Walsh Preserve
Directions
From Route 1 turn onto Old County Road and go on a bridge over I-295. Take Old County Road for 0.9 miles and the parking lot will be on your left. There is a gravel parking area for 4 cars at the trailhead.
Walsh: Protecting Habitat and Providing Public Access
Freeport Conservation Trust, Royal River Conservation Trust, and Maine Coast Heritage Trust strategic collaboration to conserve the Cousins River salt marsh and upland habitat
These three organizations are working together to specifically restore two critical mega-pools created from colonial salt hay farming practices. Since 1985, FCT has conserved 195 acres across 14 parcels along the Cousins River north of I-295. An additional 81 acres of marshland are conserved by Maine Coast Heritage Trust in Yarmouth.
The Cousins River and bordering saltwater marshes make up an ecologically rich tidal area, hosting a diversity of fish and serving as habitat for rare saltmarsh sparrows and other birds. Because of its extensive undeveloped shoreline and the large acreage of marsh, the Cousins River ecosystem has been identified as adaptable to the impact of rising sea levels. Conserving the tidal marsh and adjacent uplands will sustain the viability of this important coastal habitat.