Bath trust to host opening of preserve addition, new trails Dec. 3

Visitors explore the new trails at Sewall Woods Preserve in Bath. Submitted photo

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust plans to host the opening of a new section of preserve and a guided walk of the new trails at Sewall Woods Preserve in Bath at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.

This free event is family friendly and includes light refreshments.

A guided walk will be offered at 9:30 a.m., led by trust Stewardship Coordinator Dillon Mulhern, who has been working throughout the summer and fall to integrate these trails into the wider Whiskeag Trail system. Mulhern will talk about the preserve extension project and the conservation history of the land.

The public can also walk the new section of trail on a self-guided trek following fresh blazing and signage. The walk on the new trails will be about 1.5 miles, according to a news release from Mulhern.

The 96-acre Sewall Woods Preserve was originally conserved in the summer of 2006. Sewall Woods is just south of Thorne Head Preserve, which together create nearly 200-acres of permanently conserved natural lands open to low impact recreation. The new trails branch off the existing Whiskeag Trail and encompass the recently integrated Sewall Woods extension parcel. This eight-acre parcel was acquired in 2021 after three years of close collaboration with the Bath Housing Development Corporation. The new trails are part of a wider project to upgrade and revitalize sections of the Whiskeag Trail – a five-mile-long trail linking Thorne Head Preserve to the Bath YMCA crossing both land trust owned and City of Bath owned properties.

A light-rain, snow or shine event, registration is required by visiting kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call 207-442-8400.

The Whiskeag Trail upgrade project was made possible by the generosity of the LL Bean Maine Land Trust Grant Program, AARP, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Hancock Lumber, and private donors. Funding for the Sewall Woods extension project was possible thanks to the support of Maine Community Foundation’s Maine Land Protection Program and Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, in which proceeds from the sale of a dedicated instant lottery ticket, currently Cash Lines, are used to support outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation.