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The spectacular view of Mount Washington from Arnold and Leda Sturtevant's property in Fayette will be enjoyed by generations far into the future, thanks to their generosity. Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant have granted the Kennebec Land Trust a conservation easement on open land located on both sides of Baldwin Hill Road. The 22.5 acre property will be called the Sturtevant Farm Conservation Area. The area includes a parcel west of the road consisting of 16.5 acres and 6 acres of open pasture east of Baldwin Hill Road, located between the historic Fayette Baptist Church and equally historic Sturtevant Family Homestead. The conservation easement assures that the land will never be developed and that its scenic vistas will remain open.

The Homestead, built in 1784 and now a bed and breakfast known as Home-Nest Farm, has been in the family for eight generations. According to Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant, "The preserved letters, journals and poetry of our family clearly record what an inspiration the view was for those who settled the area over two centuries ago. The majestic sweep of the panorama remains a refreshing, soul-liberating influence. It gives us great satisfaction to believe that it may now be protected against possible encroachment and preserved for future generations."

Stone walls, open pasture, and expansive views distinguish a rural property reminiscent of a time when much of the countryside was open land. Over the years, as agriculture has been abandoned, views such as this one have become increasingly few and far between.

This is the first time that the trust has accepted responsibility for conserving a property primarily for its scenic value. It is just a very beautiful place, and we deeply appreciate the foresight of the Sturtevants in protecting a treasured landscape. Picnicking will be available on a small parcel west of the road.

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Dear Members,

If things go according to plan, the snow should be melting by the time you read this. But with this winter, I am not sure one can count on anything. I'm still thinking about the several occasions when the thermometer at our house hit minus 20, or when they closed Sugarloaf due to the cold on the day we went to ski. This winter was not predictable. But other things certainly are.

We have again had a successful membership renewal season, with new and long-time members continuing to generously support our work. And we continue to conserve land at a steady pace. You can read about the Sturtevant conservation easement in this issue, and we have two other projects that were finalized just at press time, so you'll read about them in the fall. It has become standard practice for me to expect that our Land's Committee will have one or more acquisitions for approval at each of our monthly Board meetings. That is a very happy thing in my book.

Our commitment to stewardship continues to develop and grow. We welcome the many of you who asked to be informed of stewardship events when they occur - you can count on hearing from us! Jim Connors, our stewardship chairman, and Theresa Kerchner continue to brainstorm on how to improve our stewardship and monitoring programs. Our properties have many important values, and we need to ensure that we care for all of them.

So please read through this newsletter and take note of what we are all accomplishing together. You will see a lot of new ideas and opportunities here - take advantage of what your land trust has to offer. There is a tremendous listing of activities in response to your requests.

And, if you happen to be in Winthrop, stop by the office sometime to say hello.

In Trust,
Andrew Fisk

The KLT welcomes Dr. Richard Judd, professor of history at the University of Maine, to our Advisory Board. Dr. Judd is the author of Natural States: The Environmental Imagination in Maine, Oregon, and the Nation (forthcoming), Common Lands, Common People: The Origins of Conservation in Northern New England, and Maine: The Pine Tree State from Prehistory to the Present. He is also the co-editor of the Maine History Quarterly. We look forward to working with Dr. Judd on issues that relate to conservation and the history of KLT properties.

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By now we hope that everyone has heard the news that we have a new home in Winthrop. Our sunny office is on the second floor of the 134 Main Street building, Suite 2B. Thanks to KLT board members and volunteers, we have office equipment, beautiful house plants and art work.

Last November I was hired to work for the Trust as the half-time Education and Stewardship Coordinator. My personal interests are botany and the history of the New England landscape, so I am looking forward to the field season when I can begin to learn more about the Trust's lands.

Thanks to member Mary Sturtevant, you will find our door when you see the beautiful fabric art of the KLT logo. Mary also donated the wall hanging in the open house photograph - a view of Androscoggin Lake from Mt. Pisgah. Thank you also to Bea and Laddie Horne for the lovely fern plant and the professional KLT office signs for our office and building entrances, and to Ann Judd and Ron Giard for the open office reception they coordinated on March 6th. If you have not had time to visit us already, please stop in!

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Now that we have moved in and feel a bit settled, we have started a wish list for the office. Since we are beginning a lending and reference library, books are a high priority. We hope you will consider donating a book to the KLT library in your own name or in recognition or in memory of a friend or family member.

