Deadline approaches for high school Baxter expedition

The fourth annual Maine Youth Wilderness Program is open for applicants through Feb. 15, a deadline that is fast approaching. All Maine high school sophomores and juniors interested in having an amazing outdoor experience this summer — hurry up and send in your applications.

The program, sponsored by the Friends of Baxter State Park, involves more than a week of backpacking through Baxter State Park, Aug. 4-12.

Photo by Aislinn Sarnacki. Mount Katahdin as seen from Chimney Pond in Baxter State Park in the summer of 2011.

The program is free for the 10 high school students selected from a pool of applications in March, thanks to the support of Roxanne Quimby and the Maine Community Foundation.

Accompanied by experienced wilderness leaders from the Chewonki Foundation, the students will backpack from one end of the park to the other, learning about the values of wilderness preservation.

In March, participants will be given supporting materials to prepare for the unforgettable weeklong journey.

To apply, visit http://www.friendsofbaxter.org/programs/youth.php or contact Friends of Baxter State Park at info@friendsofbaxter.org or write to PO Box 609, Union, ME, 04862. To learn about Baxter State Park, visit www.baxterstateparkauthority.com.

Friends of Baxter State Park is a nonprofit citizen organization working to preserve, support and enhance the wilderness character of Baxter State Park in the spirit of its founder, Percival Baxter.

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.