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When the Kennebec Land Trust held its annual meeting on Sunday, August 24,2003, there were many accomplishments to celebrate. This year has seen extraordinary growth for the fifteen year old organization, having hired its first Education and Stewardship Coordinator, opened its first office, and increased its holdings significantly over the past twelve months to nearly 2,000 acres. Thanking dedicated volunteers and generous donors for their efforts topped the agenda. "The Kennebec Land Trust is a growing organization because of our fundamental strengths - a committed membership, a dedicated board, talented staff and a clear mission," noted President Andrew Fisk.
Andrew Fisk reviewed highlights of a year that began with hiring Theresa Kerchner to coordinate education and stewardship programs. Theresa, a longtime trust supporter, opened the KLT office at 134 Main Street in Winthrop in December. Having a person who represents the organization in the community and a physical space for people to drop by has helped the land trust focus on its mission and become more visible.
Mt. Pisgah was the theme of the day, which began with walking tours of the improved trails up the mountain and around Nancy's Bog and Dexter Pond. That evening, a reception and silent auction at the Augusta Country Club featured photographs of KLT properties by Jym St. Pierre, founding president of the organization, and watercolors on a Mt. Pisgah theme by member Norm Guyaz.
The Trust has accomplished a landmark amount of land preservation over the past twelve months. From the top of Mt. Pisgah to farmlands adjacent to Flying Pond Farm, unspoiled properties have been protected for future generations. In some cases, the land was donated to the Trust; in others an easement that permanently protects the land from development was put in place; in still other cases, the Trust purchased properties for the specific purpose of preserving a valuable resource.
This year's significant new properties include:
These acquisitions offer places to walk in the woods, to enjoy pristine shoreline and pause before scenic vistas. For the first time the trust conserved agricultural land as a working organic farm, in recognition that protecting open space can also mean preserving working landscapes.
Many individuals and organizations have worked together to make all this possible, and at the annual meeting the KLT had the opportunity to recognize them for their efforts and celebrate its accomplishments. A special thank you to KLT Board member Ann Judd and Ron Giard for all their efforts to make this a memorable Fifteenth Anniversary KLT Annual Meeting.
As Howard Lake, Bill Dunham and I canoed back from an island in Parker Pond last month, we paddled past two youngsters fishing from a paddle boat and saw several families enjoying their camps. Little did they know that the greatest moment in the history of one of central Maine's most beautiful lakes had just passed. After a decade of thoughtful discussion and planning, the Karp family and the Kennebec Land Trust had just signed a bargain-sale purchase option on 100 acres and almost a mile of undeveloped shoreline on the Parker Headland, the dramatic peninsula in Parker Pond. You'll be hearing more about this property and other exciting acquisitions over the next year.
For me, meeting with local families and seeing their family lands has been one of the best parts of volunteering for KLT. Local families have donated about three-quarters of KLT's properties. It continues to amaze and rejuvenate me how many people value our local landscape. If you were fortunate enough to be at our annual meeting last month you heard several inspiring stories from families about their connection to the land.
It's been an amazing year for KLT. Our membership continues to grow. Our new office in Winthrop and our new Education and Stewardship Coordinator, Theresa Kerchner, have generated a lot of excitement about the land trust and its work. We have added eight properties in the last year and our Stewardship Committee, led by Jim Connors, has accomplished a great deal, including a wonderful new hiking trail up Mt. Pisgah.
Let's celebrate our success! Take yourself, your kids, or your grandkids out for a walk or a skiing or snowshoeing outing to a Kennebec Land Trust property. And as you enjoy our wonderful local landscapes, take great pride in what you have helped to accomplish. Thank you.
