The Festival takes place in the height of summer, in the heart of the Maine Woods The Festival features inspiring presentations and authentic programs all about the region, all led by expert Maine people The Festival is a one-week journey, landing in a remote, spectacular landscape, learning the ways of the Wabanaki and the ways of the Woods The Festival helps to find the cultural thread and quiet solace that inspires harmony with Nature, for its many human benefits The Festival celebrates the balm of the Maine Woods, as seen through the eyes of Thoreau, learned from the traditions of the Wabanaki
Schedule of Events:
9:30 am - Thoreau Nature Walks
with Evolutionary Ecologist Amity Wilczek & Master Maine Wilderness Guide Alexandra Conover Bennett
Location: Meet at The Depot Historic Train Station, Greenville Junction, at 9:30 am, for a short ride to a nearby trailhead. Note ~ Bring water and a snack to enjoy at the overlook. Binoculars, a hand lens, and cameras if desired.
Master Maine Guide Alexandra Conover Bennett guides a father-daughter duo of birders on Little Moose Mountain in 2024. Meaghan Guyader photo.
Little Moose Mountain Trail wanders gently but steadily upward through a mixed forest to a fine overlook of Moosehead Lake. We will poke along lingering here and there as we seek scarlet tanagers, blackburnian warblers, thrushes, mushrooms, sweet scented wood ferns, and wild edible and medicinal plants. Bring water and a snack to enjoy at the overlook. Binoculars, a hand lens, and cameras if desired.
Explore this nearby trail with guides especially tuned to whatever is found in the woods that morning. Expert Guides Amity and Alexandra will be responsive to whatever we see and to the interests of the group, with an emphasis on plants, birds, and trees. What was it that Thoreau remarked on from his trips into the Maine woods — what was he looking forward to seeing? What did he write about what he saw? What differences did he notice between Concord and Maine? As he moved from a landscape that he knew intimately and had walked daily over decades, how did he react to a new environment and try to understand it? What will we see today?
11 am The Tonic of Wildness: Henry David Thoreau's Excursions to the Maine Woods
with Thoreau Society Historian Richard Smith
Location: The Depot Historic Train Station, Greenville Junction, Maine
Henry David Thoreau took three extended visits to Maine in 1849, 1853, and 1857. It was here that Thoreau experienced the true wildness of the North Woods: the moose, the rivers, the mountains, and – most importantly to him – the Penobscot people.
Historian and Living History Interpreter Richard Smith with a bust of Henry Thoreau.
Join us as Public Historian Richard Smith presents the fascinating story of Thoreau in the Maine Woods. Why did Thoreau come here? What was he hoping to find? And how did Maine affect his life and writings?
1 – 4 pm - Birch Bark Canoe Flotilla! Penobscot Nation Drummers
with Master Birch Bark Canoe Builder Steve Cayard & Paddlers
Location: Greenville Junction Wharf on Moosehead Lake, Greenville, Maine
Hear the power of traditional group drumming,
Penobscot Nation Flotilla Opening Ceremony
1 pm, Greenville Junction Wharf
Experience the feather-light maneuvering of an expected 30 birch bark canoes gathering in West Cove and on the Wharf throughout the afternoon! Visit with paddlers from across Maine and some from Canada.
7 pm Dark Skies - Aurora Borealis Photography
with Moosehead Lake Region Photographer Isaac Crabtree
Location: The Depot Historic Train Station, Greenville Junction, Maine
The Night Sky and Aurora Borealis over Mt. Kineo are captured by Moosehead area photographer Isaac Crabtree. Isaac Crabtree photo.
Learn to capture the millions of stars that span the dark skies of the Moosehead Lake Region with renowned night sky and aurora borealis photographer Isaac Crabtree. Isaac will share a beginner's guide to taking photographs at night and tips on astrophotography, with a special focus on the Milky Way, Northern Lights, and other celestial events, like comets.
Isaac's expertise is in aerial photography, while his access to the dark skies in the Moosehead Lake Region has given him ample opportunity to hone his skills in astrophotography. He has been teaching high school science at Greenville High School since 2007 and photographing the sky and landscape of the Moosehead Lake Region for much of that time. Photographers of all levels are welcomed!
Catch the wonder of the night sky around Moosehead Lake, one of only two locations in Maine with a high Dark Sky rating (the other at Katahdin Woods & Waters), and one of the rare places east of the Mississippi still brilliant with stars that can be seen by the naked eye. Watching the Aurora Borealis shimmer across Moosehead Lake is an oft-regaled occurrence. How does Isaac Crabtree work his magic to tell the story of this Dark Sky?
