2023 Outreach and Education Report

Through immersive experiences, the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program aims to promote responsible use of the area, instill a greater appreciation, love, and respect for the environment and inspire future advocates for protecting our natural resources.

The following report highlights annual and ongoing outreach and environmental education designed to help visitors understand the unique resources located here and the importance of responsible low-impact recreation as they set out to explore the area. Visitation has continued to increase, prompting much-needed infrastructure improvements. With these changes, visitor expectations have begun to shift. Community collaboration and a wider range of outreach efforts remains crucial to meeting those expectations while staying aligned with the Program’s mission.

Educational displays in the Learning Lodge.

• Learning Lodge
  • The summit visitor center was open to the public every weekend from Memorial Day Weekend through mid-October, as well as on Fridays in July and October.
  • The Lodge provides a variety of intriguing resources and interactive displays for all ages.
    • Added this year: “Design a Garden” activity to teach visitors about pollinator syndromes.
  • Efforts were made this year to create a more comfortable, nostalgic atmosphere in the Lodge that honors the unique history of the building itself and invites visitation.

• Registered Groups
  • Worked with diverse groups to assist in planning visits to Mount A: hiking clubs, outdoor ceremonies, schools, scouts, summer camps, etc.
    • 20 groups identified as schools or summer camps with 800+ students/campers visiting the Learning Lodge and 11 student groups participating in staff-led programs.

The Summit Project honored fallen Maine service members with a circle ceremony on the Northface Path.

• Public Programming
  • Led 22 public programs including bimonthly partner programs with the Center for Wildlife and both guided walks and indoor environmental education programs for York’s Center for Active Living. Program staff were also joined by Great Works Regional Land Trust for our annual Three Hill Hike in November.

A CAL hike out to Folly Pond at York Water District in June.

• Special Events
  • Imagine a Day Without Water
    • Program staff worked with the York Water District, York Sewer District, and the York School Department to educate K-1 students from Village Elementary School about water usage.
  • Big A 50K
    • This volunteer-run trail race benefiting the Conservation Program returned for its 12^th year, with just over 80 participants.
  • Annual Trail Challenge
    • 104 participants in-person and virtually, 20+ volunteers.
  • Mayor’s Monarch Pledge
    • As part of the Town of York’s commitment to the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, worked on initiatives to educate York residents about how to create and protect Monarch butterfly habitat.
      • Hosted four “seed bomb” workshops.
      • Presented to the Coastal Ridge Elementary School’s “Green Team” with information on pollinator gardens.
      • Hosted native Milkweed seed collection and distribution efforts and distributed Milkweed plants to the community at no cost.

The first “seed bomb” workshop was at the York Parks and Recreation Springtime Surprises event in April.

• Online Presence
  • Maintained website; developed content for and managed social media accounts and e-mail distribution list; produced press releases and other media with program listings, news, and updates.
  • Daily correspondence with visitors via online contact form and inquiries over social media accounts and phone.
  • Researched and contacted third-party/crowdsourced websites and apps to ensure information on Mount Agamenticus remains accurate and up to date.
  • Worked with the Friends of Mount Agamenticus 501(c)(3) to produce and distribute the Summit View newsletter and to promote fundraising and volunteer efforts.

The Friends of Mount Agamenticus held their first fundraising raffle in 2023.

• On-site Information, Interpretation, and Education
  • Installed and maintained seasonal StoryWalk®.
  • Maintained educational and promotional content for kiosks and trail boxes, updated seasonally or as needed.
  • Updated trail map and brochure to reflect parking and restroom upgrades.

• Annual Visitor Use Survey
  • 452 groups (over 1074 visitors) were surveyed.
  • Information gathered to track trends and evaluate public opinion about the area. For a full survey report, please see Mount Agamenticus 2023 Visitor Use Survey Results.

• Gift Shop
  • Gift Shop sales, both in-person and online, support outreach and education efforts in the Learning Lodge and beyond.
  • Care is made to select inventory that is in alignment with mission and vision, which includes a variety of sustainably and locally produced or printed items.
  • A seasonal “pop up” gift shop was open in November and December for holiday shopping.

If you have any questions or comments about this report, or are interested in related volunteer opportunities, please reach out to our Outreach and Education Coordinator.

This report can also be downloaded as a printable PDF file (link opens in new tab).

For a stewardship update and field season highlights, please see 2023 Stewardship Report.