Phippsburg Land Trust Mission

The Phippsburg Land Trust preserves, protects and stewards special wild and natural places in Phippsburg for the benefit and education of our children, grandchildren and future generations.

The properties of Phippsburg Land Trust are open to all, year round, free of admission from dawn to dusk.

On the ballot this November, Question 4 will provide needed funding for trails statewide through a first-ever $30 million Maine Trails Bond. This funding could be used to repair trails, expand and connect trails, create new trails, and create accessible outdoor spaces for everyone statewide. Learn more & Support Maine Trails!

Phippsburg Land Trust supports and values this Bond Question, learn more at the links above.

Guided walk in November

Guided Walk – McKay Farm

When Saturday November 2, 2024 10 am – 2 pm

Please join Phippsburg Land Trust Board members Michelle Holdridge and Dan Dowd for a guided walk through the McKay Farm Preserve. Take a walk deep into Phippsburg where we’ll enjoy the foliage and encounter beautiful ledge lines, wetlands, rare plants, the most recent petroglyphs and old foundations. This is a long walk and covers some challenging terrain. (Intermediate to Advanced) Please wear blaze orange, bring bug spray (ticks are back), water and snacks. Call Dan Dowd 207 389 2689 for questions. Walk will happen unless it’s heavy precipitation. Please meet at the Cooley Center Pond Preserve Parking lot (Parker Head Road, Phippsburg) https://phippsburglandtrust.org/directions-center-pond/

Hunting Season is here

Share our trails appropriately and safely

Here are the basics of the 2024 Fall Seasons – remember the Phippsburg Land Trust supports all traditional uses on our parcels.

Deer Firearms season begins on Saturday Nov. 2nd for Maine Residents Only day – and then the full season starts on Monday Nov. 4th, through to Saturday November 30th. Muzzleloader Firearms season then follows from Dec. 2 to Dec. 14th.

Full details can be found at https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/laws-rules/season-dates-bag-limits.html

Walkers/Hikers please remember that you may be sharing the preserves with hunters on any day but Sunday. And if you bring your dogs to walk with you – we advise that you keep them leashed this time of year and wearing Orange; as should you.

Hunters – this goes without saying – please be certain of your target. Hunting is allowed on the following PLT Preserves —
Cooley Preserve at Center Pond, McKay Farm Preserve, Duley Preserve, Ridgewell Preserve, Morse River Marsh, and McDonald Preserve (south section) and the PLT owned portions of Sprague Pond preserve. All others are either too small to hunt, or only Easements and the actual landowners would have final say. These would include Noble Hill, Mary’s Woods, Greenleaf Preserve, Bijhouwer Preserve, Gamble Preseve at West Point, Cox’s Head, and Spirit Pond (owned by State Parks)

If you have any questions regarding hunting our properties, please call 207-443-5993; or contact our friends at the Phippsburg Sportsmen’s Association – they would be happy to talk with you with lots of local knowledge.

Of course all local and State hunting laws apply – lets all have a safe season out there.

Fall Hiking at PLT

Autum is upon us, and the weather will change “if you wait a minute.” We encourage you to enjoy the Land Trust trails this time of year keeping in mind that our preserves are open dawn to dusk. Be aware that the woods may be more a bit wetter than you might imagine. Prepare carefully; sturdy, waterproof boots, with good traction are recommended no matter the weather, downpours can be unexpected and create large puddles quickly. Hiking poles will help you navigate those puddles. If you discover impassible areas that are flooded, please let us know via our Facebook page.

Please refrain from walking off the trail to avoid muddy spots. Walking off the trail to avoid mud or water widens the trail, and in the long run will make the puddle/mud problems worse. If you find a section of trail that you think requires our immediate attention, please email us at Stewardship@phippsburglandtrust.org and we will asses the problem.

Questions can be directed to phone 443 5993 and we will be glad to get back to you.

Don’t forget about Ticks, they are present all year…

Many of us believe this is the best time for hiking the Maine woods, and Phippsburg is no exception – but remember the ticks are still out there, and this time of year looking for the meal that will hold them through winter. Ticks should be assumed to be present at any PLT preserve. Better safe than sorry.

