Volunteers recently made some repairs to conservation property on Broadturn Road in Scarborough Courtesy photo

SCARBOROUGH — Fuller Farm is a well-loved conservation property on Broadturn Road in Scarborough. The trails offer a great opportunity for getting outdoors, whether to take a gentle stroll across the rolling former hayfields, go on a peaceful run, or walk your dog to the waterfall in the heart of the property.

Upkeep is critical on trails that get so much use. On the far side of the property, the walking trail (a portion of which is also a snowmobile route) follows an old woods road. This steep section of trail has been slowly eroding thanks to Scarborough’s sandy soils. Water had cut a channel more than a foot deep in many places and the embankment was devoid of plant life. The trail was becoming hard to walk on and difficult for snowmobiles to navigate. It would only get worse if left alone. The Scarborough Land Trust considered rerouting or closing the trail, building stone steps or felling logs in the trail center. Finally, the Land Trust worked with the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District to come up with a solution that was better than any of our prior plans.

On Nov. 17, volunteers from Scarborough and members of the Saco Pathfinders snowmobile club gathered to implement the plan. The Land Trust had 1,800 square feet of jute blanket to pin down on the slope and 35 yards of erosion control mulch — a specialized, extra-chunky mulch used for stabilizing slopes — to spread to create the new trail surface. Luckily, 12 volunteers, a dump truck lent by The Grounds Crew, some heavy machinery from the Saco Pathfinders, helped out, as did a neighbor who kindly let volunteers cross his land. With everything in place, all went to work and were rewarded with a flat, stable trail surface that should hold up to years of use. The Land Trust offers a huge thanks to everyone who helped make this trail project possible.