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Eagles Way

A Family Legacy Preserved in Perpetuity

Photo of St. George River scene at Eagles Way    “John Burns and Mildred Burns Wotton. May their memory be held in this peaceful tract of land that they cared for all their lives.” So writes Alice Carroll, niece of Mildred Burns Wotton, who recently transferred title of a magnificent 66-acre wildlife haven in Warren to the Georges River Land Trust. When Conservation Project Manager Annette Naegel first stepped foot on the land with Alice one year ago, eagles soared overhead. It was at that moment that Annette knew the land trust was beginning a special journey.

    Shortly before the first visit to the property, GRLT had invited Alice to participate in the Landowner Incentive Program, a federally-funded initiative to purchase development rights on highly sensitive and ecologically important lands. Alice sorted through the best options to ensure the legacy of her aunt and uncle, who gifted the property to her in 1988 thus continuing the 40-year-old family ownership. After careful consideration, Alice decided that the best way to ensure long-term protection of the land was to sell it to GRLT.

    Located immediately below White Oak Pond and bounded on three sides by the St. George River, Fuller Brook and North Pond Outlet, this forested wetland is teaming with life and natural beauty. Drenched by water converging from these three sources, the property reflects the abundance of food, shelter and habitat of rich wetlands. Photo of an eagle in flightThe forest includes large old specimen Swamp White Oaks, unusual in their size and character. Rare to this part of the coast, this northern hardwood floodplain forest has distinct biological value and habitat characteristics, including rare plant species, diverse waterfowl and birdlife, as well as deer, beaver and other small mammals.

    During visits to the property with GRLT, while loons, ducks, and great blue herons rose silently from the water's edge, Alice recounted stories of exploring the land with her family. On one particular late fall day with eagles once again circling overhead, Alice and Annette were greeted by local duck hunters, a true sign that the natural abundance of wildlife provides tremendous opportunity for both hunting and fishing, two long-standing traditions among community members.

    GRLT is truly grateful to Alice Carroll and her family for the incredible opportunity to carry on the tradition of local stewardship and traditional use of this magical parcel of land, aptly named by Alice, “Eagles Way Preserve.” The land trust is also most thankful to the funders who made the purchase possible: MBNA Foundation, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, John Sage Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and you, our members.

Hikers at Eagles Way
Exploring Eagles Way with Nancy Sferra of The Nature Conservancy

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Local Land Trusts Meet in Montville

    It lacked the fanfare of the transcontinental railroad meeting, but was a proud moment nonetheless for two local land trusts. Volunteers from the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance (SWLA) and GRLT met at the half-way point of the new connector path, the Hogback Connector, that joins each group's trail network in Montville.

Hikers on the trail in Montville    The trail, originally laid out last spring by SWLA's Buck O'Herin and GRLT's Brendan Curran and Dave Getchell, meanders through a mature stand of mixed hardwoods. About a mile in length, it joins SWLA's 3-mile Bog Brook Loop with GRLT's 6-mile Hogback Loop, the northwesternmost section of the Georges Highland Path. To avoid possible confusion arising from each land trust's use of the familiar blue blaze, the Hogback Connector is denoted by a blue blaze with a white horizontal stripe. Signs mark each end of the connector trail.

    GRLT is delighted to enter into partnership with the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance and welcomes hikers to our linked trail system that offers sweeping vistas, prime wildlife habitat and mature forests. Both SWLA and GRLT would like to thank the landowners who gave permission for the trail to cross their land.

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Maine Coast Protection Initiative Launched

    With leadership support from the Land Trust Alliance, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine State Planning Office and National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center and participation from more than 70 organizations, the Maine Coast Protection Initiative (MCPI) was officially launched in June, 2005. The goal of this multi-year, coast-wide program is to increase the pace and quality of land protection by enhancing the capacity of Maine's conservation community to preserve the unique character of the Maine coast for the benefit of the people of Maine and beyond.

    In late September, the Land Trust Alliance announced the 10 recipients of the first round of MCPI grants. We are very pleased to report that the Georges River Land Trust was granted $25,000 to further its community-based work in the six coastal towns from head of tide south, including Warren, Thomaston, South Thomaston, Cushing, Owls Head and St. George. GRLT's goal is to continue its work with partner organizations, local leaders and citizens to complete inventories of natural resources, cultural/scenic attributes and working landscapes so that we may have the most complete and community-supported picture of conservation priorities as we move forward together.

    The vision of MCPI is expansive and its leaders are poised to help bring significant resources to the coast of Maine over the next three years. Find out more about this important program.


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