REPORT: International Cryptozoology Conference 2018, Day 2

Hi everyone! This post will run down the second day of the weekend's worth of speakers, and my photos will give you a glimpse of the folks involved, if you weren't able to be there. Click on any of the photos below to see a larger version of it.

If you missed the post about the first day's speakers, you can find that here:
http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2018/09/report-international-cryptozoology.html

The 3rd Annual International Cryptozoology Conference was held on Sept. 1 & 2, 2018, here in Portland, Maine. Like the others before it, it was a great experience -- a chance to hear from experts on a variety of topics, and an opportunity to meet other people as interested in and as excited by the field of cryptozoology as I am.

Loren Coleman, founder of the International Cryptozoology Museum, and his crew put together a terrific lineup of speakers. I wanted to hear every presentation, which works out great since the conference runs as a single-track schedule, allowing attendees to go to all of the talks without missing any of them.

Day 2 started with a very welcome announcement from Loren Coleman that there would be another conference in 2019.
[NOTE: There is a GoFundMe in progress to raise funds to assist with that now, with access to VIP tickets etc, at https://www.gofundme.com/cryptozoology-conference-2019]

This exciting news was followed by Colin Schneider, giving his talk "Bloodsucking Beasties & Shadowy Stalkers: A Study in Cryptid Predators."

Colin is one of the youngest cryptozoologist working in the field today. He is the representative for the Centre for Fortean Zoology in his home state of Ohio. You can find his blog here: http://paranorm101.blogspot.com/

Colin walked us through a smorgasbord of intriguing historic accounts of cryptozoological predators. Culprits included the inevitable Chupacabra, and lesser known ones such as the Vampire Beast of Bladenboro NC, the Abominable Chicken Man of El Reno OK, The Monument City Monster of Indiana, the Phantom Gobbler of Canton Township MI, and a number of other cases as well.

Various theories for each were explored, and Colin alerted the audience of hoaxy oddballs such as photos of bloody handprints and appropriated photos from unrelated incidents, just a few of the problems facing researchers using online sources to find information about these bygone cases and others. Always fact-check your sources, in other words!

Most often, these cryptid predators exhibit patterns related to either feline or canine predators. During the audience Q&A session following, fellow speaker Dawn Prince-Hughes asked if it was known whether habitat loss would trigger surplus killing (a common side-effect of these mystery creatures). A good question to puzzle over.

Next on the docket was Andy McGrath, traveling far to give us his take on the Beasts of Britain!

Although the UK is a closed system, so to speak, as it is predominantly a large island, that does not seem to restrict its variety of cryptozoological cases. For most of the talk, Andy focused on the water monster sightings, including multiple recent (August 2018) Loch Ness photos that have had UK cryptozoology fans very excited, earning 2018 the nickname "Year of the Dragon."

One thing was clear -- for those who think all the UK lake monster photos are from the 60s and 70s (or earlier), they are missing out on all the current ones! For examples you can look up Bownessie, the Dragon of the North, the River Aeron Monster, and the Plymouth Crocodile, among others.

From lake monsters Andy moved on to hairy ape men, again exhibiting a wide array of timeframes for historic traces and new evidence, from designs in heraldry and the Wodewose roof boss in Selby Abbey, N. Yorkshire, all the way up to the Box Hill Ape (2012) and Sussex Ape Man (2015). It should come as no surprise that UK Bigfoot cases are very controversial, and Andy pointed out that what some Bigfoot hunters may take as treesigns in the countryside could well be signals left by the existing gypsy communities traveling through out-of-the-way areas.

Another point of discussion was the spate of Dogmen sightings, which Andy postulated may just be a way of re-branding the werewolf tradition to make it seem less embarrassing, more modern and believable. All in all, a lot was packed in to his talk! You can find him online at http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/ or on Facebook.

Next up was Aleksandar Petakov, who gave a terrific account of his latest work, filming the documentary Champ, about the legendary monster of Lake Champlain, as presented by Small Town Monsters. Katy Elizabeth, founder of Champ Search, stepped in and added her own viewpoint about investigating this particular lake monster.

He spoke about the principles that motivate his filmwork, and how important it is to go to the site of the events being documented, and the vitalness of allowing eyewitnesses to speak for themselves. He is a firm believer that you should not try to influence their telling of their account; it should not be scripted. You will find his website at petakovmedia.com, and Small Town Monsters at https://www.smalltownmonsters.com/

Next was my talk about Bigfoot in Maine. I almost skipped myself here, because I didn't have any notes about the talk, being in the process of giving it at the time. Ha!

This talk was the first time I had attempted to summarize everything I've learned from talking to eyewitnesses about their encounters with inexplicable hairy hominids in the state of Maine, from York County all the way up to Aroostook County. I talked about the environment and biology of large mammals in Maine -- what makes anyone think they might be here, and how they could survive. In short, the potential is clear for anyone who has studied Maine's known large mammal species, such as the black bear.

