Friends of Baxter State Park

In this conversation we talk to Greg Shute. Greg recently completed a 41 year career with the Chewonki Foundation. Greg is an expert at leading kids of all ages into the Maine wilderness in ways that keep them safe while challenging them and teaching them about wild places. He’s also a wonderful human being. Join us for this interesting conversation about Chewonki and kids in nature.

We turn the tables on this month’s Friends of Baxter Podcast. Our guest is our usual co-host Jensen Bissell who spent 30 years in the park, including 12 years as the Director. We talk about his experience leading Baxter as well as his 18 years managing the Scientific Forest Management Area (SFMA) in the northern part of the park. While his status in Maine Outdoors is legendary, the Bissell name ha...

It has been said that hiking trails are the heart of Baxter State Park. This conversation is all about those hiking trails. There are more than 200 miles of remote and often rugged pathways through the woods, over mountains, and in some of the most rare habitats in Maine. How are these trails maintained? Find out in this talk with Brennan Turner, the Park’s very knowledgeable and dedicated Trails...

Imagine spending a week alone in the backcountry. While that’s extreme, Baxter State Park’s backcountry rangers spend a lot of time alone and far away from the support and backup that frontcountry rangers rely on. In this episode, we talk with Greg Hamer and Brendan Curran about their lives as backcountry rangers. How do they deal with injury, threats, and working alone on a day-to-day basis? Thes...

The Art of Katahdin with David Little by Friends of Baxter State Park

Join us for an interesting conversation about leadership at Baxter State Park. In April of 2023, the Baxter State Park Authority reached within the ranks of park staff to hire Kevin Adam as the Park's fifth director. Kevin is best known for his 28 years of experience with the Maine Warden Service. A native of Vermont, he came to Maine to study Conservation Law Enforcement at Unity College. He rose...

Join our host Jensen Bissell for a conversation about the Park’s Scientific Forest Management Area (SFMA) with Bob Seymour and Joe Wiley. Bob and Joe have served on the SFMA Advisory Committee for nearly four decades. This episode traces the origins of the SFMA, explores the principles behind its management, and looks ahead to what the future might hold for this remarkable working forest.

Join us for a conversation with Charlie Trautmann about the Baxter Park Wilderness Fund Trust. This important contributor to Baxter Park is a private endowment established by long-time Park volunteer Frank Trautmann. The fund currently holds a value of more than $40 million and contributed a half a million dollars to BSP in 2025. Frank Trautmann passed away in 2014. In this episode, your hosts Bil...

Join us in a conversation with Gail Fanjoy, a fourth generation native of Millinocket and long-serving president of the Katahdin Chamber of Commerce. Gail talks to us about ongoing efforts to revitalize the communities of the Katahdin region.

Our August episode features a conversation with Matt Polstein, the owner of New England Outdoor Center. Matt has been a fixture of the outdoor recreation scene around Baxter Park for more than three decades. We’ll talk about Matt's transition from whitewater guide to major player in Maine's outdoor recreation economy. This is a fascinating account from a man who believes that the clean air, clean...

Join us for a lively and interesting conversation with Molly Ross, the current President of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters. Molly has an extensive background with the National Park Service and was deeply involved in the creation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument along the eastern border of Baxter State Park. She takes us on an informative tour through the process of establishing...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Nate Saunders, veteran violinist for the Augusta Symphony Orchestra and composer of the Katahdin Suite. With infectious enthusiasm, Nate tells us about his creative and very collaborative thinking in composing the piece and capturing his feeling about hiking to Baxter Peak. Oh, and there are fiddle tunes!

Join us for a fascinating discussion with Rupert White. Rupert is the grand nephew of Percival Baxter and remembers Sunday dinners with his great uncle. Rupert’s perspective on Percival Baxter and the Baxter family is a vivid trip back to the era in which the Park came to be. Rupert has long been part of the fabric of the Park. He continues to serve on the Park’s Investment Committee, and his son...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with FBSP member and pioneer of wilderness in Ireland, Bill Murphy. Bill holds a PhD in Wilderness Studies from University College Dublin. His research focused on how people view the concept of wilderness in both Europe and the United States – including hikers in Baxter State Park. If you have ever thought about the meaning of "Forever Wild," this episode is...

Many people who have been lost on a mountain in Maine are alive because they met Bob Baribeau. Bob has been a fixture on the steep ice and rock of Katahdin for decades. As a mountaineer and search & rescue pro, he is known and respected throughout New England and beyond. Listen as he guides us through the evolution of search and rescue and how those changes affect our experiences in the backcountr...

A retired teacher from Presque Isle, Eric Hendrickson has spent decades roaming on and off trail in Baxter State Park. Join us for this wide ranging conversation including human history, trails, fires, caves, and more. 

Located on Lower Togue Pond inside Baxter State Park, Camp Natarswi has inspired generations of Girl Scouts. Did you know that the name Natarswi comes from three favorite activities: nature, art, and swimming? In this episode, you’ll hear about camp life and adventures in the 1950s and 1960s from three campers who were there.

Volunteering in Baxter State Park by Friends of Baxter State Park

With a new movie out about Donn Fendler, Jensen and Bill talk with author Lynn Plourde. Lynn’s book, “Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness” was written with Donn and is the first graphic novel by this prolific Maine writer. The movie, “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” was produced by Sylvester Stallone and released in November of 2024. Lynn knew Donn very well. Jensen and Bill had relationshi...

Join Bill Green and Jensen Bissell for an exciting dive into the history of Baxter State Park’s quietest neighbor, Camp Phoenix, as they talk with Bill and Cookie Horner. The Horners were devoted members of the Camp Phoenix Owners' Association for 30 years, and Bill compiled a history of the camps. It's a charming conversation about this unique set of camps in a wonderful setting.

Baxter State Park, despite its name, is administered separately and is not connected to the larger State Park system. The Baxter State Park Authority, consisting of the Attorney General, the Director of the Maine Forest Service, and the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, has full control and management of the Park and is responsible for all Trust obligations. Patty Cormier spent much o...

Do you know where Clark Island is? Find out in this engaging conversation with Chris Beeuwkes as he tells of a winter climb and a brush with Helon Taylor during an adventure in the Park.

Holly Hamilton managed and oversaw the hospitality operations at Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps for over a decade. In this account, she talks about her experiences as a wilderness camp manager, from the camps’ renovation and opening under her leadership to their eventual closure in 2018. Holly shares insights into the challenges and rewards of working in such an environment, such as dealing with t...

Charles FitzGerald spoke with Bill and Jensen about his extensive involvement with Baxter State Park. During their discussion, they delve into the fundamental principles that have motivated Charles to engage in activities such as filing lawsuits, buying land, participating in advisory committees, establishing sporting camps, and creating foundations for natural education. It’s an intriguing conver...

Evelyn Dunphy is a watercolor artist who specializes in plein-air painting. She was also Baxter State Park's first Visiting Artist. Evelyn has painted from Painter's Beach on Katahdin Lake, following in the footsteps of Frederick Church. In addition to her painting, she also teaches others her craft. Today, she joins Jensen and Bill for an interesting discussion about art and Baxter State Park.