EXPLORE OUR TRAILS

                           HUNTING SEASON IS UPON US -- WEAR BLAZE ORANGE                            

In Spring 2017, we published our Trail Guide. All members have received the guide, and additional copies are available by donation at our office. Download Trail Guide.

Coastal Mountains Land Trust doesn't currently have any preserves or trails in Brooks, Knox, Waldo or Morrill. 

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© Coastal Mountains Land Trust, Reprinting and publication of information contained herein by permission only. Please contact Coastal Mountains Land Trust for more information.

OUR PRESERVES

                           HUNTING SEASON IS UPON US -- WEAR BLAZE ORANGE                            

PRESERVE USE GUIDELINES

• All Preserves are open for low-impact public recreation during daylight hours.

• Wheeled vehicles and horses are not allowed due to trail        damage.*

• Camping and fires are not allowed.

• Removal of vegetation is not allowed.

• Dogs must be leashed at all times.**

• Drones are not allowed on Land Trust preserves except by permitted use.

• Groups larger than 12 must obtain Land Trust permission prior to use of our properties.*** 

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  HUNTING  

• Hunting permitted, except on Fernald's Neck, Hodson, Harkness, McPheters, and Young's Neck Preserves.

• Hunting of predators and trapping is forbidden.

• Temporary deer stands are allowed on CMLT property with Land Trust permission. Stands must be labeled with a 2x4" tag identifying the name and contact info of the stand owner, and stands must  removed from our property at the end of hunting season.

* The Land Trust does maintain site specific trail agreements with various clubs to allow for limited snowmobile and mountain bike use. Please contact us for more information.

** Dogs are not permitted at the Fernald's Neck or Hodson Preserves.

*** Certain Preserves have specific restrictions and exceptions; please consult signs at the preserve entrance for details or contact the Land Trust with any questions.

VOLUNTEER

Volunteers are integral to the success of Coastal Mountains Land Trust. If you are a current volunteer for the Land Trust, we hope you will continue to be involved. If you are new to our volunteer program, we invite you to join us. As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions.

The Land Trust is always seeking help with a range of stewardship and outreach activities. Specifically, we're looking for:

Short Term Volunteers (on call for workdays)

Throughout the year, we organize groups of volunteers for stewardship and outreach work parties that last from 2-4 hours. Office-based projects include stuffing envelopes, putting together newsletter mailings, and preparing for events. Field crews, based in Camden and Belfast, work from 9:00am to noon most Wednesdays, clearing trails, marking boundaries, building bridges, and pulling invasive plants.

Ongoing Stewardship & Outreach Volunteers

The Land Trust also recruits to fill a range of volunteer positions that require an on-going commitment and knowledge of the area and the Land Trust. Time committments range from 1 day/week to 1 day/month. What follows is a list of the long-term stewardship and outreach positions for which we are seeking interested candidates. 

Stewardship

Land Stewards

Enjoy walking out in the woods? These positions act to serve as the eyes and ears for the Land Trust out in the field... monitoring the conditions on the ground of our conservation properties, easements, and trails.

Beech Hill Steward

Beech Hill stewards serve as monitors of the Preserve and as hosts to visitors of Beech Hill Preserve. Stewards work independently and assist with observing visitor activity as well as condition of trails, signage, and Beech Nut (the sod-roofed stone hut at the summit). Stewards also convey Preserve guidelines to those inquiring and to those not complying.

Beech Hill Field Hand
Are you a hands-on physical person who wants to help our blueberry and grassland fields thrive? This position includes using power and non-power hand tools to maintain fields. 4 hrs/month. 1-2 positions.

Fernald's Neck Docents
Have you always wanted to engage the public in a natural setting? The position will provide scheduled coverage of the Preserve during high use times during the summer, and assistance on maintenance projects. 4-8 hrs/month. 3-5 positions.

Outreach

Office Docent

We can always use an extra pair of hands at our busy office. Join the hubbub by assisting staff with office maintenance and helping with miscellaneous projects. 4 hrs/week or month.

New Property Buyers Researcher

If you're looking for an easy way to help a lot, this job is for you! The primary duties of this position are to visit town offices and review their recent property transfer tax documents, recording appropriate information and passing your notes along to the Land Trust via postal mail, e-mail, or drop-off. 20 minutes per office plus travel time in January, April, July, and October.

Outreach Assistant

This position is for the gregarious outdoor enthusiast. The bulk of this position will be planning and leading monthly informal hikes on our preserves. As time permits, you may also be involved in outreach planning, formal outreach events, and exhibition displays. 2-4 hrs/month.

Beech Hill Docent

Are you a history buff? Join the Beech Hill docents and cover Open Houses at Beech Nut throughout summer. The position includes opening Beech Nut and providing information to the public on cultural and natural history and current uses of Beech Hill Preserve. 2 hrs/month.