I followed this with examples of incidents from my files, to give the audience a feel for what these Mainers have encountered in the wild and in their back yards. Lastly, I summed up what we know from these accounts -- appearance, eating habits, where encounters have occurred, behavior, etc. All of this will be in my book, which I'm finishing up in 2018. I hope to have it in the publisher's hands by the beginning of 2019. Stay tuned! If you want to stay up to date with my Strange Maine work, you can also follow my site on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strangemainebook

Last but certainly not least, the final speaker of the conference was Dr. Jeff Meldrum, a name well-known to anyone with a serious interest in the field of primate cryptozoology. Dr. Meldrum spoke about the Patterson-Gimlin footage, and why he believes it remains the most compelling photographic evidence to date, attesting to the physicality of a biological entity, and providing a baseline from which to establish a scientific context.

He spoke about the shifts that have occurred in views of evolution and anthropology, and how the old paradigm of the field caused preconceptions, which in turn conditioned the collection of evidence for decades. Newer paradigms are slowly coming into place, causing the reexamination of available information. The taxonomy in the field is rapidly changing and readjusting to discoveries initiated by these reevaluations.

Dr. Meldrum also demonstrated his theories of possible hominid foot anatomy, as footprint casts and footprint fossils are among the few forms of evidence being brought forward for examination. Another anatomical aspect he discussed was the deep jaws and flat face (also visible in the Patterson-Gimlin footage), which he postulated to hold massive molars, smaller incisors and cuspids. As he explained, their teeth are their primary tools/utensils. Such a large jaw, with its accompanying massive musculature and the cheekbones housing it, would necessarily obscure the visibility of neck vertebrae, creating the famous "no neck" look ascribed to mystery hominids.

All in all it was a fascinating talk, which gave the audience much to think upon.

The weekend was terrific! I met a lot of interesting folks, both fellow speakers and conference attendees, and also caught up with many friends I hadn't seen in ages.

After all was said and done, I still had time to go over and check out the latest additions of the International Cryptozoology Museum, just across from the conference location. I also got to catch up with my old friend and neighbor, the Crookston Bigfoot.

I hope this has given those of you unable to attend the conference a glimpse at what went on. Maybe we'll see you there next year!

REPORT: International Cryptozoology Conference 2018, Day 1

Hi everyone! The 3rd Annual International Cryptozoology Conference was held on Sept. 1 & 2, 2018, here in Portland, Maine. Like the others before it, it was a great experience -- a chance to hear from experts on a variety of topics, and an opportunity to meet other people as interested in and as excited by the field of cryptozoology as I am.

Loren Coleman, founder of the International Cryptozoology Museum, and his crew put together a terrific lineup of speakers. I wanted to hear every presentation, which works out great since the conference runs as a single-track schedule, allowing attendees to go to all of the talks without missing any of them.

This post will run down the first day of the weekend's worth of speakers, and my photos will give you a glimpse of the folks involved, if you weren't able to be there.  Click on any of the photos below to see a larger version of it.

Loren kicked off the conference by announcing this year's Cryptozoologist of the Year, reminding everyone that cryptozoology is an active field pursuit for scientists around the globe.

Cryptozoologist of the Year, Dr. Anna Nekaris - BBC photo

This year's honored cryptozoologist is Dr. Anna Nekaris. A professor in Anthropology and Primate Conservation studying the unique group of evolutionarily distinct primates known as the Asian lorises, her work encompasses all eleven loris species, including six she named or elevated from subspecies. Anna is the Course Tutor for the highly acclaimed MSc Primate Conservation at the Oxford Brookes University, Director of the Little Fireface Project and Convenor of the Nocturnal Primate Research Group. The Little Fireface Project (http://www.nocturama.org/en/welcome-little-fireface-project/) performs outreach and education to raise public awareness of the plight of lorises.

A short film about her work, "The Jungle Gremlins of Java," aired on the BBC recently:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bcp7z

Maybe in some future year, the CzCon can get permission to screen this film at the conference!

First on the speakers schedule was the team-up of Vermonsters Joe Citro and Stephen Bissette, author and artist respectively of The Vermont Monster Guide and many other works.

Author Joseph Citro

Joe Citro started us off, discussing among other things his own sighting of a big cat in Vermont in the 1990s. He described the process eyewitnesses go through when they encounter a strange animal: how each of us has a mental index of animals known to us, and in the moments following the encounter, how we "flip through" all the index cards in search of a correlating species, sometimes coming up empty-handed.

He also discussed his decades of work researching local legends and rumors, and how some of them do turn out to be wild goose chases, while others turn out to be even stranger than expected. In short order we were brought up to date on all sorts of anomalous sightings, including human-faced bats, man-swallowing stones, giant buried bullfrogs, Old Slipperyskin, and the giant birds of Butternut Hill.

Anyone interested in a good read should check out Citro's books, especially my favorite, Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors.

Artist Stephen Bissette - Art on the right is his, for Champ DVD

Steve Bissette tag-teamed, following Citro with his own take on Vermont's monsters of legend. He emphasized the relevance of input from people who are great observers as amateur naturalists, and discussed his own process as an artist illustrating cryptids. He reminded the audience of the important concept that no cryptid exists in a void -- they fit into an ecosystem; they have neighbors; they move through and take part in the local environment.

