Curtis Homestead Conservation Area

Located in Leeds, Maine the 360-acre Curtis Homestead is the childhood home of former Maine Governor Kenneth M. Curtis. This property provides an excellent example of forest succession patterns that occur in New England as agricultural activity diminishes over time. The property includes fields, mature woodlands and wetlands, beautiful trails, and excellent birding.

Get to know Governor Curtis and the Curtis Homestead by viewing the video below, created by Phoebe Parker.

Hutchinson Pond Conservation Area

By Kirsten Brewer, Director of Membership & Programs

One of my favorite properties is the Hutchinson Pond Conservation Area in Manchester. While other nearby preserves see thousands of visitors every year, I have almost always had Hutchinson Pond to myself. The two times I have been to Hutchinson Pond with a crowd include two public programs KLT has hosted. Two winters ago we hosted a snowshoe on a Friday in January and over 30 people showed up! It was a great community event with field naturalists, foresters, KLT volunteers, and more all sharing stories and information about this special place. Last year, KLT co-hosted a field day with the Maine Entomological Society. This was a slow walk, but memorable, as experts and amateurs alike took a closer look at the insects and invertebrates on the property.

What makes this property so interesting for entomologists, and all outdoor enthusiasts, is its mix of wetlands and vernal pools, woods, fields, stream frontage, and undeveloped shoreline. There is a lot to explore! At the end of the trail, the views of Hutchinson Pond are a reward for the hiker, AND the pond provides valuable habitat for ducks, loons, osprey, bald eagles, beaver and warm water fish. The southern outlet stream, frequently dammed by beavers, flows west to Cobbossee Stream.

Another nice feature of Hutchinson Pond is that it is relatively flat, making it a beginner and family-friendly hike. Do be aware that there are several narrow bog bridges near the start of the walk. The trails also can be muddy in Spring, and yes, in the warmer months (including March) you need to be vigilant about ticks. Recently KLT has flagged off the wettest areas of trails to help protect them during mud season.

 

Please enjoy and send us your comments/pictures/observations!

Cobbossee Stream & Harrison Nature Trail

Visitors to the 14-acre Cobbossee Stream Conservation Area and the 15-acre City of Gardiner Harrison Avenue Nature Trail will enjoy an ~ 0.8 mile round trip hike along a stream-side trail. KLT holds a conservation easement on the Cobbossee Stream Conservation Area, which is owned and managed by the City of Gardiner. 

Brick walls, remnants of dams, and rusted pipes illustrate a time when Gardiner was a thriving industrial city powered by Cobbossee Stream. In just the year 1860, thirty-one businesses lined the lower stream using hydro-mechanical power to grind grain and produce sawn lumber, clapboards, brooms, boxes, doors, sashes, and other wood items. More than four hundred employees generated two million dollars in products.

 The Harrison Avenue Nature trail showcases the spring migration of alewives and American eels which attracts ospreys, bald eagles, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, belted kingfishers, and gulls. Below the lowermost dam in the Cobbossee Stream Conservation Area, sea-run fish gather as water roars over granite blocks and birds cry as they fly, pivot and dive to drive away competitors while swallowing fish whole. In autumn, the migration is reversed. Birds reconvene to feed on out-migrating juvenile alewives and adult silver eels move downstream to the Kennebec, through the Gulf of Maine en-route to the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda to spawn.

 Many species of birds migrate to and through the mature red oaks, eastern hemlocks, and early successional and wetland habitats on this conservation land. In 2019, unprecedented waves of warblers and other species filled streamside branches. In winter, the ice-free stream attracts common, hooded and red-breasted mergansers, black ducks, and mallards. The resident mammals, including deer, raccoons, and river otters, leave telltale signs of tracks and scat, and beavers leave partially chewed trees.

DIRECTIONS: Access is from Route 126 in Gardiner to Harrison Avenue, immediately west of the bridge over Cobbossee Stream. Limited parking is available at the height of land along the east side of Harrison Avenue. A kiosk marks the trail entrance; QR signs along the trail enable digital access to history and wildlife information.

Photo: Norm Rodrigue

For more information about Cobbossee Stream’s alewives, check out the Upstream Group’s Facebook page.

