On the heels of its latest preserve opening, Kennebunk Land Trust Executive Director Sandy Gilbreath said the trust plans to open new trails in 2025.

“I can’t confirm what it is yet,” Gilbreath told the Post. “But we do have one exciting thing in the works.”

As a small nonprofit that conserves undeveloped land for the reasons of habitat, watershed protection, and outdoor recreation and access, the land trust owns and operates over 30 miles of trail in Kennebunk, Arundel and Lyman.

In October, Kennebunk Land Trust opened a trail at Tributary Preserve in West Kennebunk. Dan King / Kennebunk Post

Throughout the three towns, the trust owns 29 preserves and has easements on 12 more.

But the trust is not stopping there.

In October, the trust opened its newest preserve and first in five years, Tributary Preserve, at the end of Drala Drive in West Kennebunk.

“We’re really excited to have another place for people to get outside,” Gilbreath said.

Opening Tributary Preserve was a labor of love, Gilbreath said. With a small staff of only 1.5 employees, Kennebunk Land Trust relies heavily on volunteer work to clear, maintain and build preserves and trails.

During the Tributary Preserve project, volunteers showed up in droves.

“We had a really incredible group of volunteers that made this possible,” Gilbreath said.

Kennebunk Land Trust reported that during the Tributary Preserve project, volunteers showed up in droves. Dan King / Kennebunk Post

Volunteers from local businesses, those with trail-building expertise, and Kennebunk High School students worked together to clear the preserve and build trails.

Neighbors who had been hiking and walking in the area even before the preserve was built also volunteered.

“They were really interested in helping out,” Gilbreath said.

The project began in 2021, and with 53 acres of land, it took two years to complete. In the next year, the trust hopes to add more trail loops to the existing trails at Tributary Preserve.

It’s important to protect undeveloped land, Gilbreath said.

West Kennebunk is being developed rapidly, Gilbreath said, and Kennebunk Land Trust was grateful to have the opportunity to offer recreation options for new residents but also to conserve some land in the area.

Conserved land provides benefits to humans, animals and plants alike, Gilbreath said.

Watersheds in conserved areas remain clean, filtering into drinking water for residents. Preserved habitats allow native animals and plants to live out their entire lifecycles, and the air remains cleaner in undeveloped land.

“We want to make sure that ecosystems can thrive,” Gilbreath said.

Undeveloped areas of land can also ensure that the town has manageable temperatures, clean air, and protections against rising water to help combat climate change.

It’s also, simply, fun.

“We all love being outside,” Gilbreath said.