Take a Sit-Spot with Kennebunk Land Trust
To the editor,
Kennebunk Land Trust gift memberships are available at kennebunklandtrust.org/holiday-gift-membership-purchase. Dan King photo
Happy holidays from Kennebunk Land Trust. Our most recent newsletter wrote about “taking a sit-spot.” This is when you find a place in nature comfortable to sit for a length of time, and quietly listen to absorb your surroundings. Your mind should wander all over the place, but your body stays put. In time, you’ll hear and see the workings of the natural area.
If your sit-spot is on a KLT preserve, thank a volunteer.
This time of year, we reflect on the previous year of accomplishments and look toward the new year. Our volunteers and contributors are the backbone of KLT’s achievements. Thank you so much for a fantastic year. Your support makes everything possible.
Kennebunk Land Trust maintains over 30 miles of recreational trails, and in 2023 we added three more miles. The land trust also held over 20 nature, bird, and plant walks with over 200 registrants. Next year, we hope to offer as many or more walks, and diversify the locations, schedules, and topics.
Get in touch with us to share ideas of what you’d like to participate in. Kennebunk Land Trust owns 1,340 acres of land in the Kennebunk region, and has 537 acres in conservation easement. Including the 1,723 acres of the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area which KLT does not own but was a key conservation partner to protect it, that’s 3,600 acres of land KLT has preserved.
We are always interested in discussing conservation options with landowners. If you have property you want to ensure stays natural to protect habitat and watersheds, we want to talk with you.
Kennebunk Land Trust has three working committees – development, stewardship, and acquisitions. All three groups have members of our board and the public that hold events, maintain our properties, and discover new conservation opportunities. Through these committees in 2023, KLT was able to add five new benches to our trails, hold trail work days, partner with Kennebunk High School for volunteer projects, connect with our community at the Harvest and May Day festivals, hold a brand-new fundraising event, and achieve a member retention rate that is 21 percent higher than the national average.
We are truly so grateful for our donors and volunteers that make our work possible. Thank you all for an incredible year, and we are so excited for all that is to come in 2024. We encourage you all to find your own special place outdoors, take a sit-spot, and see how afterwards you feel more connected to our natural world.
Kennebunk Land Trust is currently running our 2023 Annual Appeal. Our land conservation work provides outdoor recreation opportunities for everyone to improve physical health and wellbeing; protects habitats for plants, animals, and watersheds; and reduces the impacts of climate change. You can be a part of this work by visiting www.mygiving.net/donate/2023-Appeal or kennebunklandtrust.org.
Give the gift of nature this year with a KLT gift membership. Get your loved ones involved with a one-year membership and all the trimmings. Visit kennebunklandtrust.org/holiday-gift-membership-purchase.
Sandy Gilbreath, executive director
Kennebunk Land Trust
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