In Trust,
Glenn Hodgkins
| Jane Andrews | Michael Auger & Christina Epperson | Dr. William & Ann Dollhoff |
| Jeffrey & Beth Green | Charles A. Jacobs | Wayne A. Ladner |
| Judith Ann Marden | Gary & Jean Maurer | Judith McCown-Bierce |
| Melvin Mounts | Kathy Ouellette | Merlin W. Packard |
| Deborah Plengey | William & Virginia Robinson | Elgelbertha M. St. Andre |
| Doug & Holly Stevenson | ||
| We are growing - acre by acre and member by member. | ||
Torsey Pond Nature Preserve, Readfield
The Torsey Pond Nature Preserve (TPNP) is approximately 92 acres of shore frontage, wetland and upland on the west side of Torsey Pond. The TPNP has been a cooperative effort between the Town of Readfield, the Readfield Conservation Commission and the KLT. Using money from the Readfield Open Space Fund, grants and private contributions, the Town of Readfield acquired the TPNP. The KLT was granted a conservation easement on the TPNP to assure its future protection for open space and recreational trails. To accommodate public access, trail work will begin this fall with assistance from the Maine Conservation Corps. A parking lot, with a sign, should be completed by the spring of 2004.
Stewards: Readfield Conservation Commssion
Directions: Take Route 17 to Kent's Hill. At the intersection of Routes 41 and 17 go north on Rt. 41 almost 1 mile. A new trail and parking area will be on the east side of Rt. 41.
By unanimous vote at their 2003 town meeting, the Town of Vienna donated this 15 acre parcel along McGurdy Stream to the KLT. The town wanted the land to remain undeveloped and properly cared for. This property provides public access to a canoeable stream, is excellent wildlife habitat, and hopefully will spur further conservation in this area.
The 75 acre Kennebec Land Trust Gott Pasture Preserve is on Hardscrabble Road in the southeastern section of Wayne. This preserve is a wooded parcel bordering Wilson Pond and includes an undeveloped shoreline and wetlands. This land was donated by the Ladd family to the Kennebec Land Trust in March of 2003. Gott Pasture has rich cultural and ecological significance and includes noteworthy connections to Native American travel routes, remnants of the 19th century John Stevens and Abigail Richards Stevens family farm, and over 1100 feet of undeveloped shoreline.
Steward: Charlie Jacobs, Winthrop
Directions and Access: From Rt. 133 in Wayne take the Old Winthrop Road 0.7 miles to Morrison Heights Road. Travel south on Morrison Heights 1.4 miles to the intersection ofHardscrabble/Lincoln Point Roads. Take Hardscrabble Road about 1.3 miles to KLT sign (sign will be in place by Spring, 2004.) Access to the preserve is through the woods - no established trails.
This 23-acre parcel is part ofthe Monmouth-Leeds Bog, located near the KLT's Curtis property in Leeds. When this parcel went up for sale at auction, the Trust moved quickly to put in the winning bid to protect this fragile habitat. The Trust is now working to protect a much larger piece of this expansive and beautiful wetland ecosystem.
John and Mary Tyler of Readfield donated a conservation easement on fifty acres of wooded land located on both sides of the Thundercastle Road in Readfield. The generosity of the Tyler family helps to preserve wildlife habitat, local recreational trails and the rural character of this historic part of Readfield.
Stewards: Peggy and John Barnes, Readfield
Access: There is a snowmobile trail that connects Maranacook High School to Torsey Pond, traditionally used by snowmobilers and skiers, this trail crosses the Tyler property. There will also be limited public access from Thundercastle Road for low-impact recreational activities. A trail head and parking area will be developed this spring.
This is the first time that the KLT has been involved in an easement dedicated to agricultural as well as open space preservation. In accordance with the family of Ellen and Robert Miller, the donors of the conservation easement, the deed limits building to the area immediately around the existing house and encourages organic agriculture on the forty acre farm property. The Millers, working with KLT and Maine FarmLink, a program of the Maine Farmland Trust, were able to realize their family's vision. In this case, KLT's land conservation work has helped preserve Kennebec County's agricultural legacy as well. This winter organic farmers Dave Blanchard and Cindy Rubinfine bought the farm under an easement that ensures both that the land will never be developed and that it will be occupied in its historical use as a working farm.
Steward: Diane Friese,Vienna
The KLT Curtis Homestead Conservation Area on the Bog Road in Leeds includes over 200 acres of forested land, approximately 100 acres of the Monmouth-Leeds Bog and eight acres of open fields. The Curtis family planted farm crops and hay in these fields until the 1950's. On October 18th, twenty-five KLT members and Directors as well as members of the Leeds Historical Society and the Androscoggin Land Trust, took a beautiful walk on Curtis Homestead lands with former Governor Kenneth Curtis and KLT Advisory Board member, Dr. Richard Judd. Ken spoke about his childhood on the farm, noting the location of the former farm fields, pastures, woodlots and farm buildings.