Fortunately, we are right across the street from Apple Valley books. The owners, Eric Robbins and Rita Moran, are offering a 20% discount on almost any book that is purchased for the Trust. Eric and Rita will have book plates and a list of some of the books we hope to acquire. If you have a particular book that You would like to donate please just check in to be sure it was not another member's favorite.

In addition to books, we would also eventually like to own the following:

A GPS unit Dissecting microscope Hand lenses Enamel pans Copy machine Large book case Thank you for supporting the Trust!

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With winter yielding, the plants in our local fields and woods will soon be showing subtle signs that the days are growing longer and warmer. One of the earliest and most welcome botanical harbingers of spring is the appearance of silvery catkins on the branches of pussy willows (Salix discolor). Finding these catkins on a spring walk can be the starting point for learning more about this species and many others in the willow or Salicaceae family.

The willow family has many tree and shrub species - world-wide there are 386 species in two major genera, Salix (willows) and Populus (aspens). Pussy willows are one of the twenty-six species of willows found in Maine and are a common native shrub or small tree that is usually found in open areas in moist to wet ground.

Plants in the willow genus share a number of similar characteristics. The leaves are almost always alternate and have small associated stipules or leaf-like appendages at the base of the leaf. The buds of all willows have only a single cap-like scale that is prominent as the catkins open. All of the species have very small female flowers in catkins that can be pollinated by both wind and insects.

The silvery catkins that appear in March in Maine are the male or staminate flowers and since they are formed before the leaves appear they are quite easy to see in the field. The female catkins where the fruit will eventually develop are almost always borne on separate trees from the male catkins.

In addition to field guides, Henry David Thoreau's journals are filled with entries about various willow species. He notes the dates that pussy willow catkins begin to show beyond their scales, the diameter and height of black willows (Salix nigra), our largest New England native willow, and the presence of the rare alpine species, bearberry willow (Salix uva-ursi) on his July 8, 1858, hike to the summit of Mount Washington.

So, while you are out and about on KLT land or in your own backyard and fields, take advantage of those wonderful moments to learn a little botany!

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Camp Bearnstow welcomes volunteers to help with clean-up activities over the week of July 4th. Located on the shores of Parker Pond in Mt. Vernon, Bearnstow is a beautiful place to spend time during the summer. Projects include building repairs and grounds maintenance. There are no skills required, you can come for as much or as little time as you wish, and you are guaranteed to meet some wonderful people. Every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., beginning July 12, the camp will offer environmental walks exploring topics such as lakeside flora, measuring water quality, and runoff prevention. These educational programs are free and open to the public. Already on the schedule is the Basic Invasive Plant Patrol (IPP) workshop for August 2nd with Roberta Hill from the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP). This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about non-native invasive aquatic plants. For further information, call Sue Liebling at 293-2628. To learn more about these and other summer activities at Bearnstow, check out the camp's website at www.Bearnstow.org.

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Norris Island, our island in Androscoggin Lake, is unusual among KLT-owned properties in that it includes a "dwelling" that KLT manages. This presents some unique challenges. A previous owner built the cabin prior to KLT' s purchase of the island in 1997. Although its construction is solid, the exterior of the cabin had never been painted or stained, and time and the elements were taking their toll.

In the autumn of 2002, KLT volunteers performed some much-needed maintenance on the cabin at Norris Island. The cabin now has a complete coat of exterior wood stain and other minor repairs have been made.

Volunteers Bill Hayes, Adam Levesque, Diana McLaughlin and Steve McLaughlin deserve thanks for their generous donations of time and labor at the cabin site. KLT also thanks painter Mike Lambertson, who offered professional advice on-site along with his donation of some of the materials, so that we were able to "do it right."

But the work is not quite finished. A second coat of wood stain needs to be applied, the trim has to be painted, and some other touch-ups need to be done in 2003. No experience or special skills are needed! If you have never visited the Norris Island cabin, here is the perfect opportunity! If you would like to help in this effort, please give us a call at the KLT office at 377-2848 or send an e-mail to kennebeclt@ctel.net.

For information about camping or cabin reservations for Norris Island please call: 685-4616.

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The March community ornithology series opened with an inspiring presentation by Ronald Joseph, Wildlife Biologist, with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Ron spoke to over sixty attendees about Maine's diverse habitats and our great variety of bird species. He also emphasized that land trust acquisitions are critical to bird conservation efforts throughout the state of Maine.

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