Please join us on Thursday, November 7, at 8:30 AM for a trail and stewardship crew session at Sayles Field. Last month, we made excellent progress tackling invasive plants around the field, and this week we’ll aim to finish the job. If time permits, we may also work along the wooded trail.

FCT will provide loppers, clippers, saws, gloves, and herbicide dabbers. Feel free to bring any tools you prefer as well. We’ll meet near the Church Road entrance and hike in together.

If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Dawson at jonathan@freeportconservationtrust.org.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Join Stio and 5Point Film for a special evening of outdoor short films on Thursday, October 10th, at Maine Beer Company in Freeport. Your ticket includes a $10 donation to Freeport Conservation Trust, a complimentary beverage, access to a pizza buffet, and a 10% discount at Stio’s Freeport Mountain Studio. Doors open at 6:00 PM, and the show starts at 7:00 PM. Don’t miss out—buy your ticket now and support a great cause! For tickets and more information, visit the event page.

Buy Tickets Now! - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/909333690547?aff=oddtdtcreatorhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/909333690547?aff=oddtdtcreator

🌿 Join FCT for a Trail Crew Work Session! 🌿

📅 When: Thursday, October 3 at 8:30 AM
📍 Where: Meet at the Church Road trailhead, Freeport
🎯 What: Help us tackle invasive plants along the perimeters of Sayles Field!

We’ll provide loppers, folding saws, clippers, and herbicide dabbers. Just bring gloves, water, and your favorite tools. The crew has done amazing work in the past, and it’s time to keep it going!

Got questions? Reach out to Jonathan Dawson at 207-844-0419.

Let’s make a difference together! 🌳

Please note the event is sold out Join FCT for a cruise on Casco Bay with Captain Peter Milholland aboard the Pamela B on 9/15/24! Explore the inner islands of Freeport, Brunswick, and Harpswell while searching for osprey, eagles, eiders, Common Terns, and even seals basking in the sun. We'll also highlight islands protected by FCT and note local aquaculture. Bring binoculars and a warm layer. Meet at the Freeport town wharf in South Freeport. Parking is available behind The French School of Maine. Rain date: 9/16/24

Please join us at Frost Gully Preserve on Thursday, 9/5/2024, from 8:30 AM to around 11:00 AM for our next trail crew session. We’ll meet at the trailhead kiosk/parking area at Burr Cemetery (56 Durham Road, Freeport, Maine). We'll be working with invasive species expert Amanda Devine to control phragmites reeds in the restored streamside area. This is crucial work in restoring Frost Gully Brook to its natural beauty. Wear long sleeves, pants, appropriate footwear, gloves, and bring water. New volunteers welcome! FCT will provide tools and supplies. Contact Jonathan Dawson at jonathan@freeportconservationtrust.org to confirm or ask questions.

Are you passionate about nature and community service? We need your help! Join us for a rewarding trail crew session on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 8:30 AM at the Jackman Woods parking area at the end of Litchfield Road in Freeport.

Together, we'll:

• Refresh trail blazing to keep paths clearly marked.

• Clear blowdowns and overgrown branches to ensure safe and enjoyable trails.

• Upgrade bog bridging to improve trail conditions.

The Freeport Conservation Trust will provide hand saws, loppers, tools for the bog bridge project, and an axe. Your role is vital—please bring gloves, water, and your favorite tool(s) to contribute to this meaningful work.

This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with nature, make new friends, and directly impact our community trails. Every helping hand makes a difference!

If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Dawson at jonathan@freeportconservationtrust.org.

Join us in making our trails better for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there!

~Jonathan

The Nature Tour is Sold Out. We are looking at planning another so stay tuned.Explore Casco Bay with Captain Peter Milholland aboard the Pamela B!

Embark on an unforgettable journey as we set sail to discover the hidden treasures of Casco Bay. Join us on Sunday, June 23rd, from 10 AM to noon, for an immersive boat tour showcasing the inner islands of Freeport, Brunswick, and Harpswell.

During this captivating excursion, you'll have the opportunity to witness the splendor of nature up close. Keep your eyes peeled for majestic ospreys, eagles soaring overhead, and the charming presence of eiders and Common Terns. With luck, you might even catch sight of seals basking on the sun-kissed ledges.

Learn about the thriving local aquaculture scene and gain insights into the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. We'll highlight the importance of preserving these pristine habitats, including the islands protected by FCT.

Join us for this unforgettable adventure!

Logistics: We'll meet at the Freeport town wharf in South Freeport. Parking is available behind The French School of Maine on South Freeport Road. The special discounted rate for this experience is $30 per person. Don't forget to bring binoculars and a warm layer.

With only 17 spots available, be sure to register early to secure your place on this exclusive adventure. Don't miss your chance to experience the beauty of Casco Bay from the decks of the Pamela B!

Event Details:

• Date: Sunday, June 23rd

• Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Meeting Point: Freeport town wharf in South Freeport

• Special Rate: $30 per person

The Town of Freeport Planning Board is updating the 2011 Comprehensive Plan and invites all community members to participate and share their ideas for Freeport’s future. The Plan will guide land use policies and municipal capital improvements, building on the Freeport Downtown Vision Plan and the Freeport Climate Action Plan. Join us for the first Comprehensive Plan Workshop on Wednesday, June 12th at 6 PM at the Freeport Community Center, and share your thoughts through open-ended activities and maps. For more information, visit www.futurefreeport.com and take the community survey at tinyurl.com/freeport-future-survey.

