THE KENNEBEC ESTUARY LAND TRUST will be celebrating the opening its newest preserve, Lily Pond Community Forest, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, as part of Great Maine Outdoor Weekend. Attendees will join KELT staff and former landowners on a guided tour of the trails, learn the land’s history and enjoy autumn treats. It’s a free, family-friendly event.
The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust invites the public to celebrate the opening of the newest preserve, Lilly Pond Community Forest, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 — during Great Maine Outdoor Weekend.
Attendees will join KELT staff and the former land owners to get a guided tour of the property trails, learn the land’s conservation story, and enjoy delicious autumn treats. This is a free, familyfriendly event.
One of the last remaining large undeveloped blocks of land in Bath, Lilly Pond Community Forest contains 146 acres of forested ridgeline and significant wetlands. The preserve protects 900 feet of frontage on Lilly Pond, the headwaters of Whiskeag Creek and a tributary of the Kennebec River. Home to a variety of wildlife like beaver, deer, porcupine, and a plethora of songbirds, the preserve has essential breeding sites for native amphibians like the spotted salamander.
Historically, the preserve was part of the 200-acre William Marshall farm settled in 1760. The Krejsa Family Trust purchased the wooded hilltop in 2000 with conservation in mind. For many years, the family documented plant and animal species seen in the preserve and researched the historical heritage of the land.
This last spring, the Krejsa Family Trust transferred the land to KELT for a bargain price, to be conserved in perpetuity and enjoyed by the surrounding community. The preserve was purchased entirely with funds from private donations using no federal or state grant funding. KELT gives special thanks to its outstanding members, Davis Conservation Foundation, Evergreen Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, Merrymeeting Bay Trust, Nellie Leaman Taft Charitable Foundation, and William P. Wharton Trust.
Lilly Pond Community Forest will be open from dawn to dusk for public use. Hikers, mountain bikers, and leashed pets are welcome on all of the preserve trails. ATV riders have limited access to designated trails in the preserve, which are marked on the trail map. Hunting is allowed on the preserve in accordance with the local and state seasons and laws.
A light-rain or shine event, registration is strongly encouraged to Becky Kolak at 442-8400 or bkolak@kennebecestuary.org. Participants are to park at Goddard Park (High Street and Marshall Street in Bath) and then join KELT staff in the preserve (about 500 feet south on High Street just past Getchell Street on the right).
The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is a membership supported organization dedicated to protecting the land, water and wildlife of the Kennebec Estuary. It maintains nine preserves for public enjoyment and has protected over 2,500 acres of land since founding in 1989. FMI visit www.kennebecestuary.org or call 442-8400.
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