Visitors See the Dark at AMC’s Inaugural Dark Sky Festival

Earlier this month, a group of outdoor enthusiasts gathered at AMC’s Medawisla Lodge for the inaugural See the Dark Festival  – a weeklong celebration of the ecological, recreational, and cultural benefits of the night sky. Held just before the new moon for optimal star visibility, the event featured expert speakers, artists, and opportunities for stargazing.

See the Dark featured:

• Poet Midge Goldberg and several other poets reading from Goldberg’s compilation of star-themed poems, Outer Space: 100 Poems
• “The Astronomer’s Disappearing Sky” – Dr. Laurence Marschall, Emeritus Professor of Physics at Gettysburg College
• “Astrophotography in the North Woods of Maine” – Isaac Crabtree, Northwoods Aerial
• “Astronomy’s Greatest Eye on the Sky: The James Webb Telescope” – Dr. Laurence Marschall Emeritus Professor of Physics, at Gettysburg College
• “Nocturnal Animals: Owls, Bats, and More!” – Serena Sanborn, Master Maine Naturalist
• “Birds and the Big Dark ‘Hole’ of Northern Maine” – Dr. John Hagan, Maine Climate Table
• “AMC’s Journey to Become an International Dark Sky Place and How You Can Participate at Home” – Jenny Ward, AMC
• “Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies” – Dr. Sara Lewis , Tufts University
• Night sky tours by John Meader, Northern Star Planetarium and Astronomy PhD students from the University of Maine
• A guided tasting and beer sampling by event sponsor Allagash Brewing Company
• A performance by musician Ben Cosgrove
• Showing of the film Defending the Dark, created by Tara Roberts Zabriskie

“Most attendees were first time visitors to Medawisla Lodge,” said Jenny Ward, AMC’s Maine Brand Strategist and organizer of the event. “Not unlike the connections that humans have made between stars to create stories and constellations, the friendships and bonds between visitors and presenters that were shaped during our first See the Dark Festival will last far beyond the actual experience.”