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At the end of 2005 the Kennebec Land Trust conserved three properties, each diverse geographically as well as ecologically.

The Davidson Nature Preserve on Taber Hill Road in Vassalboro, was donated by Elizabeth Davidson and protects ninety-seven acres of wildlife habitat. Blueberry fields, a beaver bog, a heron rookery and wooded upland will be forever protected for nature and for public uses such as berrying, birding and hunting. “I couldn’t bear the idea that the land might be developed and that all the resident birds might not have a place to return to,” said Davidson.

Ron Joseph, KLT supporter and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist, is the KLT steward for the property. “I’ve brought students to the Davidson Nature Preserve because so much is available for them to learn about,” noted Joseph. Recently a group of Colby College students in Dr. Stacey Lance’s molecular ecology class started a wildlife research project at the preserve. The students used DNA techniques to identify hair in snare traps. They focused their research on bobcats, coyotes, fishers, foxes, minks and weasels.

The Torsey Pond Outlet Conservation Easement was donated by Jean Scudder and Joe Fulmer and completed the gift of two conservation easements on Torsey Pond. The property conserves twelve and a half acres, including 1238 feet of shoreline. It also contains a significant vernal pool, a breeding area for wood frogs and spotted salamanders. John McPhedran, of Readfield, has agreed to steward the property. This easement prohibits development of the land to assure that the area remains a haven for wildlife, protects water quality in Torsey Pond and provides a scenic backdrop to the view from the public boat launch at the outlet of the Torsey Pond on the Old Kents Hill Road.

In December, George and Judy Rogers conserved much of George’s ancestral farm in Litchfield. This land has been in the family since the late 1700’s. The Webber-Rogers Farmstead Conservation Easement conserves 117 acres, including 2200 feet of frontage on Upper Pleasant Pond. Under the direction of steward Paul Johnson and with the labor of George Rogers, KLT intern Jon Hillier, and the Unitarian-Universalist Youth Group of Augusta, a 1.5 mile walking trail has been constructed. The trail has an impressive footbridge, starting at an access point with a KLT box and new sign on the Plains Road.

George recently summarized his family history in Litchfield for the KLT. His essay closed with these words:

In 2005 I fulfilled a lifelong dream and through a conservation easement preserved from development the land that I have loved since childhood.

KLT sincerely thanks Elizabeth Davidson, Jean Scudder, Joe Fulmer, and George and Judy Rogers for their gifts to future generations. The next time you feel discouraged by the selfishness that exists in this world just think of George’s uplifting sentiment and these three examples of generosity of spirit!

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Dear KLT members,

“It’s the economy, stupid.” Remember the slogan that that propelled Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign? Those words have been echoing in my head lately, as KLT wraps up another fiscal year. The trust is filling a real need for land conservation. We can do so on a tight budget thanks to huge amounts of volunteer labor, much of it on a professional level. I would rather be thinking about trees, trails and trillium, and the great people who make preserving them possible, but it’s the board’s job to think about finances first.

Talking to landowners, hikers, skiers, hunters, amateur botanists, birdwatchers and others who are enjoying trust land the way it has been used for generations, I have come to a better understanding of the value of conservation. These folks are the core of KLT membership. Committed members account for the organization’s growth from a grassroots effort with a couple of properties in 1988 to a respected land trust with an impressive portfolio of properties (and over 600 members) today.

In order to achieve our conservation mission, we have repeatedly turned to our members. Membership donations are the source of the trust’s operating funds. We have invited local businesses to become “Business Partners for Conservation,” based on the belief that communities that preserve open space offer an attractive, healthy quality of life that is healthy for business as well. We hold an annual appeal in support of land acquisition. We are approaching the third year for members who pledged to the Kennebec Landscapes Campaign over a period of time.

This means that many individuals volunteer on the board or in the office, make an annual appeal gift, a membership donation, a Landscapes pledge payment - and then get out in the field to pull weeds (oops, I mean invasive species), blaze trails, put up signs, walk boundaries, trick beavers and slap black flies. Even though we ask a lot of our members, membership continues to grow - hooray for the Maine work ethic!

