Ferry Beach State Park, named for the site where passengers were once ferried across the Saco River, offers local residents and visitors sweeping views of white sand beaches between the Saco River and Pine Point. The 117-acre day-use park has picnic tables, guided nature programs, and nature trails (that introduce visitors to the park’s special Read More
York County
Kennebunk Plains
At 3,200 acres, the protected sandplain grassland community found at the Kennebunk Plains is the largest intact example of this ecosystem in New England. Grassland habitat, never abundant in the Northeast, is declining rapidly due to development and changing agricultural practices. The sandy dry soils underlying the Plains made them a particular target for residential Read More
Leavitt Plantation Forest
The fate of an 8,600-acre forest, which has supported generations of local families, came into question in 2000 when the land was slated for auction into more than a dozen parcels. Leavitt Plantation Forest in Parsonsfield represents York County’s largest contiguous block of sustainably managed forest in single ownership, and provides high-value forest products that Read More
Little Ossipee River
A grant from the Land for Maine’s Future program secured a mile of undeveloped land along the Little Ossipee River, considered by some to be southern Maine’s “little Allagash.” The protected land is now owned by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. The 300 acres of riverfront abuts The Nature Conservancy’s 2,140-acre Waterboro Read More
Mount Agamenticus to the Sea
The lands surrounding Mount Agamenticus contain the state’s most diverse array of species and the largest number of rare and endangered species, despite being situated in Maine’s most densely populated county. Over the dozen years preceding 2002, the amount of conserved land in the vicinity of Mount Agamenticus and the York River doubled, thanks to Read More
Mount Agamenticus Region
Thanks to persistent work by a coalition of conservation groups and governmental entities, wildlife and human visitors can enjoy in perpetuity more than 9,500 acres of protected land on and around “Mount A,” a 691-foot monadnock that rises from the coastal plains of southern York County. The Agamenticus area holds the greatest species diversity in Read More
Mount Agamenticus
Chosen By: Karen Herold, NRCM Board Member Location: York, York County Description: The former ski area and surrounding woodlands has a large network of well-marked trails on 10,000 acres. Activity: Hiking, trail running Favorite Seasons to Visit: Year-round Why It’s Special: This large swath of intact coastal forest has a jaw-dropping view of the Gulf Read More
Ogunquit Leads the Way with Ordinance Banning Pesticides
By Jay Feldman and Katherine Paul, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Rachel Carson would be proud of the Mainers in Ogunquit who on Election Day passed a ballot initiative, with 60 percent of the vote, to ban toxic pesticide use on lawns and landscapes within the town’s jurisdiction. As if guided by Read More
Sawyer Mountain Highlands
The Sawyer Mountain Highlands rise more than 1,000 feet over the floodplains of the Saco, Ossipee, and Little Ossipee Rivers, supporting a diverse array of natural features. High ledges offer views out to Casco Bay and the White Mountains. For more than a decade, the Francis Small Heritage Trust (FSHT) has worked to conserve the natural Read More