Fans of Bissette will be pleased to note that he is working on the second volume of his Cryptid Cinema book series, which will focus on The Legend of Boggy Creek (if I heard correctly)!

Next on the roster was a preview of clips from the upcoming film The Cryptozoologist (2019), and a screening of Swan Song of the Skunk Ape (2015).

Following this was Hayley Eldridge's presentation "La Bête du Gévaudan."

image from Bibliothèque nationale de France, via Wikimedia Commons

This case remains sensational even centuries after its record (1764-1767), and still excites speculation and research. Hayley gave a detailed and engaging survey of what we know about the historic record and what might be guessed about the beast from these traces, including her favorite theory, that the creature was a hybrid wolf and Dogue de Bordeaux, a theory that allows for multiple beasts from any given litter, a possible source of the many attacks in different locations.

The talk that followed next featured a person I had never heard of, but she made a profound impact on me, even in such a small amount of time. Dawn Prince-Hughes is a primatologist, and author of Songs of the Gorilla Nation, among other books. Her discussion of gorilla ways was eye-opening and encouraging. Following in the footsteps of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, she focuses more on the natural behavior of gorillas and less on how we want them to behave. When she works with them, she prefers to match her gestures and communication to their own innate methods as a means of creating rapport.

While her breakthrough work focuses on gorilla ethnography, she has also explored other sideroads in her own research, including observations on some very interesting relationships between habitual snow monkey movement patterns and the roots of Muay Thai martial art techniques, and more.

Please consider picking up a copy of her book, Songs of the Gorilla Nation, if you would like to learn more about her work! I'm reading it right now, and it is fascinating.

Todd Disotell was the star speaker brought in to wrap up a great first day of the conference. His presentation was titled "DNA and Cryptozoology, or How I Survived 10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty." While he is best known for his work processing DNA on that show, which aired on Spike-TV in 2014, in the real world, Dr. Disotell has been busy training the new generation of DNA specialists while teaching at NYU (http://as.nyu.edu/faculty/todd-disotell.html).

His graduates are active in the field, and have identified new subspecies of gorillas and chimpanzees, and at least 3 new species of monkeys, including the elusive Lesula (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (more info: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0044271)

His talk focused on the potential for researchers to utilize the recent advances in DNA technology to accomplish species surveys. Using environmental DNA drawn from topsoil, local bodies of water, etc, labs can now determine what species are in a given area, and how long ago they were there in the case of past or transient populations. This is huge news!

We leave traces of our DNA everywhere we go, and so does every other species on earth. This new methodology, environmental DNA metabarcoding, is transforming how we survey animal and plant communities. With this and other tools, Disotell urges us: "Those of us in the cryptozoology field need to do way better than we have done up to now." Up until now, he states, he has seen zero data to convince him of the existence of legendary cryptids, but he is hopeful that access to new DNA technology will advance efforts, especially as the cost has plummeted now.

In other words -- work hard, learn well, and use new tools -- and always keep in mind that DNA is the keystone of species identification.

Also, it's always fun to be wearing the best pair of sneakers at the conference. 😉

UP NEXT: Day Two of CzCon 2018! Stay tuned...!

Event: Cryptotrip film New England premier

NOTE: EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED DUE TO FOUL DRIVING WEATHER 2/24/13!!!
Date below has been updated to reflect change.
 
WHAT: Cryptotrip's New England premier
WHEN: Sunday, March 10th. Doors open at 3:30 for museum admission, followed by the screening. The event ends at 6:30pm.
WHERE: International Cryptozoology Museum (ICM), 11 Avon Street, Portland, Maine
FMI: http://www.cryptotrip.com/ or http://cryptozoologymuseum.com/

Join Loren Coleman and the the director Christopher Maloney for the first New England showing of Cryptotrip, a documentary film about the state of cryptozoology in the U.S. at a grass-roots level.

As director Christopher Maloney notes:
“Thousands of unexplained creature sightings are reported in the United States each year. What are people seeing? How does it impact them? What does this say about us as a nation? These questions are explored in a cross-country trek through America’s highways and byways, a journey that explores the phenomena and popularity of cryptozoology in the United States.”

The ICM will hold the screening on Sunday February 24th March 10th, 2013 with museum entry permitted at 3:30.

Admission for the film is $10.00 per person, regardless of age, and includes:

(1) Museum admission;

(2) Showing of Cryptotrip in a casual but unique cryptozoology setting;

(3) Q&A session with Christopher Maloney, writer and director for Cryptotrip;

(4) Your contribution to the educational and scientific mission of the ICM;

(5) Film refreshments for a small donation will be available;

(6) A chance to be one of the first to see this amazing cryptozoological journey!

The Facebook event page can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/470855479628739/

View trailer here:
http://youtu.be/EpR0jcxjoNQ

EVENT: Cryptozoology Museum spooktacle!

WHAT: Free Halloween open house at the International Cryptozoology Museum!
WHEN: 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM, Sunday, October 31, 2010
WHERE: 661 Congress Street, Portland, Maine (enter through the Green Hand Bookshop)
FMI: (207)518-9496 or http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/icm-oct31/

On the occasion of his 1st Year Anniversary, Loren Coleman has announced that the International Cryptozoology Museum will be opening free to the public for one day only.