The trust holds less strenuous activities as well. This year’s Lyceum lectures on geology and stone walls were fantastic. Our art show was great fun and increased our public visibility. I hope to see you on upcoming field trips. Come explore stone walls on the Rogers-Webber Farmstead Conservation Area, or paint on the Davidson Nature Preserve. Learn about geology on Mt. Pisgah - we are leading two hikes there, one just for families. Meet other land trust people and celebrate KLT at the annual meeting in August. Enjoy “KLT Night” at the Theatre at Monmouth. And please talk about KLT to those who don’t know about us yet. For me this year’s theme has been “It’s all about membership.” Thank you for your generous support. Every gift, whether of time or of hard-earned money, is important, and none are taken for granted.

In Trust,
Deb Sewall

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Notes from Main Street

Theresa Kerchner, Stewardship and Education Director

Working Cooperatively with Land Donors

If you own farmland, forestland or shore frontage and have ever contemplated donating land or a conservation easement, you can probably relate to some of the wide ranging topics that are addressed as the KLT works with land donors. Howard Lake’s cover article reminded me of the many discussions and field walks KLT’s Lands and Stewardship Committees have each year with our generous land donors and their families. Our conversations cover important personal, legal, financial and stewardship topics. However, these deliberations inevitably circle back to the donors’ vision, their personal history with the land, and their relationship to nature and undeveloped places.

Acquiring and stewarding critical areas, shorelines, islands and agricultural lands is central to KLT’s mission. Therefore, these conservation planning efforts with land owners are the most important part of our work. This process often leads us to enlist advice from ecologists, wildlife biologists, foresters, farmers, and others who can assist us as we work to protect important landscapes and develop stewardship goals for each KLT property. As you can imagine, this path is often a non-linear one, with unexpected outcomes, and opportunities to learn and collaborate with other conservation minded individuals and organizations in our region. All of this collective goodwill enables KLT to continue to focus on its mission:

To work cooperatively with landowners and communities to protect the natural features, working landscapes and fragile ecosystems of the Kennebec River and Lakes region.

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KLT’s March geology lyceum, co-sponsored by the Vaughan Homestead Foundation and the Ladd Recreation Center, the art opening and show at Slate’s Restaurant with Kennebec Valley Art Association, research projects with Colby College students, and KLT work days with stewards and local high-school students have kept us quite busy this spring.

Many thanks to all of KLT’s stewards, volunteers and students who worked this spring at the Curtis Homestead, Webber-Rogers, Mt Pisgah and Macdonald Conservation Areas, Mathews Wildlife Habitat, and Parker Pond Headland. We are inspired by your dedication and heartened to work together with the next generation of conservationists.

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This past winter the KLT was fortunate to have two dedicated interns - Andy McLeod and Jon Hillier. Both Andy and Jon hail from Monmouth, one of our member towns, and they both arrived in our office with prior knowledge about conservation issues and a willingness to learn about KLT’s work. We wish them both the best this summer in their new positions. Andy is working for the Cobbossee Watershed District in Winthrop as a lake monitor and Jon is a farm scout at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth. Thank you Andy and Jon from all of us at KLT.

Congratulations also to former KLT intern Beth Shattuck. Beth finished her first year at Rochester Institute of Technology and has a summer position with the Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management. Beth is also beginning a research project focused on Japanese knotweed. Some of her work will take place in KLT’s Reynolds Forest in Sidney where she worked for KLT last summer on invasive plant control. Beth noted: “I am trying to make knotweed more susceptible to bacteria or fungus by inhibiting the production of Resveratrol. Resveratrol is produced by the plant and has antifungal and antibiotic properties.

Thanks to a generous supporter, our internship program is funded for this year. We hope you will stop by the office in July and August and meet Kali Abel, our summer intern from Colby College.

I always imagined that it would be difficult to find volunteer opportunities at a conservation organization. I figured people would be beating down the door for a chance to work at saving the world. When I contacted KLT I thought maybe they’d need help with the occasional mailing or fundraiser but the big stuff was pretty well taken care of. I was very wrong. Although volunteers and board members are very dedicated to preserving land, and donate long hours beyond their paying jobs, there is still an infinite amount of work to be done.

