Nicholas Brown, a Canadian fourth year majoring in Earth Science (switching from Physics), is into outdoorsing, dancing, and on top of that is a talented quitarist and pianist. If you’re seeking a summer job, his suggestion is: “Make fun your top priority, Money comes second.”

First Place:

4 am. Probably my least favourite time of day…. I stumble out of bed, sore.  Left wrist still tweaky?  Check.

Eat breakfast, make lunch, get in the truck, and sneak in another hour of sleep.  It’s going to be hot today.  As I load bundles of trees into my bags, the challenge before me awakens my senses.
“145…160….175….”

I trace a line up the cutblock.  A trail of coloured tape and tiny trees marks my path.
The sun is just cresting the horizon.  6:45 am.  Most people I know are probably still sleeping.  My shovel sinks into the earth.
“200 more to go”

MaryJean Jones is a Masters of Science and Teaching candidate who loves to write and cook in addition to a wide range of outdoor interests from skiing to backpacking to cycling and Frisbee. She says: “Internships are awesome and really beneficial for your career but being a raft guide is pretty frieckin’ rad too.”

Second Place:

Must be six
Twenty-four hours have past
And I start to feel better
A whole day thinking of you
Hands still shaking
Amazed by the beauty
Greeted by a bald eagle and a seal
I have comfort, warmth
Maybe too much rain
Big slice of heaven
Rowing rhythm
Legs, back, arms, legs, back, arms
Breathe out, breathe in
Wish you were here and hope you are safe
Wanting so much to be free
From this anxiety,
This calamity of urban life
And dichotomy with wilderness haven
A cacophony of wild thoughts and stuffy bike shop
Break into my wild mind

Runner-Up:

Christopher Jander, a third year in Secondary Education with a History minor, is passionately dedicated to sailing, skiing, and playing outside. His advice for students seeking summer employment: “Forget about making money and do something you have never done before.”

Instead of stocking shelves this summer, I sailed the eastern seaboard. Instead of carrying drywall, I was climbing a schooners masts watching whales. While many kids my age were sleeping through the night, I was at the helm of a 125 foot ship beating her way through squall lines. When my friends were warm and dry, I was scraping mold off of my boots with hands numbed with cold. A lot of moms did laundry for their kids this summer. I washed my three t-shirts once a month. Many kids spent their time off of work watching TV or hanging out with friends, I watched dolphins while sitting on a bowsprit. Some people wouldn’t go out in the rain. This summer, the rain came to me by leaking on my feet and chest while I slept. Kids went swimming at beaches this summer, I went swimming 150 miles offshore. While other people were parking cars, I was dropping seven hundred pounds of cast iron into the sea. Some people thought they were tired when they got six hours of sleep. I would go a few days on that much. I’m sure a lot of people had some good weekend adventures though.

In 100 words or less describe your summer experience and create the most captivating entry for a chance to win a prize.

Entries are due by Oct. 23, 2009 and should be sent to maria.fernandez@umit.maine.edu. Be sure to include your name, e-mail, and phone number.

Need a little help getting started? Here’s an example:

What…

• carries one trekking pole
• hikes up the highest peaks in the Adirondacks every summer day?
• camps for five days at a time with the luxury of two tents?
• withstands the rain, wind, socked-in summits, and blackflies, while being patient and courteous with every hiker that comes their way?
• considers educating the masses and doing trail work, to protect the fragile alpine vegetation, a priority issue in the backcountry?
• takes advantage of a job that doesn’t feel like a job in a place they’re way too lucky to be in?

An Alpine Summit Steward

Ian and Rocío en route to the summit of Saddleback Mountain

Classes started sooner than anticipated this year, justifying an immediate four-day break for those not yet prepared to sit in Nutting Hall with a roomful of still yet conscious students. Therefore, to the surprise of several thru hikers and guided groups, Ian from Boston College and I descended upon the Rangeley/Stratton region of the Appalachian Trail. Starting at Route 4, we summited Saddleback on Friday and thus began a backpacking tour of 59.6 miles through plenty of Maine woods, pristinely clear horizons, and white blazes.

Having day hiked several of the peaks en route last year, it was very unique to do a traverse and catch a glimpse of the AT through the eyes of a thru hiker. So who are these people with grizzled hair, a noticeable scent, and trekking poles dangling from their wrists? A much disputed title of fame and glory, a thru hiker will march the 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail, that goes from Georgia to Maine, as one uninterrupted hiking session.

What does this unending maze of rocks, sky, and forest tunnels come to feel like? Well, the more time you spend in the backcountry, meandering through a framework of trails, the more you see them as a grid of roads created within this “wilderness.” The AT construction workers are all volunteers, such as the Maine Outing Club, which dedicate themselves to maintaining sections several miles long. I was very grateful for these crews’ work, especially when it came time for the off-roading bushwhacks from South Crocker to Reddington and back. The krummholtz of dwarf firs and spruces is an unforgiving environment to hikers, especially when there is no clearly defined trail. Fortunately, UMaine’s forestry labs and the Acadia forestry camp had forewarned me of the joys of barreling through dense woods and blow down.

After a series of breathtaking sunsets, night hiking, and a final witness of the sunrise, we summited West Avery on Labor Day morning and discovered four of the thru hikers we had originally seen at the beginning of our trip. They would continue onward for another month, following the backpacker’s rhythm of life: sleeping, eating, and hiking towards the ultimate summit of Katahdin. Meanwhile, as we absorbed one of the last views of the day, Ian and I felt the pangs of withdrawal and reality began to creep in. Unfortunately, we needed to descend via the Fire Warden’s trail where the car was waiting, classes were lurking, and a new mountain of responsibilities awaited us.

Atop the summit of Mt. Abraham, which once burned

This summer, I was very fortunate to receive one of two full-cost scholarships awarded by UMaine’s School of Forest Resources to participate in a month-long study abroad forestry course in Turkey. Before the course, I knew very little about the country, but with a little research I learned that Turkey was a democratic, predominantly Muslim country about the size of Montana but with more people than California and Canada combined. I also learned that Turkey has long served as an important link between Europe and Asia, and is growing in geopolitical influence.

We left Boston’s Logan International Airport and, after a few stops and many hours in the air, arrived in Istanbul – one of the world’s largest cities and the historic capital of the Ottoman and Eastern Roman empires. Once there, I experienced my first real kebab (it was extraordinary!) as we waited for other students to arrive. In all, our group included three professors and 17 students from five different nations.

During our month in Turkey, we covered 4,600 km by road and visited five geographic regions. At each region, host faculty taught us about forestry and natural resource issues.

All in all, we visited oak forests, tea and hazelnut plantations, agricultural fields, orchards and bee yards, and factories. We hiked through alpine meadows to reach mountain villages, and explored Roman ruins and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. In Cappadocia, we visited centuries-old underground cities – some as deep as eight stories –and stayed in a hotel where the rooms were carved from caves and nearby cliffs. We ended our trip in Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, swimming in the warm, crystal-clear waters while scanning the skies for shooting stars.

The field course not only gave me a new perspective on forestry, but expanded my views toward this important region of the world and the unique challenges it faces. Across Turkey, our hosts were extremely gracious, with elaborate receptions, dinners, and local cultural events. Some of my most memorable experiences include late-night discussions with faculty and students about not just forestry, but religion, politics and world events – both in Turkey and in the U.S. Attending this course was the opportunity of a lifetime. I will always be grateful to the School of Forest Resources for its generous support.