Kevin Slater of Newry, who began his guiding career in the early 70’s, was recently honored by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife with the Wiggie Robinson Legendary Guide Award, presented to him by Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody at the annual Maine Professional Guides Association banquet April 13th in Brewer.

Slater received the honor in front of over 400 people, including friends and family. Slater is the 14th guide to be honored with the award, which is named after the late Wiggie Robinson, a longtime Katahdin area guide who was synonymous with the Maine outdoors.

Slater is a Master Maine Guide and the co-owner and operator of Mahoosuc Guide Service, which offers dog sledding, canoeing, and fishing trips in Maine, New England and Canada, which he operates with Polly Mahoney, another legendary guide award winer. Mahoosuc Guide Service also provides guide training and courses in whitewater canoeing, paddle making, canoe building, dog sled construction and wilderness first responder and wilderness first aide.

There were numerous nominations and recommendations sent in support of Kevin, including those from agency heads, directors of various environmental organizations, business owners, fellow guides and customers.

Kevin began his guiding career in 1973 at the Boy Scouts of America Matagamon High Adventure, before he moved to Alaska and worked as a guide in Denali National Park working for Alaskan dog sled tours. He came back to Maine where he founded Dirigo Mountain Rescue, and Dirigo Search and Rescue, which served Baxter State Park. During that time, Kevin was involved in a number of technical rescues on Katahdin, including the 1984 avalanche.

He created the Outdoor Leader Program while he was a graduate student in the College of Education at the University of Maine, and was the founding director of the Maine Bound Outdoor Program at the University of Maine in Orono, where he served as director from 1981 to 1983. Locally, he created the Junior Maine Guide Program through Newry Recreation, and taught the Junior Maine Guide Program at the Bryant Pond Conservation School.

It was noted that Kevin is eager to share his skills with others, mentoring over 60 apprentices over the last 30 years, providing them with experience that can never be learned in a classroom. He was one of the founders of the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization, and for ten years, was an examiner on the Maine Guides Oral Boards.

Along with the skills he teaches, he also includes local and natural history, including that of native cultures, passing along what he has learned from the inuits and the Wabanaki.

Kevin is the 14th guide to be honored with the award, joining Gil Gilpatrick, Gary Corson, Gardner Defoe, Matthew P. Libby, Don Dudley, Danny Legere, Richard Scribner, Donald E. Helstrom, Jr, Lance Wheaton, Bonnie Holding, Carroll Ware, Polly Mahoney, and Jerry Packard….