A Nature Walk for Families with Georges River Land Trust

Rockland, Maine - Join the Georges River Land Trust for a nature walk at the 124-acre Gibson Preserve in Searsmont on Saturday, August 4, 2012, from 10:00 am – noon. This event, led by Bruce Gerard, Georges River Land Trust’s Trails Manager, will feature a short kid-friendly program to engage the young naturalist(s) in your family. The walk is free and open to the public. Attendees are requested to wear clothing appropriate for the weather conditions and suitable for a walk in the forest over generally flat terrain. The Gibson Preserve is located on Route 173 in Searsmont, three miles west of the Fraternity Village Store.

The Land Trustacquired the 124-acre Gibson Preserve in 1999, thanks to a generous gift from Charles Dana and Kay Gibson. The property features approximately 11Ž4 miles of frontage on the St. George River, and a spruce-fir forest dominates the parcel. The forest here is relatively even-aged and is estimated to be about 50 years old, with large, moss-covered stumps scattered throughout the area serving as evidence of past harvests. A natural resources inventory done on the site identified five amphibian, three reptile, 59 bird, and 14 mammal species. The property has almost four miles of trails with great summer hiking and winter cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities. The Gibson Preserve is currently managed as a recreational destination, with significant attentiongiven to protecting its high-quality wildlife habitat.

This event is part of Georges River Land Trust’s annual Walks & Talks series, an effort to introduce the community to the wonderful resources available to them in the St. George River watershed. Upcoming events include a 25th anniversary party and annual meeting on Sunday, August 19, and a basket-making workshop on Saturday, September 8.

Organized in 1987, the Georges River Land Trust works to conserve the ecosystems and traditional heritage of the Georges River watershed region through permanent land protection, stewardship, education and outdoor experiences.  The watershed extends from Montville in the north to Port Clyde and Cushing in the south and includes streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands, farms, hills, mountains, blueberry barrens and forest, as well as a rich tidal estuary of salt marsh, clamflats and productive fishing grounds. For more information, please visit GRLT’s website (www.grlt.org) or call GRLT at (207) 594-5166.