Within minutes of my first meeting with Theresa in December I had several potential projects that would’ve keep me busy for months. Howard Lake and I talked about pulling tires out of stream but decided to wait until spring (the thought of falling into water in January was not appealing). Instead I went off to the Manchester and Readfield town offices and collected deeds for public access projects. From there I began collecting the names of property owners adjacent to all of KLT’s properties. The plan is to send a letter to KLT’s neighbors to tell them about the protected land near them, and also ask them to join as members. A future intern hopes to carry that project to completion.

The KLT is quickly exceeding its ability to keep up with mapping all of its protected conservation lands. This spring Theresa, Jon Hillier, Andy Tolman and I met with three GIS providers in our region to discuss the Trust’s needs. Someday, KLT hopes to have detailed GIS maps for our larger conservation areas, such as Mt Pisgah, and maps for all of our properties with trails.

Mapping meetings and property databases were the major assignments I worked on for KLT. There were also the trips to Augusta for topographical maps or the field trip with Colby students to collect mammal hair samples in Vassalboro. And I even helped with a mailing for the fabulous art show at Slates. I very much enjoyed working with Theresa and all the KLT volunteers. Their commitment to this organization is the main reason it is so successful and well respected. So if you have any spare time, give KLT a call and they’ll find something for you to do. It will be greatly appreciated.

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Over the past 17 years member investment in KLT has conserved:

• 43 properties
• 2,720 acres of forests, fields, hills and wetlands, protecting wildlife habitat and water quality
• 6.8 miles of shoreline on lakes, rivers and streams, providing public access and protecting scenic views
• 16 miles of trails for hiking, skiing, snowmobiling & wildlife viewing

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On January 21, 2006, KLT held its third annual winter stewardship meeting and training day. This event is fast becoming a tradition that is both fun and informative to the participants. Long time KLT members and benefactors Lincoln and Gloria Ladd graciously provided use of their family home in Wayne for the meeting. It was a perfect setting for a morning of discussion and learning about stewardship issues.

The meeting began with stewards taking turns sharing their experiences of the past year in monitoring respective KLT lands. With forty stewards caring for over forty KLT properties (a grand total of 2,720 acres), this discussion took some time!

The highlight of the session was a presentation by plant ecologist Chris Mattrick, botanist for the White Mountain National Forest. Chris is an expert on invasive species.

Invasive species are an increasing ecological problem worldwide, and many properties that KLT protects are affected. An invasive species, simply put, is a non-native species whose introduction is likely to cause environmental harm. Invasive plants have seeds, spores or other biological material that are capable of propagating that species in the ecosystem in which it is introduced. Invasive plant (and animal) species reduce biodiversity by competing with native species, sometimes to the point of completely displacing them. Once established, an invasive species can be difficult to manage, and in some cases impossible to eradicate.

Chris brought specimens and photographs of several local invasives with him. There are several ways to control invasives -- selecting the appropriate one for the site depends on the plant, the desirable (native) species present, environmental sensitivity of the site, its use and ...... cost. Control methods may be mechanical (pulling/ digging, cutting or mowing); chemical (applying herbicides) or biological (releasing native insects to prey on a non native plant). Each method has advantages, limitations and risks in some cases.

Local invasive plant species include Japanese knotweed, Japanese Barberry, non-native honeysuckles, multi-flora rose, Norway maple, non-native phragmites, glossy buckthorn, common buckthorn, purple loosestrife, oriental bittersweet, burning bush, autumn olive, black locust, goutweed, and garlic mustard.

KLT steward and consultant Brooke Barnes spoke about baseline documentation. The baseline document takes a “snapshot” of what an easement property looks like when the land trust acquires it. This documentation includes photographs, the physical attributes of the property, information on boundaries and other descriptions. A summary of the easement conditions is also included. Theresa Kerchner, KLT stewardship staff, and Brooke are working to customize check lists for each property to aid stewards in their annual monitoring.