Since it is Halloween, there will be treats for trick or treaters of all ages!  Come in costume if you can!

Ay, caramba! Cryptids!

Loren Coleman spoke up alongside some of New England's other premier cryptozoologists in the latest issue of the Portland and Boston Phoenix, part of an in-depth article about cryptids and their popularity in New England. The article includes a link to the "Cryptids in Maine" photo gallery that accompanies the story.

Coleman approaches each supposed sighting with healthy skepticism. Fully cognizant that pop culture influences cryptozoology — and vice versa — he always checks to see what's playing at local movie theaters before attempting to verify each cryptid report.

In fact, he says, "when I go talk to a Bigfoot crowd, the first sentence I say is, 'I do not believe in Bigfoot.' I accept or deny evidence. You true believers over here, you're very interesting, but that's not me. You skeptics and debunkers, that's interesting, too. But I really am the open-minded person in the middle.

"I've done a lot of screening, and excluded 80 percent of [the evidence] as misidentifications, hoaxes, or mundane. But there's still that 20 percent of what I feel is unknown. There's a lot of mysteries out there, and this one may interest you. Here's the data. You decide."

[Source]

The unknown is really the crux of the cryptid world. It is the thought that perhaps there is something that we haven't seen before that keeps us all looking.

Please feel free to check out my own photos from the Cryptozoology exhibit from a few years back, where portions of Coleman's International Museum of Cryptozoology were shown, as well as wonders and marvels from all over the world.

Illustration by Michelle Souliere.

EVENT: Cryptozoology benefit Nov 22

My blogging has suffered lately due to a recent, unexpected moving-of-house, but I would be remiss to lose a chance to remind folks of this very important event, a huge effort to assist our own Loren Coleman in his work to open a more public version of his International Cryptozoology Museum!

WHAT:Bene-Foot: A Comedy Benefit for the Cryptozoology Museum
WHEN:Saturday, November 22nd, starting at 8:00pm
WHERE:The EMPIRE Lounge, 575 Congress Street, Portland, Maine
FMI:See Cryptomundo.com, or call the Empire at (207)879-8988

If you are unable to attend, you can still donate. Just use the mailing address given below, or scroll down to the bottom of this post to click on the blank PayPal button to do it electronically.

Here is more detailed information about the event from his post on Cryptomundo:

A wonderful groundbreaking event to support the International Cryptozoology Museum has been planned by Boston comedian Shawn Donovan.

Coming on Saturday, November 22, 2008, at the Empire Lounge on Congress Street, downtown Portland, Maine, the “Bene-foot: A Comedy Benefit for the Cryptozoology Museum” will kick off at 8 PM.

Besides Shawn, who has been part of the Boston Comedy Festival for the last 3 years, the other comedians confirmed to be performing will be Paul Nardizzi (Late Night w/Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central) and Dan Sally (Comedy Central, Just For Laughs). Shawn told a popular comedy forum this morning that he would “leave it up to Sally to bump with the Patterson/Gimlin film.”

“Bene-foot: A Comedy Benefit for the Cryptozoology Museum” is being held to support the museum, and all proceeds go to the museum. No corporate fiscal umbrellas in the mix here. Although tickets can be bought at the door for $25, I’m going to begin selling tickets online via my PayPal account and through the mail at a pre-event discount.

Here’s the rundown for ticket sales:

Pre-event tickets: $22.00/one ticket ($20 + $2 service charge) ~ Via PayPal (to LColeman@maine.rr.com ) or via snail mail (International Cryptozoology Museum, attn: L. Coleman, PO Box 360, Portland, ME 04112).

Pre-event tickets plus a signed book by Loren Coleman = $45.00/one ticket/one book.

One of eight tickets to the VIP table, $100 per ticket.

Special to someone, have dinner with Loren Coleman, $250.00, before the Bene-Foot or perhaps at a time convenient to you.

Additional donations to the Bene-Foot, $25 to $1000, will be appreciated for the museum fund. Use PayPal or the mailing addresses above. DO NOT use the PayPal button for Cryptomundo on the upper right corner on this page. Use the instructions above for funds, thank you.

Shawn is also taking donations for raffle items that will be announced closer to the event (gift certificates to eating and entertainment locations to objects you wish to donate are what he is thinking about).

Further details on event poster art, possible tee-shirts and more will be forthcoming.

Fund Bene-Foot, support the Museum!!

All donations are greatly appreciated, and they are not tax deductible due to the home museum not being a 501(c).

View his original post for video clips of the performers and more: Source

You can click the blank button below to link to PayPal to donate to the museum:

35 Years Later: the Durham Gorilla

Back in July, the 35th anniversary of one of Maine's most prominent Bigfoot sightings passed quietly. Loren Coleman spoke to the Lewiston Sun Journal's Kathryn Skelton about the incident.

Durham's 'gorilla'
Weird, Wicked Weird By Kathryn Skelton , Staff Writer
Saturday, August 2, 2008

Was it really a bear? A hippie? A costumed hooligan? 35 years ago, something funky had this town talking.
Young bike-riding friends were the first to see it: something big, hairy, scary. After one mom saw it, too - she described an ape peeking out from behind bushes - 30 police cars circled Durham with orders to shoot.

