Youth Wilderness Leadership Program invites applicants

 The Friends of Baxter State Park are inviting current Maine high school sophomores and juniors to submit applications to the organization’s first Maine Youth Wilderness Leadership Program at Baxter State Park, scheduled for August 9 – 16.
     Ten teenagers will be chosen to participate in the all-expense-paid week that will introduce the group to the importance of wilderness preservation.             Highlights of the week will include introductions to backcountry camping and preparations, safety precautions, map reading, hiking in the park, recreating on the many lakes and ponds, becoming acquainted with special features of wilderness, and learning about job opportunities in outdoor resource occupations and professions.
    Students will also have opportunities to work with a geologist, a naturalist, a wildlife biologist, a photographer, a journalist, and a painter as they deepen their understanding of what “wilderness” means. Experienced wilderness leaders from Chewonki Foundation will lead the group for the week.
    Interested teens can learn more about the leadership program and download an application at the FBSP Web site at friendsofbaxter.org. The application deadline is Feb. 1. Successful applicants will be notified by March 1.
 The week-long camp is made possible through a $10,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation.