We had such a lovely time this past Sunday at our Ride-In and Picnic, and we want to share some of the highlights with you! The picturesque day started off with a guided tour of Cable Pool Park from DSF and Manoment Conservation Sciences who talked to folks about the history of salmon fishing on the Narraguagus, local fish monitoring and habitat restoration techniques, and about the ongoing Cherryfield Ice Dam Removal Project!

Then, more friends and families began to trickle in to grab some food from Friend and Friend and ice cream from the Darling’s Ice Cream Truck. Folks also had the opportunity to connect with local organizations. You could learn more about DSF’s Dam Removal Project at their table, learn about the history of Cherryfield with at their Historical Society’s table, and discover more the local Troop/Pack 139 and Venture Crew 139 scouts and their activities/trips. Mike Manning, our ATV raffle winner, even showed off some fly-tying skills and talked about the Healing Waters Fly Fishing group!

We were so happy to have so many local groups at the event and hope that attendees were able to learn more about all that’s going on in the area!

For just the second time since we started this event over a decade ago, the ATV raffle winner was at the event! Congratulations to Mike Manning for winning this year! Mike was at the picnic doing fly tying demonstrations and just bought a few tickets to support the DEST. He told us, “I bought my raffle tickets to support the cause, never thinking I’d actually win. My coworkers were going crazy, and I was standing there going “What?!?!” when my name was announced. Kathy and I are really excited to join the ATV community in the area.”

When asked about his background, what brought him to Downeast Maine, and why he loves the outdoors he shared, “I’m a retired firefighter/paramedic and Gulf War veteran. I went back to school to become a fisheries biologist and now work for the Downeast Salmon Federation. One of the first tasks they gave me when I began working there was to get a Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing program started. I’m originally from Vermont, and the small towns and woods remind me a lot of where I’m from. I often get to spend my days working outdoors in different areas doing things like monitoring fish populations, working on fish passage & habitat improvement projects, or conducting research that will help improve fisheries management practices in the area. Sometimes I even get to go fishing! I’m already planning on putting the ATV to use looking for new places to go fishing.” Find more information about Healing Waters at their Facebook Page.

A huge thank you to Mike for coming out and for all the important work you’re doing for veterans in our community!

And to everyone else who joined us, thank you for supporting this event! It’s fantastic to meet all the wonderful folks who love and use the trail. We can’t wait to see you next time!

This event wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors!: