ORONO LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER 52

January 2001  

UPCOMING EVENTS  

Newsletter Editor: Cheryl Daigle         Publisher: Margaret Campbell

      On October 28, OLT members and friends gathered at the Tishers' barn for a Volunteer and Landowner Recognition Reception. The event was planned to celebrate all of those who make Orono's trails and open spaces more beautiful, and accessible. Alan Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Forest Society of Maine, gave some inspiring remarks about the importance of local organizations like OLT as focuses for community and environmental concerns. Ann Pilcher was awarded a special OLT Volunteer Award - a lovely "tree" platter created by Sandy Houtman - for her work spearheading the effort of the Tree Board to plant and maintain trees in Orono. Since 1993, 293 trees have been planted along our streets, as well as 100 red maple seedlings planted in the Town/School nursery. Ann was also instrumental in the opening of our new downtown Orono Community Pharmacy. Congratulations, Ann!

~ Sharon Tisher

GOULD’S LANDING REPORT

       Bob Miller, Jay Johnson and Sally Jacobs met with Bob Moosmann, the senior landscape architect from the Maine Department of Transportation on Friday, December 15. Mr. Moosmann has taken the lead for the MDOT on the wetlands mitigation property adjacent to Gould's Landing at the end of outer Essex Street. This piece of land was purchased by the MDOT for use as a compensatory preservation bank for wetlands impacted by road construction. The Maine Department of Transportation will retain ownership until the day that the entire 28-acre parcel has been used for wetland compensation purposes. At that time, the land title will be turned over to the Orono Land Trust to act as land stewards and carry out a land management plan. The MDOT will give the OLT a written statement outlining the parcel's covenants and restrictions and the land management responsibilities.
       The OLT has been working for about three years with the MDOT to design a plan that will allow public use of the property and the development of nature trails. On this particular day we walked the property and observed wildlife ranging from gypsy moth egg masses, to the unmade beds of what must be a half-dozen deer. Surveying, easement agreements, and MDEP sign-off on the trail development plan must be carried out before trail construction can begin. We are hoping that the trail construction can begin during the spring 2001 season and be completed by this summer.                                                 

                                                                       ~   Sally Jacobs

AYERS ISLAND UPDATE

       A new trail offers hikers and skiers an opportunity to explore this beautiful island.  In September, Sally Jacobs, Terri and Alan Hutchinson, Paul Schroeder and Jay Johnson scouted the southern end, discovering a silver maple flood plain, one of few in the area and an ecosystem of statewide importance.  Interspersed with a variety of natural communities is evidence of the historic uses of the island: a concrete settling tank with wooden dam-like gates and a substantial drainage ditch to the river, a 50-foot stretch of well fitted natural stone south along the western passage, the old railway bed and bridge abutment, and an old pump house, among other buildings. They did not find any remains of a structure which shows in a picture from the 1960's John Hackney had shared with them, but enjoyed a pleasant plain with oak and birch leading to a meadow famous for its monarch butterflies. A three-tiered point with handsome views of the main river on the southeast corner, and a small jetty and pleasant beach just past the pump house, offer interesting and scenic stops along the way.  They also found a beaver construction battalion had been busy: two trees, each over one foot in diameter had been felled across one trail by the road and two more of about the same size were being worked on.  A major Y of beaver walkways points toward the water, so there should be ample opportunities to observe how beavers re-shape the landscape.

In October, Gail White and Jay Johnson marked an all-weather circumference trail around the northern part of the island. This trail starts up the road past the gravel pit. Jay returned in November to mark a circumference trail around the southern end. It starts about twenty yards south of the bridge.  Both trails are marked with bright red flagging, but please don’t confuse that with some paler tape on survey-type locations marked by someone else.                                                        

                                                                                                       ~ Jay Johnson

Please join us on Saturday February 10th for our Winter Outing to explore these new trails and the beauty of Ayers Island!

NATURE CLIPS                  by Jerry Longcore

Br r r r r, It’s Cold !  What to Do?----HIBERNATE !

       Cold-blooded animals (e.g., invertebrates, frogs, snakes) and warm-blooded animals (e.g., bats, woodchucks, chipmunks) survive the winter in an inactive state. The body temperatures of cold-blooded organisms always are near that of their surroundings, thus in winter they must hibernate and do so in various ways.  Insects dehydrate before becoming dormant, frogs bury themselves in the organic debris and mud at the bottom of ponds and breathe through their skin, and snakes gather in a tangled mass in a sheltered cavity in the ground or elsewhere. Wood frogs use glycogen and glucose (sugar) to cause ice growth in tissues to be granular, not in sharp shards, so that these frogs can freeze nearly solid and still survive.

       During hibernation, mammals stop their activity and decrease their body temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate and eventually become unconscious. Mammals also accumulate large stores of fat before settling down in a dark, quiet den. Blood sugar drops and glycogen (a starch) increases in the liver.  Bears are not true hibernators and even give birth during their time in the den. If you accrued an extra pound or two over the holidays, just explain that you were preparing to hibernate!

 Do you recognize this non-hibernator's tracks?

How to Care for your Bog--A Mind-Boggling Responsibility
February 6, Tuesday, Orono Library, 7:30 p.m.
Four views on bogs that lie within Bangor~Orono~Old Town.

Join us at what promises to be a fascinating presentation on our local peatlands: learn how bogs and other types of peatland communities are formed, the unique ecological features found in these wetland communities, the value of peatlands to wildlife and to biological diversity, how bogs help to protect water quality, and what our options may be for protecting these special natural communities.  Special focus will be on Caribou Bog.  Participate in discussion after the panel presentation, and discover ways that you can help protect our local bogs. The panel presentation with slides will feature speakers Ron Davis, Phillip deMaynadier, Tom Hodgman and Robert Miller. Moderated by Cheryl Daigle.

Co-sponsors: the Orono Public Library and the Orono Land Trust.

OLT WINTER OUTING

February 10th at 10:00 a.m.

Ski or snowshoe the trails, enjoy the lovely vistas and romantic backwaters of Ayers Island.

Bring something to grill over a winter campfire after the trek and bring a friend who hasn't yet explored Orono's natural wonder. OLT will provide hot drinks, cups and condiments. To get to the Island, turn off Main Street at the Big Apple (Island Avenue). Go across the bridge to the Ayers Island parking area.

OLT ANNUAL MEETING

Friday, March 30, 2001, 6:30 P.M.

Keith Anderson Building on Bennoch Road.

Guest speaker: Judy Kellogg Markowsky, Director of Maine Audubon's Fields Pond Nature Center. Judy will present slides of her trip to Tierra Del Fuego in southern Chile showing the spectacular scenery of the mountains of Torres Del Paine National Park, glaciers, and the wildlife which is very different from Maine's. We will see, for example, puffins, guanacos which are related to llamas and camels and the birth of a baby guanaco.

The public is invited. Bring the whole family. Come early for dessert at 6:30 and the presentation is at 7:00 P.M.

 OLT-sponsored Arts Café

March 3, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. Keith Anderson Community Center A not-to-be-missed showcase of community talent: singing, dancing, music, poetry, stories, with delicious food and romantic ambiance. All OLT proceeds will be donated to the OLT Scholarship Fund. We're recruiting bakers, and energetic youth to wait tables. Please sign up to help make this a great success with Deta Pearce, 866-2296, or Dave Chase, 866-3993. Don't forget to come, bring all your friends, and share your talents.

Caribou Bog Ski Race

The ski event of the year!
March 4

Work off the previous evening of indulging in delectable desserts by skiing in the annual Caribou Bog Ski Race, Bangor to Orono/Old Town. Contact Peter Millard to join the volunteers who make this great event possible, or to find out about how to register. 866-3503, pmillard@emh.org
 

NEWS FROM THE TRAILS

EAGLE SCOUT AWARD FOR TRAIL WORK Congratulations to Jon Hutchinson, son of Terri and Alan Hutchinson, who will receive the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Award on January 28. Jon's Eagle project was enhancing the resources of Sklar Park by building a camping and day-use site along the trail system.

