Borestone Mountain Partnership

June 21 – 24 (at Borestone Lodge)

Nature Journaling at Borestone Mountain with Sally Stockwell and Sarah Shaw

In Partnership with Maine Audubon at Borestone Mountain 

For Advanced Creatives who work in any art form and would like to enrich their engagement with nature.

This special three-day retreat and workshop is designed to deepen creative engagement with the Maine woods, and immerse participants in the older forests and crystalline ponds of Borestone Mountain. It’s an opportunity to explore a unique ecosystem, from the lilliputian mosses and lichens to the panoramic views of Borestone’s summit.

Open to artists, writers, and creatives, who draw inspiration from the natural world, we will traverse an unimproved road and take a short boat ride to access Maine Audubon’s Borestone Mountain Lodge. The Adirondack style lodge on Midday Pond will be our home and studio for this three-day exploration.

With nature journaling as our foundation, each day Maine Audubon Director of Conservation Sally Stockwell will lead forest walks drawing on the many trails, surrounding forests, and alpine ponds and mountaintop for inspiration. Sarah Shaw, illustrator, visual storyteller, and professor at Maine College of Art & Design, will offer writing prompts, visual storytelling exercises, and experimental illustration activities, designed to take note of the natural world in unexpected ways. In addition, Sally will draw on ecology, climate science, and environmental philosophies to enliven our connection with nature. Along with optional planned activities, time will be set aside for reflection, conversation, and exploring inventive ways of working. While we will introduce some new techniques and tools for recording your nature experience, this is not a beginner class.

Details:
The workshop is scheduled for June 21 – June 24, 2026. Meet at the Borestone access road by 3 pm, Sunday, June 21. Workshop includes rustic accommodation for three nights, all meals prepared from locally produced goods, transportation to and from the lodge from the gate (directions here). Depart Wednesday after lunch to be back at the gate no later than 3 pm. Participants will be sent detailed information prior to the workshop. Registration fee includes three nights of lodging and all meals (Sunday dinner- Wednesday lunch).

> More about Maine Audubon’s Borestone Audubon Sanctuary

> Details about the off-grid rustic lodges

About the Instructors:

Sally Stockwell is a professional wildlife ecologist working every day to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat.  One of her current focuses is on protecting relatively undeveloped forested landscapes and enhancing forest habitat for fish and wildlife.  Sally has also traveled and worked as a naturalist, environmental educator, and outdoor adventure leader in Maine, Minnesota, Yosemite and Katmai National Parks, and across numerous western states.  She holds a Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine Orono, and thinks sheltering at Borestone is magical.

Sarah Shaw is a cartoonist, illustrator, and professor, who’s always on the search for a good story. She makes autobiographical, socio-political, and historical comics with a handmade, decorative flair, as well as visual essays, comics poems, and illustrations that capture the everyday. Her work has appeared (or is forthcoming) in The Boston Globe, The Boston Art Review, Mutha Magazine, Rustica Journal, Pencil Magazine, Shenandoah, and other publications. Some clients include: The White House, School of Visual Arts, The Woodward School, Rotary International, Dirigo Law Group, and Pilgrim’s Inn.

NOTE – This is a 3 day workshop that will take place at Borestone Mountain Lodge. All meals, lodging and tuition are included in the $950 rate. There is no day student option for this workshop.

REGISTRATION IS THROUGH MAINE AUDUBON. REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 1ST