Restoring the fields is an important part of the KLT's wildlife management plan for the Curtis Homestead. KLT Stewardship Chairman, Jim Connors, and Curtis Homestead stewards, Donna and Tom Mickewich and Andy Bosworth, have been working closely with Kay Nickel from Androscoggin County Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on this field restoration project. On the October 18th field trip Jim Connors and Paul Carmichael of NRCS explained that federal funds from the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) will be used to mow and slightly enlarge the existing fields. The restored fields at the Curtis Homestead and the increased edges between forest and field will improve bird habitat and enhance bird watching opportunities for KLT members and the community.
The KLT is grateful to Donna, Tom and Andy for the countless hours they have dedicated to this work and public outreach at the Curtis Homestead. Thank you also to KLT member Stan DeOrsey for the following article.
When the Curtis fields are improved and expanded, new species such as bobolinks, savannah sparrows, or eastern bluebirds may be attracted to this area. It is likely that this project will also encourage forest-edge species, perhaps eastern kingbirds or indigo buntings. (One downside of this plan, however, may be an increase in parasitic brown-headed cowbirds.)
One species that we hope to see more of, the eastern bluebird, is regularly found in central Maine. Bluebirds suffered a large decline in population during the 1950s and 1960s and competition for nest hole sites was considered the leading cause. Erecting nest boxes has increased the bluebird population in Maine. Bluebird boxes should be mounted on posts about four feet off the ground, and protected with a baffle to stop raccoons, cats, and snakes from taking the eggs or young. Bluebirds nest early, by April, and frequently raise two broods of four or five young (though there can be up to eight). Boxes must be cleaned out each spring to remove the old nest and any mice that have used them over the winter. (Build the box with a pivoting front or side for easy cleaning.)* Tree swallows regularly use the same boxes as bluebirds, so the trick is to mount two boxes within ten feet of each other. A tree swallow will prevent another tree swallow from using the neighboring box, but will allow bluebirds to use it. Bluebirds eat insects and berries and should find both at the Curtis Homestead.
In addition to birding in the fields, if you had followed the Lower Fields trails at the Curtis Homestead this past summer you could have seen a number of woodland birds and heard many more. Not everyone can identify birdcalls, but just to walk the trails and appreciate nature is well worth your investment of time. You will hear, and probably see, black-capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches. You are also likely to hear downy and hairy woodpeckers tapping for a meal or maybe drumming on a hollow tree. (Not sure which? - The downy's bill is approximately half the width of its head while the hairy's bill is fully as long as the width of its head.) The large and impressive pileated woodpecker also lives at the Curtis Homestead and can often be heard and sometimes seen.
Hawks nest at Curtis, too. You may see a red-tailed hawk or broad-winged hawk circling high overhead. They are best seen from the open fields or the parking lot. These hawks may also be seen and heard in the woods and their calls often sound like a scream. As you look for hawks, take note of the scolding chipmunks and red squirrels and learn to differentiate them from birdcalls!
If you are just becoming a birder, you may want to learn to identify a few of the smaller songbirds. Some of the wood warblers, including black-throated green warblers, pine warblers, black-and-white warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, and American redstarts likely nest at the Curtis Property. These birds are small and even when singing are not easy to find, as they are often high in the trees. You might also listen for the flute-like songs of the wood thrush or the veery. Both are very musical and although you may not see them, their song is so pleasant it is worthwhile to just stand still and listen to the notes. So mark your calendar for next spring and summer and head for Curtis Homestead for a bird walk in the fields, forest and the bog.
*Next spring KLT stewards and Andy Bosworth's Monmouth Academy ecology students plan to build and erect bluebird boxes around the cleared fields.
Time really does fly, just as sure as the geese that we saw overhead on several of our fall field trips. Now that we are almost at the end of our first year on Main Street, the KLT is settled in to our new home. Our members are donating many hours of volunteer time in our new office and on our protected lands. I have been happily roaming and studying about many of our protected properties. KLT land donors and Directors continue to impress me with their vision. As I end my first year with the Trust, I send my thank you to former KLT President, Andrew Fisk, for his thoughtful guidance.
