Upcoming Events
Belfast Rail Trail Accessible Nature Walk
Join ecologist Aleta McKeage for a look at common trees and other things in nature found along the Belfast Rail Trail, which extends from the Hills to Sea Trail into Belfast. Meet at 10 a.m. at the center parking lot for the Rail Trail (the Upper High Street Parking Lot). This walk will be very accessible, in that we will cover a short distance in each direction from the parking lot, with opportunities to stop, sit or end your walk as we pass the parking lot. This hike will be suitable for beginning and more experienced nature lovers and naturalists. Bring your binoculars if you have them.
Sandy Stream Old Forest Walk in Unity
Join us for a walk in one of the region’s unique old forest stands. Last cut in the mid- to late 1800s, the Sandy Stream Forest in Unity is a relic of the past. In recent decades scientists have learned that older forests harbor a greater diversity of species than forests that have been logged or disturbed frequently and play a vital role in overall forest
health. What can we observe that suggests something different is going on here? We’ll look for the signs and clues that indicate older forests, and we’ll take some tree measurements. The Sandy Stream Forest is on land owned by the Bowsprit Foundation, and 104 acres will soon be protected as forever wild with a conservation easement held by Maine Farmland Trust. Join ecologist Aleta McKeage and Sebasticook Regional Land Trust board member Buck O’Herin for a walk into the past. Meet on the Crosby Brook Road behind MOFGA at the Hills to Sea Trail sign. We will carpool a short distance from there to the Sandy Stream crossing that requires easy, shallow wading to cross. FMI: boherin1954@gmail.com.
Bolen Hill Trails Opening with Ribbon Cutting and Hike
All are welcome for a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. at Midcoast Conservancy’s newest trail: the Bolen Hill Trails in Liberty. Participants under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
This 5.5-mile network is nestled into 1,100 acres of conserved land that includes Lake St. George State Park. The woods here contain some of the Sheepscot River headwater’s exquisite mature forest with many old trees and an open understory.
The hike, imited to 20, is free but registration is required at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events-list/bolen-opening. We will go up and over Bolen Hill and down to the Sheepscot River. In recent decades scientists have learned that older forests harbor a greater diversity of species and play a vital role in overall forest health. We’ll look for the signs and clues that are indications of older forests, and we’ll even take some tree measurements.
Bolen Hill Trails is a joint effort of Midcoast Conservancy, the Hills to Sea Trail Coalition and the state of Maine. Hills to Sea Trail Coalition volunteers spent months choosing the route, doing stone work and blazing to make this special area of old forest along the Sheepscot River’s headwaters accessible to the public. A huge thank you to all who helped make Bolen Hill Trails a reality!
Join former Midcoast Conservancy board member Buck O’Herin and Hills to Sea Trail Coalition member Bob Kohl for this moderately strenuous 4-mile hike—rain or shine. Meet at the new trailhead and kiosk on the north side of Route 3 in Liberty, 1/5 mile west of the state park entrance. Buck is a former Maine Guide and environmental educator who has organized and led wilderness trips for friends and clients for more than 40 years. Bob, a former board member of both the Liberty Lake Association and Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance, has been involved with the Hills to Sea Trail Coalition since 2013 and is its current steering committee chair. Bob was one of the key people responsible for creating the new Bolen Hill Trails network.
Please note that the state requires a day use fee of $5 for adults and $1 for kids (free for folks 65 and older) to use this trail network because a significant portion of the trail is in Lake St. George State Park.
FMI: Zoe Thomas, zoe@midcoastconservancy.org.