RIVER TRAIL This past fall we relocated part of the River Trail. It was in a poor location directly on the river bank. Erosion and compaction had elevated tree roots, damaging the trees and saplings in the riparian zone. We moved the trail higher up onto the old railroad grade. We picked up trash, bottles, old tires, and paint cans. The trail is now accessed from the rear of Scottie Folger's parking lot. In the spring we plan to regrade the steep trail access and wood chip it to prevent erosion.  Thank you to Jaime Brooks, Andrea Pearce, and all others who helped.                           ~ Chris Dorion

COLBURN AREA TRAILS Trail day for the Colburn area was stretched out for a week.  Jerry Longore and Gail White cut cedar logs for a corduroy trail.  On Community Service Day, Nick Houtman supervised four students from Orono High School who moved all the logs from one side of the Colburn Preserve to the other side. Thank you to Ryan Hanscom, Wesley Colbath, Brian Tyne and Ben Erker for your help. On trail day, Gail White laid the logs in place on the Randall Trail very near the pineapple tree.  Walkers will now have a drier place to walk.                                    ~ Gail White

 Special thanks to Jim White, who braved the freezing cold to cut up 7 trees that had fallen over the trails in the Colburn area. Thanks also to Dick Jacobs for mowing the brush in Brownie's Park AND the Colburn field.

 MARSH ISLAND TRAILS  The fall trail project was to extend the existing trail to incorporate the OLT meadow which lies along the RR tracks, just along the Orono-Old Town boundary. OLT and Penobscot Valley Ski Club members successfully cut a winding trail about 600 yards through small conifers into the mature oak forest which lies along Vinal Stream and then across the stream to the meadow. Our objective was to extend the ski trail, which has now been connected to the existing trails (with a new bridge over Vinal Stream) and has been skied by OLT members. The ski trail can be accessed from Crosby St (near Pierce), the end of Colburn Drive, or the end of Marsh Lane. Watch out for the downhill leading into the new trail section at the northeast end of the existing trail loop.                                     ~ Peter Millard

MBNA TRAILS On Trails Day Augie Desiervo, Deta Pearce, and Sally Jacobs worked at MBNA.  Lots of chips are left for spring cleanup. We had quite a bunch at Winterhaven for a while including Augie D., Deta and Andrea Pearce, and Jaime Brooks who worked like mad.                                                                             ~ Sally Jacobs

And, Sally Jacobs reports …

     I took 40+ kids from the Recreation Department after-school program on a walk in the Colburn Natural Area, Oct 11. It was a lovely day, peak color. They ranged in age from kindergarten through fourth grade. Glenn Rampe went along to help the Rec Staff. Rampe's son Jeff is in the program. We learned tree and flower names as well as a little history, had a snack at the Climbing Tree, saw the great corner where the tree is that has been hit TWICE by lightning and also the hollow tree that now has become home to a porcupine and some bees. Sounds like an uncomfortable combination to me. What they liked best was the enormous poop pile that is tumbling out of the hollow tree. (Well, they are just kids, you know, so a porcupine bathroom just caught their imagination)

     I loved the outing and hope we can do another in the spring. I was a little hesitant about my chosen route being too long because I wanted to take them in at a public access and the closest was out on Forest Avenue. I looked at those kindergartners and gulped. We forged ahead and they all took it in stride. Nary a complaint. Made the loop including the River

Trail and it took 2 hours flat.

***A request to all people using the OLT trail system***

 Please stay on the MARKED trails.  We have an unauthorized path running parallel to Teaberry Hill in the Colburn area.  This path is destroying valuable ground cover.  If people can avoid this path and others like it, we hope that the lady slippers and other fragile plant life will have a chance to recover.  We appreciate your consideration.

  Interested in helping with Stewardship? 

You are invited to a meeting at the Treadwell (Rec) Building at 7 pm Wed., March 7. Stewardship responsibilities include monitoring an area for work needed, easement enforcements, and landowner relations. OLT tries to have at least one Steward for each of its areas.


Members, please join one or more of OLT's committees listed below:

• Lands The core committee, always on the lookout for new areas, monitors land-use changes.

• Stewardship and Trails  Backbone of OLT, monitors areas, maintains trails for public use.

• Program and Activities Plans and conducts events and programs of education and entertainment.

•  Public Relations  Helps tell the OLT story through newspaper articles and brochures.

•  Newsletter Writes, publishes and distributes the newsletter for members; maintains mailing list.

• Membership  Encourages existing and new members to participate in OLT activities.

• Web site  Constructs and maintains the web site structure, facilities and data.

Orono Land Trust