Vaughan Woods Closed

Please see an update from our partners at the Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead

With heavy hearts, we made the very difficult decision on Saturday, March 28 to close Vaughan Woods until further notice. The extremely high rate of visitation on the warm Saturday as well as the lack of social distancing practices on the part of visitors (despite our many educational signs) gave us no other choice than to follow the lead of the State of Maine which has closed many popular parks and beaches for the same reason.

From what we saw on the trails on Saturday, it is evident that many people are not taking this crisis seriously. Take care of yourselves friends. Educate everyone you know. We will see you on the trail again when this is all over.

Kate Tremblay
Executive Director
Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead

Mud Season Guidelines

Spring is here! Despite the importance of getting outside right now, we do have a serious challenge in that it is Mud Season. We ask that you do not drive on dirt roads to access these properties:   

  • Parker Pond Headland, Fayette (The Fellowes Cove Road is a private road and is only open to homeowners during mud season).

  • Surry Hill, Fayette

  • Holman Conservation Area, Litchfield

  • Nancy’s Bog, Winthrop

  • Judy Kane Kennebec River Parcel, Augusta

  • Echo Lake Watershed Preserve 3, Fayette

Not only is there a risk from cars on dirt roads, our trails can be damaged by all users during mud season.

Here’s what you can do as a trail-user to help:

  • Best practice is to limit trail hiking activities during the worst part of mud-season and pursue other activities on more durable surfaces. Such activities may include: road biking or walks on solid gravel or pavement roads.

  • If you are going to explore the trails, consider ways to reduce your impact:

    • Hiking is preferable to biking or other wheeled vehicle use which put an even higher ground pressure on the trails. This includes fat tire bikes.

    • Some trails will be worse than others. Try to plan ahead and seek upland trails of moderate grade and with southern exposure. Avoid steep trails and low wet trails.

    • If you begin a hike but discover the trail is wetter than you expected, consider turning around and finding a drier hike.

    • If you do find yourself needing to pass through a muddy section of trail, best practice is to hike straight through the wet spots so as to contain your impacts. Wear appropriate footwear to plan for this!

    • Keep in mind that you are one among a herd. Your impacts alone may not seem significant, but the collective impacts of ‘the herd’ do generate significant impacts.

If you are curious about the “why” behind mud season impacts, read on!

  • Melting snow and precipitation, along with freeze-thaw cycles, and a lack of vegetative transpiration (growing plants), creates a saturated soils environment. In other words, more water is entering and staying in the system than is leaving it.

  • Soils have a limited capacity to hold water. Most trails are located on native soils that become fully saturated this time of year. These saturated soils are what leads to the mud in ‘mud-season,’ as well as soft spots which quickly turn to mud if exposed to hiker activity.

  • These soils become vulnerable to compaction, erosion, and displacement with every foot-step or other ground disturbance, such as tire treads.

  • This reduces the long-term resiliency of the trail in a few ways:

    • By compacting soils and reducing their capacity to hold water.

    • By creating low spots and ruts which further channel water, leading to erosion and reduced drying capacity.

    • Displacement and erosion leads to the exposure of rocks and roots and pollutes waterways with sediment, creating a host of environmental concerns.

    • Hikers skirting around wet areas leads to an expansion of impacts; diminishing plant growth and further destabilizing soils.

In summary, mud-season presents a threat our natural areas and adds potentially significant maintenance costs if precautions are not taken. KLT is a very small organization, supported by our members, and relies heavily on the labor of volunteers. Please respect their efforts!

Thanks for doing your part to protect the quality of our trails and surrounding environment.

Mud season information is updated from the Green Mountain Club.

Recommended Trails and Properties in Central Maine

KLT encourages you to get out in your neighborhood and near your home as you are able-and DO practice social distancing.

During the State of Civil Emergency please consider avoiding Mount Pisgah in Winthrop and the Vaughan Woods in Hallowell. These areas tend to be quite crowded making social distancing a challenge.

We recommend the following properties:

Covid-19 and hard surfaces, like trailhead boxes, benches, and...