KLT steward Paul Johnson wrapped up the session by demonstrating how to blaze a woods trail. Not a single drop of blue paint was spilled!

Please contact our office at 377-2848 or at kennebeclt@fairpoint.net if you would like a copy of the minutes from the 2006 winter stewardship meeting or more information on invasive species. Many thanks to Sarah Giffen of the KLT Board, for her detailed recording of the meeting minutes.

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Please join us for KLT night at TAM, Maine’s official Shakespeare theatre. Seeing a show at beautiful Cumston Hall on a summer night is an enchanting experience, and for the Wednesday, July 26th performance, just say the magic words “Kennebec Land Trust,” and a portion of the ticket price will benefit the trust.

The Tempest opens with a death-defying storm and a shipwreck. The survivors find themselves on the very strange island where Prospero, banished Duke of Milan, lives with his daughter Miranda. In the course of the play, as Miranda confronts the “brave new world” beyond the idyll of her youth, her father learns about forgiveness and redemption. The Tempest, Shakespeare’s last play, contains some of his best poetry, many lines that have become part of our everyday language, and several of his most memorable characters.

The beautiful part is that we get to see a great play, support two great organizations and enjoy the company of fellow KLT members, all at the same time. You can reserve seats by calling the box office at 933-9999 and mentioning that you are a friend of KLT. Tickets cost $24.

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With the support of the Kennebec Land Trust, Colby College’s Molecular Ecology class conducted a study using DNA analysis to identify carnivore species present at two KLT properties, the Davidson Nature Preserve, Vassalboro and the Reynolds Forest, Sidney. Eight students instructed by Professor Stacey Lance used humane “hair-snare” traps to collect hair samples. Carnivores were lured into baited traps, leaving hairs on exposed tapes inside the traps. Hair follicles are a useful and accessible source of DNA. The class performed DNA extractions on hair samples and used a technique called restriction fragment length polymorphism to compare the collected DNA to probable species including various canids, felids, and mustelids (weasels).

At both sites we opportunistically collected scat to supplement our hair samples. Although hair is a convenient source of DNA, extraction is often difficult. We collected 36 samples in total from hair and scat, but only 17 provided enough DNA to work with. From our 17 samples, seven came from the Davidson property and 10 from Reynolds. At Davidson, six of our samples were identified as coyotes, one as mink, and two as domesticated dogs. We did not identify down to individuals so the six coyote samples could represent anywhere from one to six animals. At the Reynolds Forest we also had six coyotes, two domesticated dogs, and one mink. Overall, our hair-snare method proved relatively effective; we were able to collect samples from 60% of the Davidson traps and 70% of the Reynolds traps. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Kennebec Land Trust for providing the sites and supporting our efforts.

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Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat The morning walk turned warm for early May, enough so to stimulate the full arrival of black flies. In the air were the sounds of ducks, turkeys, geese and grouse with a couple of turkeys crossing the trail just ahead of us. Deer tracks were all around. On the ground were violets, including a tiny white one with purple striations, lots of bluets and the occasional trillium. Some blowdowns were observed, brought on no doubt by the high winds experienced earlier this year. John Melrose, KLT steward, May 6 - 7, 2006.

Davidson Nature Preserve Theresa Kerchner, Elizabeth Davidson, and Ron Joseph botanized and birded the Davidson Nature Preserve in Vassalboro on Memorial Day, 2006. Highlights included 18 species of warblers, including several blackpoll warblers. Blackpolls are champion long distance migrants among songbirds. Smaller than a sparrow and weighing less than a few ounces, blackpolls nesting in Maine migrate to and from South America twice a year. Most winter in the Amazon Basil of Brazil, approximately 2,500 miles from Maine (who said you can't get there from here). It's impossible to know the final destination of the blackpolls we saw on Memorial Day. Maybe they'll nest on Mt. Katahdin, or Labrador, or Newfoundland. But for three lucky birders, we felt privileged to hear and see an extraordinary bird refueling by consuming large quantities of caterpillars from the trees of KLT's Davidson Nature Preserve. Ron Joseph, KLT steward & Elizabeth Davidson, land donor. May 29, 2006.

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