In the meantime, while we are working on the final designs, please stop in the office and pick up the summaries that we have written about the following KLT lands:
The format for these annual lectures will follow the framework that was developed for the 2003 Ornithology series. Each year the KLT Lyceum series will begin with a guest scholar who will present an opening lecture from either a New England or statewide perspective. The lectures will cover topics in natural history, literature, spiritual connections to landscapes, art and history that have some connection to Kennebec Land Trust properties or our region.
This year our series will begin with a presentation by Maine plant ecologist, Sue Gawler. The Lyceum presentations will be held on Thursdays, March 11, 18th and 25th and April 1st. In addition, two spring or summer field trips on KLT lands will address some aspect of the flora of Maine. We hope to see many of you in March for these important programs.
Thank you!
While many details have yet to be worked out and some specifics may change, we will soon announce a major effort to preserve at least six properties in five communities in Kennebec County. All told, the estimated market value of these properties is $1,000,000. Fortunately, generous and conservation-minded owners have significantly reduced the amount needed to be raised by outright donation of their properties and significant price reductions. As a result, we will likely need to raise $400,000 for the acquisition and stewardship of these properties. We'll have details on all of the properties after they are all finalized, but for now here are a few details on three of the properties:
Parker Pond Headland, Fayette. Over 100 acres and nearly a mile of shoreline on beautiful Parker Pond, one of central Maine's premier, unspoiled lakes.
Horseshoe Island on Cobbossee Lake, Winthrop. This land has beautiful rock formations and plants on the tip of the eastern arm of famous Horseshoe Island, where the Trust has already preserved two other properties.
Mount Pisgah, Winthrop. Another 100 acres of the region's best known family hiking, cross-country skiing and nature viewing. All told, with this acquisition, the KLT has conserved over 600 acres on and around the mountain.
Its been a busy season for stewardship activities. A season of growth in stewardship activities and responsibilities, and a season marked by serious transgressions on protected property, but happily, our growing cadre of land stewards has been able to nip problems in the bud. The season began with a very successful training session held at Bearnstow Camp in June. A first for the Trust, Diana McLaughlin reports on this event in a separate report.
Established stewardship functions were carried out on the Norris Island campsite and the camp reservation system was handled by Dave Stevenson through the Ladd Center in Wayne. The first annual trail day on the Curtis Homestead was led by co-steward Andy Bosworth. Tom Bartol and Jodie Federle monitored the public use on the islands in Lake Cobbosseecontee. Two work sessions on the Mathews Wildlife Conservation Area were conducted by Kent's Hill School students under the direction of stewards Ann Judd and Ron Giard.
Progress has also been achieved on exciting new P roiects such as new trail development and grassland bird habitat improvement projects at the Curtis Homestead. Efforts continue to locate and build a second trail through the northern portions of the Curtis Homestead Conservation Area. Trail clearing has continued with the efforts of a group of summer campers from Camp Mechuwana in Winthrop led by stewards Donna and Tom Mickewich. This extends work that was started by volunteer Nickel Miller last season and was then continued by Tom and Donna Mickewich and Ed Lake this fall. Work is also underway at the Curtis Homestead to expand the grassland bird habitat by clearing away encroaching trees and mowing the field area late each fall. Andy Bosworth, Tom and Donna Mickewich, with support from Stan and Joan DeOrsey, are leading these efforts. Funding is being provided through a cooperative agreement with the USDA, NRCS, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.
New KLT member Charles Jacobs is leading stewardship activities on the new Gott Pasture Preserve. He has been busy locating property lines, researching the history of the property, gathering resource information, and working with the Ladd Family to cleanup roadside trash and place a rustic sign to identify the property.
Additional stewardship work took place on the following KLT lands:
Perkins Woods - Beginning with a June visit with donors John and Pat Perkins, new stewards Jane and Stan Davis have begun to get a handle on stewardship tasks at the Perkins Woods on Androscoggin Lake. After helping to clean up an unauthorized campsite (see below), they have been busy cleaning up years of lake flotsam and jetsam deposited along the lake shoreline, planning a trail, and putting up signs to welcome users to the property and to mark the boundaries of the conservation lands.
