The Scarborough Land Trust recently purchased and will protect 32 acres along Beaver Brook. Contributed / Scarborough Land Trust

In another win for conservation, clean water, wildlife and residents of Scarborough, Scarborough Land Trust recently purchased and will protect 32 acres along Beaver Brook to be named Beaver Brook Preserve.

The property, formerly part of 80 Beech Ridge Road, consists of mature forests, intermittent streams, wetlands and 1500 ft. along Beaver Brook. The brook flows into the Scarborough Marsh, Maine’s largest contiguous salt marsh and an area of statewide ecological importance. A recent review by Maine Natural Areas Program states that protecting land along Beaver Brook, “which is within a watershed with increasing development pressure, is beneficial to the ecology of the marsh, its habitats, and the species that depend on it.”

Conserving the property will protect habitat for brook trout, as well as priority habitat migratory birds and waterfowl, threatened/endangered species, and species of greatest conservation need.

The owners of the property, sisters Dianne Mills and Karen Lothrop, grew up on the property and wanted to see it conserved. “As a child, I had fields of green grass and lots of open space to play in, with paths in the woods and a brook to walk down to,” Mills said in a press release. “To me it would be a shame to see it destroyed and built up. I am happy and at peace with the decision to preserve the land that I enjoyed, and want others to enjoy and see why it’s so important.”

The purchase was funded through grants from the state’s Land for Maine’s Future program, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, and the town of Scarborough Land Bond, as well as donations from generous individuals. Funding from multiple sources is typically required to purchase and protect land of this size.

For more information about the Scarborough Land Trust and how to become a supporter, go to scarboroughlandtrust.org, email info@scarboroughlandtrust.org, or call 289-1199.

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