Forests of Maine Teachers' Tour # 2 - Katahdin Region
DAY 1
This is my 5th Teachers' Tour (spread out over a 16 year period) with Maine Tree Foundation and Project Learning Tree, and my second time at Twin Pines. This sign is from my 2010 archives because I didn't see it at the entrance this year, and I like the simplicity.Twin Pines Camps and NEOC (New England Outdoor Center) is the perfect place to host our tour. The first thing that I ooohed and ahhhhed about was the beauty of the gardens. Twin Pines has a fabulous master gardener.
And, of course there is Lake Millinocket with Mt. Katahdin in the distance. But, we didn't have too much time to admire our surroundings as we began with a great workshop which introduced the Project Learning Tree materials to participants.  |
| Thanks to Anita for taking this photo. |
After introductions, we had a fabulous lesson on identifying trees by Dan Jacobs, a forester with the Maine Forest Service. He had lots of specimens and talked about maple, ash, dogwood, aspen, fir, spruce, and hemlock, as well as red and white pine trees. I found this great picture online, by David Sibley, that shows the structural form of the three trees that have confused me for years. I added the labels. That, with the following information from Dan, really helped me to discern the difference. Fir looks like a sharpened pencil point at the top and has larger, upright cones, and each needle as two white lines underneath. Spruce have sharp and prickly needles and smells like cat urine. Hemlock looks rather wispy from a distance, has ball shaped cones and often has sapsucker lines on it. And, I really like this LINK that I found to show the difference between fir and hemlock.
Then, we we split up into grade groups, with facilitators for each group, to learn how to use the following books: PLT K-8 Guide, PLT Focus on Forests, and the PLT Green Jobs Guide. Anita Smith (China School Forest) facilitated K-5, Barry Burgason (retired Wildlife Biologist) facilitated 6-8, and I facilitated the 9-12 group.
My high school group got to use biltmore sticks for the first time to measure the diameter of a tree at DBH. And, after estimating the height of a tree, participants were able to calculate how many pounds of carbon that tree would store. Cool! After our workshop, we checked into our cabins. Wow! They were luxurious. Of course, I found myself looking at the floors which had leaf imprints in them! My roommate was one of the high school teachers, Cindy Langley. We got along fabulously and want to meet up again after the tour. She is incredibly dynamic, and has so many unique experiences in teaching, along with incredible knowledge of all things nature based in Maine. I also found myself in awe of all the participants and facilitators as everyone was so accomplished in their fields of study and their professions. DAY 2
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| Click on the map for a larger view. |
Here is a map of our tour stops on Day 2. We traveled a total of around 185 miles to six different destinations. We boarded the bus at 8am and returned to Twin Pines at 8pm. |
Upper Left - We had our faithful and highly skilled bus driver, Scott
Upper Right - Johathan, our intrepid leader of Maine TREE
Lower Left - Kenny, forester extraordinaire, along with the fabulous Kelly with Maine TREE, whose hands you can see taking notes. We'll see her later...
Lower Right - Casey, one of our awesome trip organizers working with Maine TREE |
On the bus...It was a long bus ride, but our driver (and bus owner), Scott, has been driving Maine TREE forest tours for years and knows the roads!
STOP 1 - Off the Golden Road. Certified Logging Professionals Program at the Katahdin Forest Management forestland harvested by A & A Brochu Logging.
First we learned about the importance of safety certification in the woods as it is a dangerous place when logging operations occur. Mike St. Peter was our host, along with Rob Rockwell of A & A Brochu Logging. Then, we walked along a skidder road to watch a processor in action. Note that the road is covered with branches to reduce erosion as the heavy logging equipment drives over it to access the forest.
STOP 2- Tour of Pleasant River Lumber Mill in Enfield.
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Upper left: We met with Mike Lebrun and Jason Brochu to chat about expectaions in the lumber mill.
Upper Right: Brochu truck carries wood products (and yes we just saw them at our first stop of the day!)
Lower Left: Our participants got split into two groups to start the tour in different locations
Lower Right: Pleasant River Lumber company is small at the moment and they are taking smaller, same-sized logs to process as they gear up for greater things in the near future.