Over several days, more townspeople would describe the animal as a black bear, a large dog, a chimpanzee, an orangutan, a gorilla.

"George Huntington went to Brunswick and bought a bunch of bananas because he was just so sure he'd seen it," said Elaine Sears, a longtime resident of the area where the sightings centered.
...
On July 25, 1973, while Watergate investigators needled President Richard Nixon to hand over his secret tapes, kids out biking on Shiloh Road had a close, strange encounter. The next day, their mother, Meota Huntington, told police she was driving down that same road when she saw something like an ape peek out from a bush, according to the Sun Journal archives.

That set off the police manhunt and a slew of new sightings. Faced with the variety of conflicting descriptions - bear, chimp, gorilla - Auburn Dog Officer Louis Pinette joked with a reporter that it could be "a hippie out looking for a free meal."

Adding to the intrigue, days after that first encounter the owner of Drapeau's Costume Shop in Lewiston told police a gorilla suit rented there in early July hadn't been returned. The man with the suit gave a fictitious name and address. Police warned that if it was someone in a costume, quit messing around.
...
Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, featured on the History Channel's "MonsterQuest" and shows such as "Weird Travels," was in Illinois in 1973, but heard about the strange sightings a dozen states away. He collected newspaper clippings. "I found it an intriguing case because you don't have any gorillas in Maine."

Coleman looked into it and, with no reports of things such as zoo breaks, ruled out the idea of an escaped gorilla or ape. He's also ruled out Bigfoot and is skeptical of the costume theory.

"In rural areas, a lot of people have guns in Maine. It would be absolutely stupid to walk around during trigger-happy (times)," Coleman said.
...
Casts were made of footprints found behind Jones Cemetery. An Androscoggin County Sheriff deputy at the time said they might be chimpanzee.

The elusive critter - if there was a critter - earned the nickname Osgood the Ape in town.
...
Read the full article here: [Source]

Call for help: Endangered Cryptozoology Museum!

Loren Coleman, Maine's famed and friendly cryptozoology expert, has emerged from an encounter with the IRS with a new mission and a serious goal -- to finally get the International Cryptozoology Museum set up for regular public access, to set it up to sustain itself, and to enlist the help of anyone who is excited about that prospect. If you would like to read the whole story, or if you know it already and just want to make a donation to the museum, please go to its new website, which has a "donate" button right at the top of the page: http://www.cryptozoologymuseum.com/

The long and the short of it? According to Coleman, "Realistically, for the museum to continue alone, I have set a goal of $15,000 to raise for the museum in the next three months, to keep the International Cryptozoology Museum alive and deal with finding and moving into new space. I need to find a location that is affordable, which gets good people traffic. In the future, in a new location, the museum will charge a bit and be set up to sell many kinds of cryptozoology books (beyond my own) and cz objects."

He goes on to say: "If you wish to contribute now, a little bit or a lot, I thank you. You can use my email (lcoleman@maine.rr.com) to send me money via PayPal. Or you may directly send a check made out to:"

International Cryptozoology Museum

c/o Loren Coleman

PO Box 360

Portland, ME 04112

For those of us who have been lucky to spend a little time amidst the cryptozoological and cultural wonders of the Museum's collection, it is easy to vouch for it and to say that it is something that everyone should be able to see for the price of admission. Loren is a hard worker, who has traveled many miles and many years in quest of the mysteries that fascinate so many of us sitting in our armchairs (so to speak). This is a tremendous opportunity to step forward and give his work the little push it needs to wind up on top for years to come. Hear, hear!!!

Fort Knox Paranormal and Psychic Faire Events!

From the ever-wonderful Village Soup news, comes a complete list of events at the upcoming Paranormal and Psychic Faire at the Fort:

Ghost hunters, psychics gather for Faire at Fort

PROSPECT (June 29): The annual Psychic/Paranormal Faire, featuring presentations from ghost hunters, dowsers, a UFO enthusiast, a crypto zoologist and psychics ,returns to Fort Knox, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6.

Attendees may purchase psychic readings and vendors will sell related items.

Loren Coleman, author and TV personality, will speak July 5 on his work in the field of crypto zoology — the study of unknown and undocumented animals.

Two paranormal groups will team up for presentations and ghost hunting around the fort. The groups — Central Maine Researchers and Investigators and Mass Paranormal — will exhibit tools they use in ghost-hunting and talk about their investigative experiences.

Former President of the American Dowsing Society, Gordon Barton, will share his decades of experience in the field of dowsing.

Local psychic Darlene Flood, will talk about her experiences and discuss how people might tap into their own psychic abilities.

Cindy Proulx will lead discussion on the possible existence of unidentified flying objects.

This event, sponsored by the Friends of Fort Knox, is one of several special events this summer at the State Historic Site.

The following week, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 12, the annual Scottish Tattoo, featuring four marching bagpipe bands, will take center stage. Tattoo tickets are $10 per person/$25 per family of four, and may be purchased in advance at the Friends’ gift shop or by calling 469-6553.

