New preserve in Waldo includes Hills to Sea Trail

By Cloe Chunn

On December 13, 2023, Coastal Mountains Land Trust acquired its first preserve in the town of Waldo, a 119-acre property that is almost entirely forested with mixed hardwood and oak-pine forest stands, in addition to a small field located along Kendall Corner Road. With funding from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Davis Conservation Fund, Maine Community Foundation Land Protection Fund and Ann and David Somers, who donated a significant percentage of the value of this property, the land trust was able to purchase the property and ensure that it remains undeveloped and available for public recreation. This is part of the land trust’s Waldo County Conservation Initiative.

The new preserve abuts the Waldo County Technical Center, which provides career and technical education to area high school students. The preserve’s proximity to the center will provide opportunities for outdoor education – another big step forward in the Learning Landscapes work to connect students with nature. The preserve also hosts a quarter-mile section of the Hills to Sea Trail, a 47-mile path that winds its way from Unity to Belfast. Conserving another section of the trail will help ensure the longevity of this important recreational community resource. The land trust plans to develop an additional 1.5- to 2-mile trail network for local users and integrate unique features of the property in the trail design, including an old stone wall structure known as the “town pound,” where residents would bring wayward cattle.

Hiking the Hills to Sea Trail