Falmouth Land Trust will lead an educational walk about Casco Bay Sunday, April 21, at Falmouth Town Landing. Contributed / Falmouth Land Trust
The Falmouth Land Trust is gearing up to celebrate Earth Day and is working with local libraries to keep the spirit of Earth Day alive throughout the year.
Earth Day is Monday and to celebrate the land trust will host a Volunteer Work Day from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday when residents can help clear local trails of debris from recent storms. Participants must register by 1 p.m. Friday at falmouthlandtrust.org; registrants will receive details about the work day and updates. On Sunday, the land trust will lead a guided walk at Falmouth Town Landing from 1 to 2:15 p.m. to explore the health of Casco Bay. The event is free; register on the land trust website.
Meanwhile, the land trust is partnering with libraries, including Prince Memorial Library in Cumberland and Falmouth Memorial Library, to encourage residents to get outdoors and enjoy nature.
Although land trusts and libraries may seem to have different goals and roles in the community, their collaboration really is a “natural fit,” librarians and land trusts say.
Volunteers build a trail bridge during a recent Falmouth Land Trust volunteer day. Contributed / Falmouth Land Trust
“We work with the land trust to engage people with meaningful, timely educational events on topics with a hyper-local focus,” said Kelly Greenlee, Prince Memorial Library’s community outreach coordinator.
Land trusts and libraries can offer ways to help families get outside more and reduce the cost of exploring different parts of the state, said Rebecca Dugan, Falmouth Land Trust’s education and outreach coordinator.
“It feels like both are just really great community resources to help folks get outside,” Dugan said. “Libraries are already community hubs that have so many resources and where so many folks are already gathering, so it felt like a natural fit.”
By partnering with land trusts, local libraries also are able to equip patrons with state park passes, nature backpacks, canoes and snowshoes.
Falmouth Memorial Library, Scarborough Public Library and Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth have all partnered with land trusts to provide library patrons with themed nature backpacks filled with tools such as binoculars and field guides, along with story books for young naturalists to explore. Prince Memorial Library in Cumberland and others have state park passes available to patrons.
“People are getting out and hitting the trails,” Greenlee said. “If we can provide them with the tools to make their experience fuller, then that’s a win for us.”
In the next few months, Falmouth Land Trust hopes to partner with more local libraries to provide more ways for families to get involved with nature in the spirit of Earth Day.
“We’re trying to offer programming and experiences to foster that curiosity,” Dugan said. “Part of the continued action of Earth Day is exploring and developing an appreciation for nature. It could be a new bird at your backyard feeder or an interesting flower on a local trail.”
Other Earth Day events in the area include Royal River Conservation Trust’s Family Earth Day Trek from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday at Talking Brook Public Land in New Gloucester led by a naturalist. Participants will meet at 9 a.m. at the trailhead at the end of Woodman Road in New Gloucester. For more information, go to rrct.org.
On Monday from 6 to 8 p.m., Falmouth Memorial Library will present a virtual workshop on effective solutions for climate change with Laurie Manos of Citizens Climate Lobby & Education. Register at falmouthmemoriallibrary.org.
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