Admission for the psychic faire is the standard fort admission plus a requested $2 event donation to fund fort restoration projects. For further information, visit fortknox.maineguide.com. Fort Knox is owned and operated by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

The weekend schedule follows:

Saturday, July 5

10 a.m. — 4 p.m. Psychics, vendors in Fort Officer’s Quarters; lecturers available in Visitor Center

Lectures in Visitor Center amphitheater

10 a.m. — Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques — Central Maine Researchers and Investigators and Mass Paranormal

11 a.m. — How to Become a Dowser, Gordon Barton

12 p.m. — UFOs? What Do You Think? Facilitated by Cindy Proulx

1 p.m. — Crypto zoology, the Study of Unknown and Undiscovered Animals, Loren Coleman, Portland

2 p.m. — Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques, Central Maine Researchers and Investigators and Mass Paranormal

3 p.m. — My Life as a Psychic and Empathic, Darlene Flood

Sunday, July 6

10 a.m. — 4 p.m. Psychics, vendors in Fort Officer’s Quarters; lecturers available in Visitor Center

Lectures in amphitheater at Visitor Center

10 a.m. — Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques — Central Maine Researchers and Investigators and Mass Paranormal

11 a.m. — How to Become a Dowser, Gordon Barton

12 p.m. — UFOs? What Do You Think? Facilitated by Cindy Proulx

1 p.m. — Paranormal Investigation Process, Equipment and Techniques, Central Maine Researchers and Investigators and Mass Paranormal

2 p.m. — UFOs? What Do You Think? Facilitated by Cindy Proulx

3 p.m. — My Life as a Psychic and Empathic, Darlene Flood

[Source]

Watch TONIGHT! Mystery Beast on TV

From Loren Coleman:

"MonsterQuest" kicks off Season Two tonight with their lead-in repeat from last season being the episode "Mutant Canines." This program features the so-called Turner Terror or Maine Mutant, made famous by the reporting of Mark LaFlamme. Being the "consultant cryptozoologist" on the case, I was doing interviews with radio stations in South Africa before that original media frenzy was over. :-)

Cameos by Mark and myself are to be found in the "Mutant Canines" show.

As it turns out, History filmmakers were at my International Cryptozoology Museum yesterday, filming snippets for their MonsterQuest website on the topics of Bigfoot, Yeti, Yeren, Orang Pendek, Chupacabras, and Merbeings.

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/mqii/

Here is the listing for the evening, in the Eastern Time Zone:

MonsterQuest : Mutant Canines
Airs on Wednesday May 28 08:00 PM
Something strange is killing Fido. In 2006, a number of pets were killed in Maine and Minnesota by a beast locals describe as a mutant–one of these creatures was hit by a car. The body of this strange looking creature will be DNA tested to see what it really is. Two expeditions will be launched to trap other dog killers still at large. One-part history, one-part science and one part monster, discover the truth behind legendary monsters.

MonsterQuest : Mega Hog
Airs on Wednesday May 28 09:00 PM
Do wild hogs in the United States grow to monstrous sizes? Many think so. In Georgia an 1100 pound hog was shot and killed, and in Texas beasts almost as large have been reported. But are these creatures raised and fattened up in a pen, or are they wild hogs, naturally more aggressive, that have somehow reached gigantic proportions? A MonsterQuest examination meets victims of vicious wild boar attacks, looks at the existing evidence and teams up with hog hunters, researchers and trackers to find a giant.

MonsterQuest : Mutant Canines
Airs on Thursday May 29 12:00 AM
Something strange is killing Fido. In 2006, a number of pets were killed in Maine and Minnesota by a beast locals describe as a mutant–one of these creatures was hit by a car. The body of this strange looking creature will be DNA tested to see what it really is. Two expeditions will be launched to trap other dog killers still at large. One-part history, one-part science and one part monster, discover the truth behind legendary monsters.

NOTE: For those of us who don't have cable, there are videoclips available on the MonsterQuest website.

EVENT: Historic Fort Knox 2008 dates

Of special interest in the list of events from Fort Knox this year is the increasingly popular Paranormal/Psychic Faire in July, featuring Maine's own Loren Coleman, and paranormal groups from across New England. From the Ellsworth American:

Special Event Schedule Released for Fort Knox
Thursday, May 01, 2008

PROSPECT — The Friends of Fort Knox organization has released its special event schedule for 2008.

The group has added four full moon viewing dates at the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, which will stay open until midnight on July 18 and 19 and Aug. 15 and 16. The observatory’s regular daily operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. expand to a 7 p.m. close during the months of July and August.

The Scottish Tattoo sponsored by the Maine St. Andrew Society and the Friends will take place on Saturday, July 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will feature traditional Scottish bagpipers, precision marching bands and a patriotic salute to America.

Tickets are available in advance at the FFK gift shop or by calling (207)469-6553.

The Psychic/Paranormal Faire takes place the weekend of July 5 and 6, headlined by renowned cryptozoologist and author Loren Coleman, who has appeared on the Travel Channel’s “Weird Travels” and whose new book, “Mysterious America,” has been published by Simon & Schuster.

