PHIPPSBURG

In anticipation of spring, the Phippsburg Land Trust, a volunteer based organization with a mission of conserving and protecting natural spaces in the town of Phippsburg, is seeking community volunteers for this year and beyond.

“PLT is all about this wonderful peninsula. So many people who come here, whether during the summer only, or just visiting down from other townships, or the folks who live here, really care about the character of the place,” said Cheri Brunault, the stewardship coordinator for PLT. “And PLT’s goal is to capture that interest and get people involved with the long-term stewardship of the natural spaces of Phippsburg, and to preserve that character that everybody loves.”

Brunault, a Unity College alumna with a background in ecology and environmental science, has been PLT’s stewardship coordinator since November. Prior to PLT, she worked with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in ecological restoration, with a focus on invasive species management.

“I’ve always been interested in getting into the nonprofit world,” Brunault said about her decision to return to Maine.

PLT, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, acquired its first property in 1990 with the donation of Small Point Marsh from the Hook Rock Partnership. As of January 2013, McDonald Sanctuary is their newest preserve, which is the land along the east and northeast shore of Spirit Pond.

Altogether, the organization owns 450 acres of property. It also has 800 acres under easement, a legal agreement that allows PLT to ensure the conservation of certain Phippsburg properties.

The easement allows PLT to purchase the rights to develop property from landowners or the town with the understanding that the property will not be developed beyond certain stipulations, such as trail building, according to Brunault.

There are approximately 31 miles of hiking trails on the lands owned by PLT.

“A large part of PLT’s focus is on providing walkable properties where people can get out and experience the real rich natural spaces that Phippsburg has,” Brunault said.

She added that her stewardship goal for the year is to have all the trails in a walkable and navigable state.

Brenda Cummings, the current president of PLT, agreed that the organization would focus more on maintaining the lands and trails they already possess.

“I think that in the last few years, we’ve been in a natural transition that any land trust goes through — concentrating on the stewardship and the care of our properties we have,” said Cummings. “We have a lot of property now, and now we have to commit to the care.”

Cummings, a second-generation leader of the organization, serves on the board with her father, Bob Cummings, the co-founder of PLT.

Both Cummings and Brunault emphasized the need for volunteers in the 2015 season, especially with the scale of trail improvements that need to be made in the summer.

“With our walking trails, we like them to be rustic, so that you don’t feel like you’re in a very managed space. With that in mind, we also don’t want people to get lost and end up with mud up to their knees,” Brunault said. “There are some areas of the trails that really need some maintenance this year and going on, especially areas where the branches have grown in and the trails are disappearing. We haven’t had the volunteer presence to maintain some sections of the trails.”

In addition to the various stewardship events planned for the year, Brunault added that there are many opportunities for individuals, families, organizations and even school groups to get involved outside of those events.

She said that PLT is more than happy to accommodate big groups and set up individual work days for outdoor trail work.

“Physical limitations shouldn’t stop anyone if they’re interested,” Cummings added.

She emphasized that volunteer opportunities are not just limited to working on the trails. There are office tasks, research and leadership opportunities available for those who are unable to do any hands-on labor.

“We are inviting people to join in and adopt and care for this land into the future,” Cummings said. “Every time we take on a piece of property, we are saying we will be here to take care of that forever — forever is a long time.”

Upcoming volunteer events in April include Spring Stewardship at Spirit Pond Preserve, Ridgewell Trail Rehabilitation, and Earth Day Special at Spirit Pond.

Registration for these events is recommended, though not required. Interested volunteers should contact Cheri Brunault at 442-8400 or cbrunault@kennebecestuary.org. More information about sign-ups and the organization itself can be found at phippsburglandtrust.org.

dkim@timesrecord.com

About PLT

PHIPPSBURG LAND TRUST, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, acquired its first property in 1990 with the donation of Small Point Marsh from the Hook Rock Partnership. As of January 2013, McDonald Sanctuary is their newest preserve, which is the land along the east and northeast shore of Spirit Pond.

Altogether, the organization owns 450 acres of property. It also has 800 acres under easement.