Dear Friends,
The blueberries are long gone with the fullness of summer, but the apples are now ripe on the beautifully gnarled trees by the Woods Trail as another season begins. The trails are covered in fallen leaves of all shades, and the air has a bite that wakes you up. The Community Garden has lost its sunflowers, but pumpkins, kale and carrots remain to feed people into the fall.
Here’s a look back at summer achievements before we turn the corner into autumn:
Teenagers Tackling the Trails
A group of dedicated teenagers spent a week in July making great improvements to two CNLT preserves. They first removed an old metal culvert along the Old Pond Railway Trail which was causing water damage to the trail. They then removed an old log culvert that had rotted and collapsed in the Pettengill Preserve, causing the nearby stream to back up and erode the trail. Finally they built a footbridge so hikers can now cross the stream easily. It was a huge effort to remove all the materials by hand on an especially hot and humid week for Downeast Maine!
The teens are members of the youth group Senior PF (Pilgrim Fellowship) from Monroe Congregational Church, UCC in Monroe, CT. The church’s Rev. Jennifer Gingras has ties to Hancock. The volunteers did not hesitate to get their hands dirty and got down to business with good cheer. CNLT thanks the teens and their leaders profusely for their time and effort.
Studying the Salt Marsh for Clues to Climate Change
This June, CNLT benefited from the expertise of Beverly Johnson, a Bates College professor of Earth and Climate Sciences, who examined the rare salt marsh along the Old Pond Railway Trail. Dr. Johnson and her students took core samples of soil to estimate the carbon sequestration in the salt marshes. She also will be looking at methane emissions and salinity levels to better understand the current status of the marsh, including how sea level rises and other human-caused changes such as past drainage of the salt marshes have affected the marsh. This also may provide useful information on understanding how any changes in the current layout of the causeway could affect the marsh north of the rail trail.
Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which holds a conservation easement on our property, funded her research and staff members Bob DeForrest and Jeremy Gabrielson helped with the samples. Thanks to all for this joint effort!
Working Sink at the Community Garden
CNLT would like to thank Sam DiBella, Hancock resident and Community Garden plot holder, for installing a working sink at the Community Garden! The materials were funded by University of Maine Cooperative Extension as part of the requirements for the Harvest for Hunger program. The sink has proven very handy for washing hands and rinsing vegetables.
Keep it Clean! Scoop the Poop!
Poop PSA: Please remember to bring a bag and pick up after your dog when on our trails. Dog feces may seem innocent enough to leave in the woods, but they can carry bacteria that harm wildlife. Of late, dog poop has been found on trails and by the side of Carters Beach Rd. Big and little feet will appreciate it!
Call for Volunteers
If you like navigating through wet and brushy terrain and wearing lots of safety orange, please email Josh Ferris, Stewardship Coordinator to help mark property boundaries this fall: gro.tsurtdnalkceneertbarc@pihsdrawets. As always, please alert him if you see trees down or any other caretaking issues on our trails.
We Want Your CNLT Photos!
We love seeing photographs taken on our preserves. If you have any great ones from the summer or are taking photos on our trails during the rest of the year, please email them to gro.tsurtdnalkceneertbarc@tnediserp so we can share them on social media all year long.