The Central Maine Paranormal Investigation group will team up with the Massachusetts Paranormal Team to provide lectures and hands-on ghost hunting tips.

Yearly Friends-sponsored special events such as the 20th Maine Civil War encampments, cannon firings, Will Cotton’s Civil War Battery and a five-night Fright at the Fort will return for visitors to the fort.

Tickets for the fort and Penobscot Narrows Observatory go on sale to the public at Fort Knox beginning Monday, May 1.

The Friends of Fort Knox will sell advance tickets for the fort and observatory to groups of 10 or more. Fort Knox and the observatory are open to the public from May 1 to Oct. 31. For a complete list of Friends of Fort Knox special events and to check fort/observatory admission fees, visit fortknox.maineguide.com online.

VOTE NOW! We're up for a Best of Portland award!

I was just informed that the Strange Maine blog has been nominated for inclusion in the Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland poll, under the Blog/Podcast category! Wheeee!

Click here to see the contenders and VOTE NOW!!!

And while you're at it, please note that Emptyhouse Films is up for best filmmaker, and it wouldn't hurt to fix up the Portland Author category by writing in Loren Coleman. Seriously, I don't think Carolyn Chute lives in Portland. Am I wrong?

Cryptozoology, murder, and more!

Well, it's been a great week in Strange Maine land, with some stand-out talks by local experts, from historical mill girl murders to monsters in our midst!

First we had Loren Coleman giving a great presentation at both the Belfast Library (Monday, read a terrific article about it on Cryptomundo) and the Portland Public Library (Wednesday), which resulted in an article on the Portland Phoenix's website, titled "Have You Ever Seen the Maine Mutant?"

I had the great pleasure of introducing Loren to the noontime crowd which attended the Portland Public Library talk. He gave a terrific overview of the current state of the cryptozoological field, as well as filling in the history for those curious souls in the audience who have yet to explore that field. His presentation include a wealth of pop-culture artifact examples, and plenty of intriguing slide imagery not often seen by the public. I was curious to find out what he viewed as being the most important Maine cryptid sightings. On his list are, among others, the sightings of the Casco Bay sea serpent, a.k.a. Cassie, and the Specter Moose, which I and others have pondered over the last couple of years.

Read more about the Specter Moose:

The original Specter Moose post

Cryptomundo article about Coleman's article about the moose in TAPS Paramagazine

Alex at the Museum of Hoaxes has dug up the actual newspaper articles about the moose

Second, Elizabeth De Wolfe gave a lively talk about her recent book, The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories, which is also the topic of a current exhibit at the Saco Museum put together by a very talented group. De Wolfe read and illustrated excerpts from the book, summarizing the sensational case, and enthusiastically answered a round of detailed questions in the intense question and answer session held following the reading. Great stuff!

The Saco Museum exhibit is titled Murder, Mystery & the Mills: The Story of Mary Bean, and it is open from Feb. 28 - May 25, 2008. We strongly recommend you both read the book and see the exhibit! The hours of the museum are Tue., Wed., Fri. Sat: 12 - 4 p.m., and Thur.: 12 - 8 p.m. Admission varies for adults ($4), seniors ($3), students/children ($2), but best of all, supervised children under 6 are FREE, and there is universal Free Admission on Thursdays from 4 - 8 p.m.

EVENT: Loren Coleman at Portland Public Library

WHEN: Wednesday, March 5th from 12:00 noon to 1:00pm
WHO: Loren Coleman
WHAT: A free-to-the-public Brown Bag Lunch Talk with the author of The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates and Cryptozoology A to Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
WHERE: Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland, ME, in the Rines Auditorium
FMI: 871-1700, ext. 759

The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman -- these are the names of the elusive beasts that have caught the eye and captured the imaginations of people around the world for centuries. Recently, tales of these "monsters" have been corroborated by an increase in sightings, and out of these legends a new science has been born: cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals.

Cryptozoology A to Z, the first encyclopedia of its kind, contains nearly two hundred entries, including cryptids (the name given to these unusual beasts), new animal finds, and the explorers and scientists who search for them. Loren Coleman, one of the world's leading cryptozoologists, provides these definitive descriptions and many never-before-published drawings and photographs from eyewitnesses' detailed accounts.

Full of insights into the methods of these scientists, exciting tales of discovery, and the history and evolution of this field, Cryptozoology A to Z was when it appeared the most complete reference ever of the newest zoological science. It was picked at an ALA-American Library Association Youth Award for 2001.

The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates is a comprehensive study of the astonishing variety of puzzling primates that are being reported by eyewitnesses around the world - but that science has failed to recognize. This fully illustrated volume not only contains the references, range maps, and typical footprints that appeared in the first edition, but it also contains a new, complete index and new preface that updates the discoveries made since this book was first published.

Loren Coleman, a nearly fifty-year veteran of cryptozoological field expeditions and research, has written 30 books on nature's mysterious creatures, including The Field Guide to Bigfoot, Mysterious America, and Tom Slick and the Search for the Yeti, and has served as both on- and off-camera consultant to NBC-TV's Unsolved Mysteries, A&E's Ancient Mysteries, History Channel's MonsterQuest, Travel Channel's Weird Travels, and many more. He is a former adjunct professor and full-time researcher at the Muskie School, University of Southern Maine and lives in Portland, where he runs a cryptozoology museum. He is the driving force behind the blog at Cryptomundo, the world's most popular cryptozoology site.