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It was interesting to see how the logging companies and mills were all integrated. They all need each other and work hard to maintain healthy forests, safe working conditions, and sustainable products.
It was interesting for me to see this smaller production facility and compare it to a much larger mill that I visited years ago. Some of the processing methods are different depending the species of tree. Soaking birch logs and then stripping them of their bark is a must, while other species of trees are usually stripped of their bark with single-rotor debarkers which I think we are seeing in this photo. Then, the logs go into the mill to be cut, and trimmed, then further processed. We were allowed to walk through portions of the mill.
We were wearing ear plugs as the noise was deafening with logs and lumber moving from one place to another on all kinds of assembly lines. I am continually amazed by the amount of equipment and by the inventiveness of engineers who conceive how the machinery is designed to work. My video above shows small snippets of the action in the mill!
There are so many different types of jobs associated with the wood production industry. We were able to talk with computer technicians who monitor every process throughout each day. The computers are programmed to optimize the products that each log can supply. It is fascinating. Eventually, we made our way outside at the end of the tour. As we listened to the tour guides, there was sawdust flowing out of a chute behind us. Sawdust can be used to create particle board, wood pellets, biofuel, animal bedding, and other products. Nothing goes to waste in a lumber mill. In the distance we viewed lumber that was packaged and ready for shipment. On our way out, we had to wait our turn to get onto the scale as each incoming truck is weighed. We were shocked to find that the bus and all the participants weighed a total of 37,060 pounds! Yowzer! Our bus driver informed us that the combined weight of the 23 passengers was 3,260 pounds. Facilitator, Barry Berguson, gave us a lesson on our worth if we were sold as biomass ($3.00 per ton) and if we were sold as 1,000 foot sugar maple saw logs ($19.10 per ton, I think.) The forest products industry, which includes logging, is an $8 billion per year industry. Loggers are the farmers of the forest, keeping it healthy.
STOP 3 - Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP) in Greenbush.
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| Dana Doran (Professional Logging Contractors) |
We had the pleasure of lunching with, and then watching, students in the Mechanized Logging Operations Program (MLOP), run by the Northern Maine Community College out of Presque Isle, use logging equipment during an outdoor class day. Our hosts were Dana Doran (Professional Logging Contractors), Don Burr (Professional Logging Contractors-MLOP Program), and Ted Wright (Master Logger Program.) |
| Don Burr, Program Coordinator of MLOP |
This particular class of students was all male but in the previous class there were some women as well. Note that anyone who enjoys running large equipment can excel in this program. 95% of the work the forest is mechanical, and 5% is conventional. After going through this training, students can earn almost $50,000 per year to start. WOW! Check out this great video about the MLOP program!We happened to be at the school's outdoor logging operation during the start of their 3rd week. The first two weeks are spent learning in a classroom (trailers on the site,) after that it is hands-on practice with the heavy equipment. There are so many heavy equipment operator jobs available in the logging industry that need to be filled. Anyone who is interested can apply to MLOP. It is an incredible program.
It really does take years to become superbly proficient at running the equipment, but these guys were impressive on their first day! They were incredibly enthusiastic and excited to show us their skills. The morning crew was with us as they had already practiced on the equipment. We were watching the afternoon crew as you can see in my video above. You might also want to watch the video, "This is my Office," to get a taste for the people who work in the forests of Maine. Check out the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine who are heavily involved in MLOP. They have a list of logging careers and talk of the importance of being a professional logger.
STOP 4 - Law Farm-Tree Farm in Dover-Foxcroft.
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| Sarah Robinson gives an overview of the workings of the Law Tree Farm |
I was not able to get any good photos of the Law Farm. But it is under the direction of the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District. There is a great little introductory video that tells of the trees that are raised (like Chestnut), natures trails, etc. of this community farm. I found one little tidbit interesting as Pleasant River Lumber donated some land. Again, I love all the connections between the places/people we have visited.
STOP 5 - WW London and Son Woodlot Management and Trucking in Milo.
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| Photo courtesy of PLC of Maine-Professional Loggers |
WW London and Son Woodlot Management and Trucking is now run by Molly London (forester) and her husband, Alex. They are an incredible duo who have really expanded the business from when her father started it. (For some reason I didn't take any photos as I was fascinated by their story, as you can see;-)
STOP 6 - Bissell Brothers Three Rivers in Milo.
