Trail Volunteer Spotlight: Saphrona Stetson
On Saturday, June 1st, the Maine Trails Coalition and partners around the state are kicking-off Love Maine Trails Month, now in its third year. Love Maine Trails Month (LMTM) is a collection of statewide events bringing volunteers and organizations together to care for Maine’s trails. LMTM brings visibility to the substantial resources and effort required to maintain Maine’s beloved trails.
Though you may think of trail volunteers as ones that are always digging in the dirt and maintaining land-based trails, in this blog post, we feature a volunteer that plays an integral role to water trails in Maine. Volunteers like Saphrona, perform critical stewardship needed to keep the water trail intact, while deepening and sharing their connection to the trail through service.
The Maine Island Trail is a 375-mile water trail, connecting 220 sites and 233 shoreside resources along the length of Maine’s coast. Though some aspects of the Trail may change each year, what doesn’t change is that volunteers like Saphrona help to ensure that Trail sites stay open to the public and well-cared for. Many of the islands have trails as well- some are to get to resources like campsites, but others circumnavigate. Learn about a past LMTM volunteer experience our Project Coordinator attended along the Maine Island Trail.
> Learn more about the Maine Island Trail Association here.
> If you use and appreciate trails in Maine, consider making it a practice to donate your time back to trails this June (and beyond). Find a Love Maine Trails Month event on the Maine Trail Finder Calendar here.
Now let’s meet Saphrona!
Name: Saphrona Stetson (she/her)
Where you Live: Bridgton, ME/Camden, ME
Organization/Affiliation: Maine Island Trail Association
What trail or trail project are you currently working on or most involved with? How long have you been involved? Growing up in Camden, I primarily use and monitor the Penobscot Bay Islands around Vinalhaven, but sometimes branch out to Muscongus Bay or other areas when MITA asks.
What is your favorite MITA trail memory? This isn’t specifically a trail memory, but MITA used to host an overnight gathering around their annual meeting. One (or more) years we all camped out on Warren Island, but the year I really remember is the year we used the Audubon Camp on Hog Island in Muscongus Bay. With our parents in meetings or other activities, us kids who were there were pretty much given the run of the island. We explored, made raincoats out of trash bags (we must have not read the forecast well!) and in general just got to be kids.
Why did you get involved in trail stewardship? My dad has been working with MITA as a volunteer since very early on in MITA’s existence. When I was old enough (maybe 5?) I started going on monitor trips with him. Later I went to Maine Maritime Academy, but it wasn’t until Chris at MITA reached out several years ago asking why I wasn’t a certified skipper that I finally got checked off to skipper myself. Since then I’ve made it a goal of mine to try to get as many of my female boat operator friends out on the trail and perhaps to become volunteer skippers in the future.
Why do you Love Maine Trails (water and land based trails!): I love Maine trails and islands as a way to see new parts of our state and explore the outdoors. Plus, I’ll take just about any excuse to get out on the water!
Best tip or encouragement for trail users or volunteers? Volunteering with MITA is a great way to get out and see our state from a different perspective that not everyone gets a chance to see.
Have you ever had barriers to accessing trails or how does your volunteer work help to improve access to trails and trails for all? Not a barrier per say, as I was given many opportunities on the water as a kid. However, growing up I didn’t have a lot of female role models on the water. I hope that by volunteering with MITA I can play a small part in reducing that barrier for others, even if it's just that someone is maybe more comfortable with a female skipper, or being able to skipper for a woman’s work day, or even just being visible for other skipper’s daughters to feel that they too could skipper a MITA skiff too.
If you were “stuck” on a trail for the rest of your life, which trail would it be? If I was stuck on an Island for the rest of my life it would be Hurricane Island.
> We love this perspective and thank Saphrona for being a volunteer, and for actively trying to engage more women and being a role models for others. If you see Saphrona out on the island Trail, be sure to thank her for all that she does. You can follow MITA on Facebook and Instagram at @meislandtrail, or follow her at @seasailor_