Out of an abundance of caution, avoid touching shared surfaces like signs or benches, and - yes - trailhead boxes. KLT will begin posting maps on the outside of trailhead boxes. Please prepare yourself by viewing a map in advance, and printing at home as needed, or take a photograph of the map at the trailhead.

This article in the New York Times discusses research about how long the virus is living on surfaces like metal or cardboard (potentially up to 3 days on surfaces like plastic or metal, but less than 24 hours on cardboard). They don’t mention wood specifically. Please take precautions and avoid touching surfaces in public places.

Enjoying the Outdoors during a Civil State of Emergency

At KLT, our mission includes: "offer(ing) opportunities for people to enjoy the natural world." Right now for everyone across the globe this is incredibly important.

We encourage you to get out in your neighborhood and near your home as you are able-and DO practice social distancing:

  • If you are exhibiting symptoms related to COVID-19, or if you have recently been exposed to COVID-19, please stay home.

  • Stay at least six feet away from other people.

  • If you do decide to go for hike, remember trails are likely to be slippery from ice and mud, which can increase the difficulty level. Stick to easy trails to avoid injuries and further stress on health care resources.

  • Be sure to tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.

  • Always leave no trace, including cleaning up after your pet, so be sure to bring a disposable bag to carry out any waste.

    These tips are adapted from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. Please visit their website for more details and the most up-to-date information.

Please consider avoiding Mount Pisgah in Winthrop and the Vaughan Woods in Hallowell. These areas tend to be quite crowded making social distancing a challenge. Other options are on our Property List Page.

Over the coming days we are going to share recommended "hidden gem" trails for you to enjoy, as well as tips for staying safe and healthy on the trail. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

And please, send us your pictures of nature near you! (instagram: @kennebeclandtrust or info@tklt.org). March is a special time with signs of spring everywhere.

We will be updating with more information.

KLT Office Update, March 18

Dear KLT Members and Supporters,

We have been thinking of you and wanted to update all of our members on day-to-day  operations at the KLT.  Last week we addressed our first priority: to ensure the health and safety of our staff, members, board, volunteers, and the communities we serve, we postponed our March Lyceum lectures and closed our 331 Main Street office in Winthrop.

Jean Luc, Kirsten, Tyler, and Theresa are working remotely and in the woods, with periodic individual shifts in the office. We are following guidance from the Maine CDC and Governor Mills’s office and are grateful for their thoughtful leadership. Last week the KLT Executive Committee approved a comprehensive coronavirus sick leave procedure.


We will keep you informed on the status of KLT spring and summer programs or you can email Kirsten (KBrewer@tklt.org) or visit KLT online.  At this time, cabin reservations at the Wakefield Wildlife Sanctuary and Norris Island are on hold.

As someone with a connection to the land, you know that time in the natural world, even short strolls, can enhance our physical and emotional well-being. With those benefits in mind, we wanted to remind you that KLT's beautiful conservation properties are open to the public for hiking, nature observation, birding, photography, and your own favorite outdoor recreation activities.  

 Although we must all practice social distancing in closed spaces, for those who are able to go outdoors, we hope that you are able to enjoy the beauty around us in Maine – spring bird and frog choruses, wildflowers, newly germinated buds and seedlings, and warm spring breezes over streams, lakes, and hills.


Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions about our properties or trails (KLT properties by town: https://www.tklt.org/property-list).  Jean Luc and Tyler are currently planning several new trails – including an extensive bog bridge crossing at the Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation Area – you will have new paths to explore soon!


Sincerely, Theresa Kerchner, Executive Director and Kim Vandermeulen, President

* And ... looking forward – the KLT Lands Committee is busy– we plan to finalize a number of new conservation projects by the end of the year: two additions to our Eastern River Preserve in Pittston, a new property in the Vienna hills, and two conservation easements with valuable wetlands, woodlands, and farmland.  Thank you for supporting land conservation and KLT.

KLT Office Update

The Kennebec Land Trust office is closed until further notice. Our staff will be working remotely and will be occasionally checking voicemail messages. Please email us at info@tklt.org if you need to reach us, we will be checking email daily.

We wish you good health. If you are able, we hope you can find time to be outside every day. We look forward to seeing you for our upcoming spring and summer programs!