So some basic preventative measures will help:

Stay on the trails – Ticks are more likely to be found in the leaf layers and in thick undergrowth, less likely on the trail itself.

Tuck pant-legs into socks so that ticks can’t get to you, and wear light colors so it is easy to find and dispose of them. Your winter skiing gaiters can also do double duty as tick guards.

If you have dedicated hiking shoes/pants etc. treat them with Pemetherin and wear them when hiking — Pemetherin spray can be found locally, and clothing with the Pemetherin already in it is available commercially from several outdoor retail providers. For your skin, Deet has been found to repel Ticks very reliably, Picaridin effectiveness has not been fully established, but does repel other insects well.

Check yourself/loved ones/pets carefully at the end of your hike… and don’t forget that the ticks could be in the backyard as well.

Know your ticks – see this link – the Black Legged or Deer Tick is the one that is the biggest problem- and also, if you do find yourself with an attached Tick, that does not mean you are going to be infected with Lyme. You have (according to recent studies from Connecticut) up to 72 hours before an infection can be passed from the Tick to you. Of course if in doubt, consult your doctor.

Visiting PLT properties, things to consider.

Outdoor spaces are a wonderful piece of free medicine at all times, but especially now, and as such PLT preserves will remain open to the public from dawn to dusk; overnight parking is prohibited at all of our preserves.

Our preserves tend to have small parking lots, which means if the lot is full, there may be no other safe parking area. To maintain safety for our visitors and those driving the roads, including first responders, we ask that if the parking area for the preserve you were planning to visit is full, consider a visit to a different preserve for this trip.
Many of our preserves are surrounded by private properties. Please be aware of this, and do not stray onto adjacent properties. Please keep dogs under control at all times, and prevent them from straying onto private property as well.
We adhere to CARRY IN – CARRY OUT principals; please help to keep our trails clear of human debris (and pet deposits) so all walkers can enjoy the outdoors at our preserves.
Trails are often narrow. If other walkers are approaching to pass from the opposite direction or overtaking your pace, please step off the trail to allow for safe physical distancing even outside.
As much as we might wish to, we cannot control the ticks, mosquitos, or blackflies on our preserves. So come prepared and exercise good tick control measures.
The Phippsburg Land Trust relies on volunteers to monitor and maintain our preserves. Please let us know if there is a problem with a trail (like a fallen tree, for example) so we can keep our trails accessible! Call 443-5993 or email stewardship@phippsburglandtrust.org

Please enjoy our preserves, and stay safe and healthy!

Paying Our Share — Thanks to Member Support

Dogs are Welcome on Land Trust Property

We get this question periodically, so to be clear about our policy – dogs are allowed on lands owned by the Phippsburg Land Trust. In accordance with Maine state statutes, and Phippsburg ordinances, all dogs must be under the control of their owners at all times. Many of our properties are adjacent to private property, and as well behaved our dogs may be off leash in our own yard; new sights and sounds may elicit a different response at a preserve. As such while in our parking lots, please keep your dog leashed. As with anything else, please use common sense: do not allow your dog to threaten or interfere with wildlife, and remember that dog owners share our preserves with other walkers, who may feel threatened by your dog’s enthusiasm, no matter how well-intentioned. Please keep your dog nearby, so that you are able to ensure others (wildlife, humans, or other pets) are not harmed. We also expect that you “carry out” any waste, especially when near a water body, including bogs, streams or vernal pools. Finally, be sure your pet wears orange during hunting seasons.

Be aware that for lands where the Land Trust holds an easement, landowner policies may differ. Some easements, such as Mary’s Woods, involve passing through a landowner’s yard and near their home. To preserve the privilege of bringing your pet to these lands, be sure your dog is a well-behaved guest.

Help us in 2024: Volunteer!

At this time, Volunteer events will be back in full in 2024, information on a Fall week long event, along with several other Stewardship workday events through the early summer. We will of course make every attempt to accommodate any safety needs required. The Land Trust is a volunteer organization. We rely on the volunteer help of interested members of our community like yourself! If you are willing to help please email us at volunteer@phippsburglandtrust.org . No experience is needed, check out our Volunteer page for more details, and to see our scheduled events!