Please join us at 8:30am on Thursday, May 2 for a trail clean up session at Hedgehog Mountain. We’ll meet at the parking lot on Hedgehog Mountain Rd and do a big loop that has all the blow downs. We’ll need a couple of chain saws. There are 15 or so decent sized blow downs crossing the trails. Bring gloves, hearing protection and water. I’ll have axes, the giant manual lumber saw and the usual basket of loppers and small saws & I’ll bring some hearing protection too. Let me know if you have questions! Your support makes all the difference. Thank you!

Our next trail crew session will be on Thursday, April 11th, starting at 8:30 AM. We'll meet at the parking lot for the Kelsey Brook trailhead on Litchfield Road. Please note that this is the parking lot at the beginning of Litchfield Road, not the one further down at the end.

During this session, we have several tasks to complete along this section of the trail network. These tasks include refreshing the painted blazes, repositioning a couple of bog bridges, installing the new bridge over Kelsey Brook, and dismantling the old bridge. Additionally, we'll be cutting back hemlock branches and limbs along the trail.

For equipment, FCT will provide paint, brushes, wire paint scrapers, a crowbar, a come-along, rope, loppers, and a couple of hammers. We may also require a scraper or two and possibly a couple of pairs of loppers. If you have any of these tools, please bring them along.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Jonathan Dawson at jonathan@freeportconservationtrust.org.

Hello Team! For this session, we’re excited to continue our efforts on the Kelsey Brook trail. Join us as we gather at the parking lot located at the beginning of Litchfield Road at 8:30 AM on Thursday, March 7th, 2024.

This time, our focus will be on blazing the trail up to the washed-out bridge and installing the much-needed new bridge. Let’s cross our fingers for calmer weather ahead! If time and energy permit, we'll also work on removing the old, damaged bridge—perhaps disassembling it and hauling some pieces back to the parking lot. Additionally, we'll be installing cables to secure the new bridge and prevent future washouts.

Since we'll be using paint, please wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting splattered. Don’t forget your gloves, boots, and a couple of loppers or metal-bristled paint scraping brushes. The Freeport Conservation Trust will provide paint, brushes, containers, and more.

Your participation is invaluable to the success of this project! Let's come together as a community to make a lasting impact on our beautiful trails. Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to Jonathan Dawson at jonathan@freeportconservationtrust.org.

See you there! Let's make a difference together!

Workshop: Imagining safe walking and bicycling in Freeport. Monday 12/4 @6:30pm in the Bradley Rm. of Freeport Community Services. The event is sponsored by Connect Freeport, Complete Streets, FreeportCAN, & Freeport Conservation Trust. Details: Want to ditch your car and use streets and trails to walk or bike to the grocery store, the library, Winslow Park but don’t feel safe? Come learn what safe walking and biking looks like and give us your feedback.

Join us for our next trail crew session from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM on Friday 11/3/23.  FCT will be partnering with Wolfe's Neck Farm to build some stairs and a retaining wall.  Tools will be provided so all you need to bring is energy and a pair of work gloves.  We'll meet at the operations barn on Burnett Road and hike in.  (Take Flying Point Road to Lower Flying Point Road to Burnett Road-- the operations barn is the sheet metal building on the right after the field.)  Questions?  Contact Jonathan Dawson at jonathan@freeportconservationtrust.org. 

For more information please go to: https://freeportconservationtrust.org/s/revised-sc.pdf

Please join us on Sunday, October 15 at 2 p.m. for a nature walk at Antoinette Jackman Trail led by Jack Flanagan.  Jack plans to look for clues that will tell the history of the land use and note the various habitats.

The first Casco Bay nature tour sold so quickly that we are offering second tour with Captain Peter Milholland aboard the Pamela B.  The trip is scheduled for Monday, June 12, from 10 am to noon, with a rain date of Saturday, June 10.  From the boat, we’ll view the inner islands of Freeport, Brunswick, and Harpswell as we search for osprey, eagles, eiders, Common Terns, an occasional seal basking in the sun on the ledges, and note local aquaculture activity. We will also highlight the islands protected by FCT.  The cost is $30 per person.  Sign up early to save your spot..  Bring binoculars and a warm layer.  Meet at the Freeport town wharf in South Freeport.  There is parking behind The French School of Maine on South Freeport Road.

Join FCT for a Casco Bay nature tour with Captain Peter Milholland aboard the Pamela B.  The trip is scheduled for Sunday, June 11, from 10 am to noon, with a rain date of Saturday, June 10.  From the boat, we’ll view the inner islands of Freeport, Brunswick, and Harpswell as we search for osprey, eagles, eiders, Common Terns, an occasional seal basking in the sun the ledges, and note local aquaculture activity. We will also highlight the islands protected by FCT.  The cost is $30 per person. Bring binoculars and a warm layer.  Meet at the Freeport town wharf in South Freeport.  There is parking behind The French School of Maine on South Freeport Road.

The Frost Gully Brook Dam Removal project, a partnership of organizations and individuals including the Freeport Conservation Trust, will begin this month. The Dam Removal project represents a significant effort to restore the habitat and ecosystem of Frost Gully Brook and its surroundings, by removing dams, managing invasive species, and reintroducing native plants. FCT is hosting a public walk to showcase the changes that will be coming and the impactful benefits of the damn removal project. Please join us for this fun and informative short walk. Please meet at the Frost Gully Kiosk at 9:30am on June 11th. If you have any questions please contact carrie@freeportconservationtrust.org.