As part of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust’s ongoing efforts to conserve special natural areas and provide outdoor opportunities to the community, members recently completed their first land protection project in Richmond, according to a news release from the Bath-based land trust.
A view of the leafy shoreline from the Kennebec River and part of the 10 acre forest donated to Kennebec Estuary Land Trust by Barbara Vickery and family. Photo courtesy of Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
Barbara and Peter Vickery first began discussing protection of their property in 2002. Barbara served for decades as the director of Conservation Programs at The Nature Conservancy in Maine and was awarded the Maine Coastal Heritage Trust’s 2017 Espy Land Heritage Award for her contributions to conservation in Maine. Peter was an accomplished ornithologist, researcher, mentor and writer. Following Peter’s passing in 2017, Barbara, with the support of her two sons, continued to pursue this conservation effort with the land trust. These efforts have now brought it to fruition. At the beginning of June, she conserved a portion of her upland property with a conservation easement and donated to the land trust half a mile of river front and shore land nestled between the old rail line and the Kennebec River.
“My family has been walking to our Kennebec shorefront at all seasons for 40 years,” said Barbara, “We’ve enjoyed watching Bald Eagles, and sturgeon, finding regular sign of otter on the shore, marveling at the ice floes in winter, the river flooding in spring, and the Cardinal flower and gentians in summer. We’re glad to think others will be enjoying these things here for many years to come.”
The two conserved properties together protect a total of 27 acres, including upland forest habitat with a mix of red oaks, white pines, white ash, red maples, American beech, and maple-leaf viburnum. Within the upland forest lie forested wetlands that support four species of ferns and a rich canopy of yellow birch, red maple, and green ash trees. A stream runs through the upland forest, providing a home for salamanders and other amphibians.
One of the iron rings embedded in rock along the shoreline, which was historically used by ice harvesters to tie up barges and boats in the 1880s and 1890s. Photo courtesy of Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
The 10-acre forest preserve with its scenic leafy shoreline along the Kennebec River has seen little activity since the height of ice harvesting in 1880s and 1890s. Relics of the land’s past use include the foundations of an icehouse and iron rings drilled into the rock once used by ice harvesters to tie up boats and barges.
These properties provide habitat for a range of wildlife, including Bald Eagles, otters, woodland songbirds, waterfowl, white-tailed deer, and porcupines. Portions of the shoreline are freshwater tidal marsh and at low tide, Cardinal flower, Joe Pye Weed, and less conspicuous rare estuarine plants are on display, highlighting this area’s connection to the rest of the waters within the Kennebec Estuary. The waters today are used by recreational boaters and fishermen and showcase unspoiled views of the wooded shoreline. A lucky kayaker may see a belted kingfisher or a Bald Eagle looking for its next meal and be surprised by the splash of a leaping sturgeon.
The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is a membership supported organization dedicated to protecting the land, water and wildlife of the Kennebec Estuary. It maintains 12 preserves for public enjoyment and has protected 3,900-plus acres of land since founding in 1989. To view the land trust’s 2019 Annual Report, visit kennebecestuary.org/2019-annual-report. For more information, visit kennebecestuary.org or call 207-442-8400.
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