We completed Day 2 of our tours, at Bissell Brothers, for a scrumptious dinner. We also got a bit of history of the business and got to peek at part of their brewing facility. I am so impressed with their sense of community and their philanthropy.
DAY 3
We stayed a bit closer to "home" on this day of our tour.
STOP 1 - Sebeois Public Reserve Land with Dog Reed (BPL) in Sebois.
We met Doug Reed down a dirt road on Sebeois Public Reserve Land. Sebeois is managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. We learned of timber management practices and the importance of being green-certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The amount of care that is taken to preserve the beauty of these landscapes was impressive.
STOP 2 - Appalachian Mountain Club conservation land in Brownsville.
We met with Steve Tatko (AMC and forester) and Dan Jacobs (forester) at AMC conservation land. We learned that Maine is the only state along the Appalachian Trail where the AMC actually owns land and has it managed for trees to gain value in the future. I think they said that Huber Resources manages the AMC owned land. We saw this clear cut that was done several years ago due to the presence of many diseased beech trees. We walked down the road a bit and went into the forest. Dan introduced us to the use of a prism to measure the basal area of a plot of land. This helps to measure the volume of trees in a plot, to see how much timber is available to cut or to leave behind for further growth. Foresters help to meet the landowner's objective and come up with a management plan.
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Kelly, one of our fabulous organizers of the tour (Maine TREE Foundation)
looks through a prism. |
Here is my view through my prism. As you can see from the chart below, my left hand tree is out and the right hand tree is borderline as the offset just touches the base and top. Cool! The AMC is doing a CFI (Continuous Forest Inventory) where they measure specific trees on a 5 year plan. They measure the trees that died, that were successful, what fell down, etc.
NEXT:
We left the AMC conservation land and had our lunch on a section of the Katahdin Ironworks Road.
Steve Tatko gave us a fabulous lecture and a look at some great posters describing the work of the AMC in Maine such as: 100 Mile Wilderness, Protecting Critical Rivers, Expanding Regional Trails, and managing for Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon. AND, again the partnerships between businesses...WW London and Son Woodlot Management is instrumental in building bridges and culverts on AMC land.
STOP 3 - Tour of East Millinocket Mill Site - Peggy Daigle, Mike Michaud, and John Contas.
For me, this was was one of the most eye-opening parts of the tour. Listening to the dynamic individuals of East Millinocket as they seek to revitalize the area was incredible. Here you see Peggy Daigle, Town of East Millinocket Board of Selectmen, Steve Frazier on her right, and Mike Michaud on her left. (I remember when I met Mike in Washington, D.C., in 2011, to represent Maine PLT in promoting the benefits of natural resources education while working with students outdoors.)  |
| This part of the mill will be torn down while other structures will remain. |
Peggy, Steve, and Mike are working with the local communities to recommission the old Great Northern Paper Company Mill. Peggy has 4 generations of family who worked at the mill before it shut down and devastated the economy of the area. My goodness, there were three mills: in Millinocket, East Millinocket, and Madison. This particular mill opened in 1907 with its own dam and hydroelectric facility (which has immense importance for the revitalization efforts of 2021.)The town of East Millinocket purchased this mill site in 2020. Some of the structures will be torn down, while others, like the one above, will be refurbished and used. There is rail in both directions from this site. The mill site will have alternative functions with the possibility of needing millwrights, mechanics, computer-skills jobs, etc as the site changes from a paper mill to other uses. The Katahdin Higher Ed Center will train these skill sets with custom designed courses to fit the needs of the businesses that will hopefully be attracted to the mill's 50,000-90,000 square foot buildings that remain. There are two companies who have signed leases already! We met one of the investors, John Contas, at the mill site where he told us of the vision of his company, Standard Biocarbon, to build a pyrolysis facility to convert low grade biomass into a biocarbon product called biochar. To put it simply, wood chips would be burned at 600F in a low oxygen environment. Afterward, pure carbon is left in a powder form. Possible uses might be to mix in with pavement, absorb organic waste, and many other uses. Steam from the process might be used to heat the buildings. We walked over to the site where his production facility will be housed. As you can see, there will be a lot of work put into transforming this building into the Standard Biocarbon facility. It will also house a Huber facility along with being warehouse space. It is very exciting to see these structures that have been around since 1907 be repurposed for this next generation of technology.
