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PHOTO: MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso, left, and Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody, present the Legendary Maine Guide Award to Polly Mahoney, of Newry, co-owner and operator of Mahoosuc Guide Service, last year on April 9. (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife photo)
AUGUSTA – The nominations for the Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award close Feb. 17.
The award is presented annually in memory of Master Maine Guide Robinson, and recognizes a Registered Maine Guide who have gone above and beyond in outdoors education, preservation and community service. To be eligible, a guide must have had a license for a minimum of 20 consecutive years and worked actively as a guide for at least a cumulative 10 years.
The 2022 award will be presented in April. For nomination information, visit maine.gov/ifw/programs-resources/registered-maine-guides.
Ideal candidates have actively volunteered or served in their community, sharing their experience or offering education related to safety and survival in the Maine woods and educating youth about the importance of the state’s ecosystem. Additionally, the candidate has been active on boards or committees that enhance and promote the importance of Maine’s outdoor resources, such as youth programs, Scout leader, conservation education, safety instructor, search and rescue volunteer, fish and game clubs, guide license examiner and more.
The 2021 recipient was recipient was Polly Mahoney, of Newry. Mahoney has been a guide for more than 30 years and is co-owner operator of Mahoosuc Guide Service. She has taught at Bryant Pond Conservation Camp, presented at Common Ground Fair, spoke at schools libraries, and universities.
Mahoney helped the Cree and Inuit Nations in Quebec set up and operate tourism and guiding businesses and has been working with the Penobscot Nation over the past seven years doing the same. In that role she has helped spread understanding of the culture, traditions and history of the Penobscot by offering canoe trips using Penobscot guides as staff.
She has also shared her expertise by mentoring young people who have an interest in the outdoors and who have gone on to become guides.
The 2022 award will be presented to the recipient at the annual Maine Professional Guides Association banquet in April.
Guides previously honored are Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson (posthumously), 2009; Gil Gilpatrick, 2010; Gary Corson, 2011; Gardner Defoe, 2012; Matthew P. Libby, 2013; Don Dudley, 2014; Danny Legere, 2015; Richard Scribner, 2016; Donald E. Helstrom Jr., 2017; Lance Wheaton, 2018; Bonnie Holding, 2019; Carroll Ware, 2020; Mahoney, 2021.
