Field Notes: Katahdin Region Outdoor Collective
Mike Smith | OSI Executive Director
Real lasting change is rarely the result of one program or one organization. Change requires a collective effort, especially when we’re talking about community change. It takes individuals and organizations working together in countless ways across different sectors.
This is why one of OSI’s primary goals is to strengthen a regional outdoor coalition here in Maine’s Katahdin Region. Developing trails, accessing gear, expanding outdoor programming and events, engaging youth – this all requires partnership. No one entity is going to do it alone, at least not sustainably.
A great example of this collective effort is the collaborative youth programming OSI launched with partners during the summer of 2022. Since getting started in the Katahdin Region we knew there was a need for more accessible outdoor experiences for young people. Thanks to some passionate educators, fantastic outdoor education experiences were happening in local schools, but there was a lack of opportunities outside of that.
It would have been tempting to simply launch our own youth programming efforts but this went against one of our core strategies which is to build partnerships. By coordinating partners and resources in this way, we are striving not just to make programming available, but to also make it resilient.
This work doesn’t happen quickly. It took several years to develop relationships, trust, and the necessary infrastructure. Then, two summers ago, working closely with partners from Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters, Elliotsville Foundation, Millinocket Memorial Library, Ktaadn Resorts, and Katahdin Area Trails, we were able to launch a series of collaborative youth programs.
These were not OSI programs, there were KROC programs – Katahdin Region Outdoor Collective.
The idea was to invite partners to bring whatever resources, energy, and motivation they had to help develop the experiences that could be offered. Some partners brought staff time to help lead programs. Others provided physical space and still others provided transportation. OSI served as the coordinating backbone, delivering support where needed.
Today KROC has not only stuck as the name for these collaborative youth programs but has become the banner under which regional outdoor collaborative efforts live. With OSI’s support, organization, and resources, KROC is now one of the key focus areas of a broader regional network known as the Katahdin Collaborative.
Through KROC we are working with other non-profits, businesses, municipalities, and individuals, to bring trails, gear libraries, programs, and events to life. At the core of this is the shared belief that the outdoors can have a profound impact on youth wellbeing, and the future vitality of the region.
The influence KROC is having is evident. Students reacted to their participation in KROC programs by saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy in my life.” Another student said, “They help us learn about the outdoors and how to be safe. I’ve gone places I have never gone before and I think it’s good. I think of KROC as my second family.” It’s these small, numerous impacts that together can transform a region.
We often talk about developing a pipeline for young people, where they can get engaged and find opportunities to grow. At OSI we think a better analogy is weaving a basket. Partners, experiences, relationships – the more we bring together, the tighter the weave, and the more likely we are to catch and support people in the region. OSI is proud to be one of the many partners in this collective that is helping to transform rural communities in Maine’s Katahdin Region.