Besse Historical Conservation Area - Stewards Mary Sturtevant and Theresa Kerchner submitted their forth year of vernal pool monitoring data to the Vernal Pool Monitoring Project.
Vaughan Woods - On October 18th, KLT members and Directors, the Gibson Family, neighbors of the Vaughan Woods, and members of the Hallowell Conservation Commission held a work party at the Vaughan Woods. Over twenty volunteers pruned, spread chips and worked on the trails. Earlier in the week, the Maine Conservation Corps, under the direction of Lester Kenway, rebuilt sections of the Brook Trail.
This has also been a season of dealing with several transgressions:
Perkins Woods - Unauthorized and unwelcome party camping and vandalism of the Perkins Woods was discovered while conducting the annual property visit. After due notice and requests to remove the camping equipment and clean up the place, Androscoggin Lake stewards Diana and Steve McLaughlin, Jane and Stan Davis, Theresa Kerchner and Jim Connors removed the abandoned gear and cleaned up the trash returning the site to as natural a condition as possible.
Dexter Stream - A small dock was placed on KLT stream front land by an adjacent landowner. This problem is being handled by Mt. Pisgah steward Jeff Janell.
Hodgdon Island - KLT members Howard Lake and Jim Connors, with support from Steve Brooke, removed an unauthorized duck blind from the deep cove on the southern end of Hodgdon Island. Steward Tom Bartol will place a KLT sign in the area to inform duck hunters of the conservation ownership of that part of the island.
Nancy's Bog Trail - A four-wheel drive truck became mired in and destroyed a section of snowmobile/ATV trail on KLT land that provides access to the Nancy's Bog area from the Soper Road in Winthrop. The trail was posted, and this fall a cooperative trail restoration project was planned with local trail users. Lead steward Jennifer McLean, working with Board member Clyde Walton, planned the project, worked with environmental agencies to assure environmental compliance, and helped dig the excavation for the first of three cross-drainage culverts to be placed along the trail.
As we move into the Fall season, the stewardship committee is busy enlisting new stewards for recently acquired properties, and planning a winter training session.
On June 28, 2003, the KLT held a Stewardship Retreat at Camp Bearnstow in Vienna. This was the first of what we hope to make an annual event for KLT stewards, volunteers and anyone who is interested in learning about the role of stewardship of the lands protected by KLT.
Camp Bearnstow, located on the shore of beautiful Parker Pond, was an ideal setting for the occasion, which was attended by nineteen KLT stewards and friends. KLT holds a conservation easement on this scenic 60-acre parcel. The Director and owner of camp Bearnstow, Ruth Grauert, and KLT Director and steward Sue Liebling hosted the half-day event, which provided an opportunity for training and dialogue on stewardship issues. KLT Director and stewardship Chair Jim Connors led the discussion, which covered stewards' tasks, stewardship policies and challenges.
Tin Smith, from the Wells Reserve, was the guest speaker for the training. Tin gave a dynamic and engaging presentation based on his experience with stewardship challenges at the Great Works Land Trust.
Just what does "stewardship" mean? According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a steward is "a person who manages another's property, finances or other affairs". For most KLT stewards this includes, at a minimum, monitoring the property periodically to ensure that problems such as overuse, vandalism and safety hazards are prevented or corrected. Additional concerns for stewards may be the preservation of sensitive ecosystems that include rare plants, trees, water and wildlife habitat. KLT has developed a Stewardship notebook for each of its protected properties. The book may contain monitoring summaries, maps, a copy of the deed, description of flora and fauna and other important information.
KLT has adopted the standards and policies of the Land Trust Alliance for stewardship. Stewardship is particularly important in enforcing the provisions of a conservation easement, where a serious violation could become the subject of litigation. This has actually happened to some land trusts, though, fortunately, not to KLT.
All who attended enjoyed the training session and agreed that it should become an annual event. Thank you to Ruth, Sue, Jim, Tin and all who participated in the training.
KLT land donors, Directors and members who have been active with the Trust over the past fifteen years have left a profound imprint on our local landscape. This conservation legacy is a reflection of thousands of hours of volunteer time. Thank you to everyone who has been involved with the KLT since 1988.
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