April 27, 2022

MDIFW NEWS: Polly Mahoney Of Newry Receives Legendary Maine Guide Award

AUGUSTA, Maine - Polly Mahoney, a longtime guide from Newry, was honored by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife with the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award. The award was presented by MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso and Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody during the Maine Professional Guides Association annual banquet on Saturday, April 9th.

"Polly's wealth of experience and her willingness to give back to the community and others make her extremely deserving of this award," said MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso, She is well-known for outdoors skills and leadership, but perhaps even more so for mentoring and helping others. Polly is a Master Maine Guide and has led trips for over thirty years as co-owner and operator of Mahoosuc Guide Service, offering dog sledding, canoeing, and fishing trips in Maine and beyond. She is extremely active in her community, having taught at Bryant Pond Conservation Camp, spoken at the Common Ground Fair, as well as numerous schools, libraries, and even universities such as Harvard. She has worked with native American tribes to help them develop outdoor tourism businesses. She has lent her expertise to mentoring young people who have an interest in the outdoors, and has seen a number of them go on to become guides. She co-founded the dog sledding program at Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, is one of three non-native people selected as a member of the First Light Learning Program, and was selected by Maine Biz as a 2021 Woman to Watch. She is a board member of the Forest Society of Maine, an instructor for the Maine Canoe Symposium, sponsor of wilderness medicine courses, and womens outdoor education programs. She initiated a program that helped the Cree and Inuit nations in Quebec start and operate their own tourism and guiding businesses, and worked with the Penobscot nation the past seven years on a similar program. Through that role, she has helped spread understanding of the culture, traditions and history of the Penobscot by offering canoe trips utilizing numerous Penobscot guides as staff. Pollys career and continued outreach exemplifies the meaning of this award, said Camuso. It is a pleasure to recognize her and her career that has left its mark on so many. The Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award is presented annually at the Maine Professional Guides Association annual banquet. Winners must have been a Registered Maine Guide for 20 years and been an active guide for at least 10 of those years. Along with guiding, winners must be active in the local or outdoor community, or active on boards or committees that enhances and promotes the importance of Maine's outdoor resources.