial Library for the first of a three part series. At this event, “Home Is Where the Dark Is” you’ll learn how humans and wildlife are affected by darkness and light pollution and how we both find a sense of home under the night sky.

This is an indoor event with educational programming and interactive activities, but does not include any stargazing.

Can’t make it or interested in the whole series? Mark your calendars:

October 28th “Space: The Final Frontier”
November 4th “Storytelling by Starlight”

Find more information and details at nps.gov/kaww/planyourvisit

Photo Credit: David Still

10/19/2026

What can you learn from 71,000 hours of birdsong? A lot!

Researchers have been recording bird sounds across four northeastern forests, including Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, to better understand how bird populations and communities are changing.

Those recordings have helped researchers identify more than 176,000 bird vocalizations from 88 species and are now being used to develop tools that can automatically identify birds by sound.

Pretty cool to know that the sounds of Katahdin Woods and Waters are helping advance bird research far beyond the monument! Read the full National Park Service article: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/bird-data-gets-a-big-boost.htm

Photo: NPS

10/16/2026

Attn: Katahdin region residents! Check out this great job opportunity to work for Katahdin Woods & Waters! Accepting applications now!!

We’re hiring locally!
Join the team at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument as a Maintenance Worker Leader through our Local Hiring Authority, open to eligible community members living near the monument.

📅 Applications open between October 14-October 27, or until 100 applications have been received.

In this role, you’ll help support maintenance of buildings, roads and trails, provide daily direction to other workers and contribute directly to caring for your national monument.

📄 Apply on USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/888533800

📸 NPS / GIN MAJKA

10/14/2026

Want to explore Katahdin Woods & Waters this fall but not sure where to start? Take it from Education Manager Elise, who has spent plenty of time exploring the monument. Last fall, she mapped out her perfect day in the northern Katahdin region, complete with farm stand cookies, a scenic drive, a bike ride (or hike!) to Grand Pitch, fall foliage, and delicious food. Read Elise’s full fall day trip itinerary for ideas on where to go, what to see and where to stop for a bite along the way. Link in the comments!

10/10/2026

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend and always, we acknowledge that what is now Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is within the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation, and is a place of significance to all Wabanaki Nations.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to listen, learn, reflect, and recognize the continued presence, leadership, cultures, and contributions of Wabanaki peoples today.

Here are a few opportunities to consider:

• Firefly at Boreal Theater | Saturday, Oct. 10, 3 p.m. | Millinocket
Enjoy music, storytelling, visual performance and traditional Wabanaki culture with Penobscot artist Jason Brown, known as Firefly.

• Tekαkαpimək Contact Station | Saturday–Monday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Explore exhibits and learn about the cultural and natural history of the monument from a Wabanaki perspective.

• Green Corn at nibezun | Saturday, Oct. 10 | Passadumkeag
A Green Corn gathering with time reserved for Wabanaki families from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and open programming for everyone from 1–4 p.m.

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day Film Festival | Sunday, Oct. 11, 1:30–7:30 p.m. | Bangor
Enjoy a free afternoon and evening of films highlighting Wabanaki cultures and Indigenous perspectives at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

• Water is Life: Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Abbe Museum | Monday, Oct. 12 | Bar Harbor
Explore the theme “Water is Life” through music, storytelling, performance, history and hands-on activities.

• Wabanaki Alliance Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration | Monday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Capitol Park, Augusta
Film screenings, drumming, reflection, and community with Wabanaki Alliance.

Wherever you spend the weekend, we encourage you to make time to learn from Indigenous voices and support Wabanaki-led organizations, and consider what it means to be a respectful guest and neighbor in Wabanaki homelands.

Photo: Justin Miller

10/08/2026

We had the best time at Stars Over Katahdin! With over 470 registered guests, this year’s event was our biggest and brightest celebration of the night sky yet. Rockets were launched, the campfire was hot, fascinating stories were shared, the Burnurwurbskek Singers filled the evening with music, and 12 expert astronomers helped guests discover the Milky Way, Saturn and countless constellations through their telescopes.

Stars Over Katahdin is a free community event, and we couldn’t make it happen without the incredible astronomers, speakers, musicians, volunteers, staff, local businesses and everyone who comes out to celebrate the night sky with us.
Thank you for making this year so special. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Enjoy these photos from JM NatureScapes from the event!