NPS/D.Hunt Introduction to AcadiaWelcome to Acadia National Park, located on the coast of Maine. Acadia is a national park consisting of over 30,000 acres of protected land, spanning from the intimate island of Isle au Haut, to the larger Mount Desert Island, and to the mainland on Schoodic Peninsula. As the only national park in Maine, Acadia is special to many because:
HistoryFor thousands of years the Wabanaki have lived and stewarded the north Atlantic coast. In Acadia we see evidence of seasonal use of the island, including coastal campsites where Wabanaki people would hunt, fish, and gather natural materials for use. Long before European settlers, the Wabanaki people were traveling the coast in their seaworthy birch bark canoes. Although much of their lifestyle has changed over the years, Wabanaki people are still present and active in Acadia. A great way to learn more about Wabanaki history and culture is to visit the Abbe Museum located in Bar Harbor.We don’t know exactly when the Wabanaki first encountered the European settlers, we know that the early 1600s was a time where cultures were colliding. In 1604, Pierre Dugua, left France with intent to colonize North America. On this voyage, Samuel Champlain, the groups cartographer, wrote of Mount Desert Island; “The island is high and notched in places so that from the sea it gives the appearance of a range of seven or eight mountains. The summits are all bare and rocky…I named it “l’Ile des Monts-deserts.” Which is how this island got it’s name. 
NPS/Eric Michelena GeologyThose “barren mountain tops” have a unique history. Acadia is a fantastic place to see how glaciers change a landscape. Glaciers are slow moving rivers of ice. As glaciers moved across the land they eroded mountains to be more rounded, widened valleys into a U-shape, and left bits of rock and debris in their wake. Glaciers also cleared much of the older trees and vegetation, revealing summits with a pink and orange hue. Much of the rock in Acadia is granite- an igneous rock formed as magma cools slowly and over a long period of time. So at one time in Acadia’s history, iconic places like Cadillac Mountain were part of the magma chamber of an ancient super volcano. 
NPS EcosystemsWhile volcanoes and glaciers shaped the land, they were also forces impacting the plants and animals of Acadia. The glacial till and deposits became a great home for spruce and fir forests. Other factors like fires or changing climates have led to a variety of plants- over 1100 different plant species across Acadia National Park. With the forests and the coastline so close to one another, animals such as sea stars and barred owls could co-exist on the same island. Forest animals like squirrels, salamanders, and birds are common sightings in Acadia. Meanwhile, it is uncommon to see a moose or a bear in this small national park.
Friends of Acadia/ Will Green ResearchWith so much diversity it is little wonder that many scientists have been drawn to coastal Maine, from Louis Agassiz the early glaciologist, Florence Bascom the first recognized female geologist, to today’s researchers, like Suzanne Greenlaw a Wabanaki researcher on sweetgrass practices. Learning about this gorgeous park makes all of us better at protecting it. And it doesn’t have to be just researchers. Acadia has a well-known citizen science program. Citizen science is where all of us in a community take up the responsibility to learn about our special places.Resource LinksStill have questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page. Stay curious! Keep exploring! |
Last updated: June 30, 2021