Photo by Amber Waterman for the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Maine/Quebec's lake cryptid needs love!

Guest post by Loren Coleman:

Ponik Needs Your Love

Quebec and Maine share aquatic cryptids seen in Lac Pohénégamook, which are “supposedly” some of “the ugliest-headed monsters around.” It may be time to send them a little love.

Investigate Further:

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/ponik07/

Photo caption: "The mayor of Escourt, Mr. Gaston Painchaud, indicates from his balcony the place where in 1957 he saw the monster in Lake Pohénégamook."

Images from BDgest.com forum discussion of Ponik!

Loren Coleman: At Home with Weirdness

Like myself, Kathryn Skelton of the Lewiston Sun Journal recently found herself with a chance to visit Loren Coleman in his Portland home, which doubles as the International Cryptozoology Museum. Loren reports on the visit here.

Kathryn's original article, with photos, is online at the Lewiston Sun Journal website.

Loren's collection is truly a treasure, and an intriguing and fun one at that. Perhaps some philanthropic local will offer him public space for the museum in the future! Just an idea, folks...

Photo by Amber Waterman of the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Mystery Pterodactyl enters Maine!

Loren Coleman had an interesting field trip this week. He has an aside for an anonymous New York driver he encountered on his way back home with the thunderbird:

By the way, if you were the passenger in a car with New York plates driving on I-84, who rolled your window down to ask me “What is that?” - and then had a short dialogue with me about the above - I hope you and the driver had a safe journey home. It certainly ranks as the first time I’ve been interviewed at 65 mph about a fictional cryptid model in my vehicle and a sci-fi television series.

Read the full story and see more photos here on Cryptomundo!

Congrats on bringing such an exciting trophy home to Maine!

EVENT: Loren Coleman speaking today!

July 24, 2007 at 1:00 - 2:00 PM, Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, Maine. A Teen Zone Event now open to all ages.

Searching for Bigfoot with Loren Coleman:

A YNK Teen Summer Program event. Do you believe in lake monsters, hairy ape-like creatures who live in US forests, and the Mothman? Then you are interested in cryptozoology. Learn more about it at this event presented by Loren Coleman, the director of the Museum of Cryptozoology in Portland, ME.

Coleman has been searching for Bigfoot, Nessie, and other creatures since 1960. He has visited almost every state and province in North America, and been on expeditions to Lake Champlain and Loch Ness.

He is also the author or co-author of over two dozen books including: Mysterious America (2007), The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates (2006), Bigfoot! (2003), Mothman and Other Curious Encounters (2002), and the awarding winning (YLA-ALA) Cryptozoology A to Z (1999) that you can check out from your library.

EVENT: Loren Coleman at Fort Knox

Those of you interested in the Psychic and Paranormal Faire being held at Fort Knox, here is some information about Loren Coleman's appearance as keynote speaker there:

Loren Coleman will give two talks (introducing cryptozoology through the recent cryptid events in Maine), during each mid-morning. Then he will deliver brief overviews of cryptozoological items he will have with him, followed by questions and answers sessions on the Maine reports, as well as on Bigfoot, Black Panthers, Sea Serpents, other cryptids, and general cryptozoology.

He will talk on the subjects he has covered during his 40 years of writings, including those in his newest book, Mysterious America: The Ultimate Guide to the Nation’s Weirdest Wonders, Strangest Spots, and Creepiest Creatures (NY: Paraview Pocket - Simon and Schuster, 2007).

Coleman will have several of his old and new books available, and/or will be happy to sign any of your own.

Venue Name: Fort Knox State Historic Site
Address: 740 Fort Knox Road, Prospect, ME 04416

Dates: July 21st, 2007 — July 22nd, 2007

Times: 10 AM until 4 PM, both days.

Fees: Normal Fort Knox admission fees apply (see below at the website) and a $2 donation is requested to help defray event costs.

Website: fortknox.maineguide.com/

[for more info, read the full article here: Source]

The Faire is billed as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to "meet with people who believe in things unusual. This unique event features renowned crytozoologist and author, Loren Coleman, psychics, ghost hunters and dowsers." Unfortunately, I have been unable to discover a more concrete list of events scheduling -- if anyone has gotten their hands on one, I'd love to post it, so let me know!

Loren Coleman on Nessie

There's a great clip of Maine cryptozoologist Loren Coleman in a June 1st tete a tete on the Paula Zahn show available on YouTube. While both experts gave a good showing in the discussion of new footage of the alleged Nessie, it is notable that one of them makes a comment about otters being the source of most "lake monster" sightings, which sent my roommate and I into a fit of giggles. We couldn't help imagining a group of otters in a huddle: "Okay you guys, get in line -- we're going to mess with the tourists again!" Ah, well... to each his own.

There's a full rundown of the event here in a post by Loren on Cryptomundo, and a pre-broadcast post about his thoughts on the upcoming appearance. Good job, Loren!