In the distance you see the old scale house. And, nearby there are 150 acres of forest land that might be used for recreation on this site. The possibilities seem endless for use of the mill and land. How exciting!
STOP 4 - Tour of Maine Heritage Timber in East Millinocket
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Upper Right: Tom Shafer-owner of MHT
Lower Left: Salvaged, dried, and cut unprocessed wood
Lower Right: Part of the equipment used to process the wood |
Maine Heritage Timber is the wood products industry at its best. They salvage old pulp wood from the bottom of Quakish Lake to make designer furniture, wall applications, cheese boards, etc! Waste not, want not! Scroll down link above to see a video of the operation. Tom Shafer has a thriving business, with millions of dollars of equipment, to salvage the wood. He leases part of Quakish Lake from Great Northern Paper to do his salvage operation. He estimates that there are about a million cords of wood in the lake. He even gets tree length logs with the original mill branding from pre-Civil War era! He also works with Chuck Harris, the curator at the Boom House on Ambajejus Lake, to supply artifacts that get dredged up during his operation. This River Driving on the Penobscot article gives you an idea of why there is so much wood at the bottom of lakes and rivers in Maine! 
The dried wood gets cut then sliced and thinned to optimize the different widths.One more thing. You know a business is great when there is a dog as the welcoming committee. Virgil was playing with his toys, getting pet, and loved being the center of attention. He even wanted to go with us on the bus!
STOP 5 - A visit to the former Great Northern Paper HQ building to meet Our Katahdin in Millinocket.
And, the amazingness continued. Here we are at the former Great Northern Paper Company's headquarters, in Millinocket. We met with Lucy Van Hook (Our Katahdin) and Shane Flynn (private economic development), to discuss how this building will be utilized after renovation. Our Katahdin is an organization that seeks to promote community and economic development in the region. They are doing a lot of the leg work that takes so many hours of phone calls, visits, etc. to convince companies that this part of Maine is worth investing in. Bravo! The building was constructed in 1913. It is all brick and steel, and there are 1400 acres on this site. Great Northern Paper Company was a very responsible company so this is a clean site. Even so, it will take an estimated $9 million to improve the site for the Nautilus Data Technologies world-class data center and hopefully other companies as well. The data center will take up 84,000 square feet on a 13 acre parcel within the 1400 acres. it will utilize the hydro-electric power plant for energy as there is a 110 foot drop from the dam to the river. Lots of ideas and exciting plans ahead!
DAY 4
This was our last day of this fabulous Teachers' Tour.
We shared out how we would use Project Learning Tree materials in our classroom. For me, the use of the PLT Green Jobs survey, in class, to show students the job availability in the forest industries is a must.
If I can get a field trip back into my curriculum this year, I would like to have our
district forester work with students as I have done in the past. And, maybe having a local logging operation like
Kimball and Sons come in to chat with my students might be a possibility. I may even try to take students to a program at the Kennebec Land Trust's
Curtis Homestead, in Leeds, or maybe work with the
Androscoggin Land Trust to develop a program for my students, etc. The possibilities seem endless...
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I would like to thank Jonathan, Kelly, Casey, CJ (back at the office), and Anita for putting so much effort and expertise into organizing this tour. It was excellent. As always, I learned a lot (and that is an understatement...my brain is full to capacity!) The owners and manager of Twin Pines and NEOC were fabulous. They were so accommodating to our needs. My chauffeur, and former coworker, Mike Lance, was instrumental in getting me to this tour. I was so happy that he was a participant.  |
| Photo courtesy of Mike Lance |
And, now I say goodbye. I hope that all the participants got as much out of this tour as I did, and that everyone will utilize Project Learning Tree in their curriculum to some capacity. If you want to be a facilitator, that would be phenomenal as well. 'Till we meet again!
The dried wood gets cut then sliced and thinned to optimize the different widths.
