A Month @ MOB: August Issue

In by Rebecka Dykstra

Welcome to the 12th edition of “A Month @ MOB,” a roundup of news and events in Maine’s outdoor industry each month:

Wabanaki Nations can now gather sweetgrass at Acadia

Acadia Superintendent Kevin Schneider said this is a critical step in “preserving and protecting the park through co-stewardship with the Wabanaki tribes and providing space for Wabanaki citizens to heal and re-connect with their homeland.”

Auburn Goodwill partners with Maine GearShare for clothing repair fair

Josh Bossin and the team at Maine GearShare are spreading the word that those items you may have almost given up on can be fixed and get a new lease on life.

Grain Surfboards announces new coffee partnership

For many years, Grain has thrived by collaborating on innovative, sustainably-oriented products including aging a whiskey on cedar shavings repurposed from their board shaping process. Now, they’ve partnered with Rise Up Coffee Roasters on an organic, medium-roast whole bean coffee that has been aged in those very same barrels. Grab a bag online or in their York showroom.

TODAY features the history and mission behind L.L. Bean

For more than 100 years L.L. Bean has been a name synonymous with the great outdoors. Shawn Gorman, the great-grandson of the founder, sits down with TODAY’s AL Roker to dive into the brand’s history and its commitment to service.

$1.9 Million awarded for economic development support through NBRC, USDA Rural Development Partnership

The awards being made through this partnership will support community-driven initiatives in each state with a particular focus on outdoor recreation, business support and workforce development efforts.

University of Maine at Farmington listed in Top 20 Colleges for Skiing and Winter Sports by U.S. News

The University of Maine at Farmington offers both competitive and recreational snow sports, including varsity teams in Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and freeski, an Alpine Operations certificate for career-focused students, free season passes and lessons at nearby Titcomb Mountain, and student discounts at Sugarloaf Mountain and Sunday River Resort.

University of Maine at Farmington has received a Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and USDA Rural Development Partnership Grant for $475,000 to develop the Western Maine Outdoor Recreation Hub of Excellence!

This workforce development hub will allow UMF to greatly enhance how they can best prepare their students in their Outdoor Recreation Business Administration, Alpine Operations Certificate, and Outdoor Recreation minor programs, as well as support their industry partners in Maine’s $3.3 billion outdoor recreation economy.

National Park Foundation contributes $2M to build workforce housing for Acadia

The National Park Service and Friends of Acadia have identified two sites that could provide housing for 60-plus seasonal employees: the Harden Farm property in Bar Harbor and the Dane Farm property in Seal Harbor.

Survue AI bicycle safety device featured on Fox News

Survue is currently available through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. With a modest goal of $5,000, the campaign has already surpassed expectations. Head over to Survue’s Kickstarter page to learn more about the pledge tiers and be among the first to experience this AI-powered cycling safety device.

Survue listed in Top 6 Favorite New Products from Outdoor Retailer 2024

The Fit RV stopped by the Maine Outdoor Brands booth at Outdoor Retailer for a chat with Survue founder, Josh Fox.