ATTEND AN EVENT

We offer many ways for community members to be involved in our organization—we truly have something for everyone! There are get-your-hands-dirty volunteering events, winter snowshoe/ski outings, year-round hikes, guided paddles, trail and fun runs. We have plenty of kid-friendly events: pack your basket for a summer solstice picnic, kick up your heels at Arts on the Hills music, learn how our organic blueberry farm works while trying your hand at raking and winnowing, munch on blueberries at August’s berry pick, and enjoy Blueberry Tales with Camden Public Library's Miss Amy. 

To sign up, please contact us with the name and date of the event in the subject line.

Scroll down to see all events

The mission of the Beech Hill Organic Blueberry Farm program is to demonstrate organic blueberry management practices and to promote a greater understanding in the community of the benefits of an ecologically and financially sustainable organic blueberry farm. Coastal Mountains Land Trust has been managing Beech Hill Preserve's blueberry fields since 2003. Currently, there are 25 acres of MOFGA-certified organic blueberries in production. All funds raised from Blueberry sales are used to support our efforts to maintain Beech Hill Preserve’s 295-acres for bird habitat, scenic views, its unique historic landscape, and more blueberries!

BEECH HILL BLUEBERRIES

Get your hands on some Blues

Our farm is wholely supported through our Land Trust membership. As a benefit to membership, members are able to order up to three 10-pound boxes through the spring appeal mailing. Not a member? You can submit a membership donation with your order in order to take advantage of this great member benefit. 

Fresh pints and quarts of Beech Hill blueberries are available for sale daily, weather permitting. No pre-order necessary! For availability during the season, please give us a call.

Once member-orders have been filled in August, we can sell 10-lb boxes day-of to all customers.

Annual Free Pick

Enjoy picking your own berries? Since 2003 we have opened designated fields to the public for a blueberry Free Pick day. The 2019 Free Pick will be on Saturday, August 3 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bring your own containers and hand-pick as many berries as you can. Please leave dogs and rakes at home. 

Our Farming Practices

To be an certified-organic farm, we do not use any pesticides or herbicides to manage the growth of weeds and shrubs that are not blueberries.  To avoid the chemicals but still have a decent yield, we regularly monitor and maintain the fields in the following three ways.  Our blueberry fields are flail-mowed each year. Flail mowers consist of dozens of small rotating blades that cut vegetation very close to the ground, like a close shave. Blueberries only produce fruit on new plant growth during the second summer after mowing, and our two-year rotation allows us to always have a field to harvest, either on top of the hill along the main trail, or at the bottom of the hill towards the ocean.  In addition to the bi-annual mowing, our staff goes through the fields three times each year with a weed-wacker, pruning all plants that grow above the blueberries. Every six years, we take soil samples and spread pelletized organic sulphur through the fields, decreasing the pH and making the soil less hospitable to grasses and other native plants, allowing the blueberries to thrive.

We hand-harvest approximately 9,000 pounds of berries over four weeks with metal tined-rakes; alternating each summer between the two fields. The berries come in to the barn in boxes that contain blueberries, leaves, blackberries, small stems, and other treasures from the field, and are processed by our crew using a winnower. This mechanical process blows leaves and sticks, drops small berries, and removes clumps before sending the berries along the conveyor belt where 1-3 people visually scan the berries and remove crushed or clumped berries by hand before they fall into the ‘clean box’. This intensive process enables us to sell fresh berries in quarts, pints, and 10-pound boxes typically within 1-8 hours after harvesting. 

The fields have been managed for wild blueberry production on and off for the last several decades. We are proud to continue this agricultural tradition on Beech Hill, and are delighted to offer our members and the public the freshest wild blueberries around. 

HIKE-THE-GUIDE

Challenge

Coastal Mountains Land Trust invites you to explore the outdoors

using our Trail Guide. Hike the Guide on your own or join us for

guided group outings, every third Saturday of the month, open to all

ages and abilities.

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Accept the Challenge 

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The Hike-the-Guide Challenge: Visit 12 of our preserves and record your visits! On our preserves you can hike, run, paddle, hunt, fish, ski, snowshoe, go birding, or botanize; choose your own adventures! As you recreate fill out the preserve checklist which you can find and print here, or in the back of your Coastal Mountains Land Trust Trail Guide. 

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Trail Guides are provided free to members so consider joining today and we will mail you one with your new member packet. Or, stop by the office at 101 Mt. Battie Street, Camden and pick one up for a suggested $5.00 donation. 

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To get you started on the Challenge, we will be hosting guided outings every third Saturday of the month, from 9:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. Visit our events page for each month's listing. Please register by emailing info@coastalmountains.org.

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See you on the trails!!

COASTAL MOUNTAINS NATURE PROGRAM

The Coastal Mountains Nature Program hosts a series of monthly walks and occasional talks exploring the natural history of Mid-Coast Maine.  All walks take place on the first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. until noon unless otherwise specified.  Each walk has a particular area of focus, led by a knowledgeable leader, and participants are encouraged to share their knowledge of anything that we discover. This program is co-sponsored by the Camden Conservation Commission. 2019 Schedule.