Notes
Fall 2012 Volume 20 No. 2
Conserving special places for all
Mahoosuc Land Trust Accepts Gift of Step Falls
from The Nature Conservancy
On Friday, October 26, 2012, The Nature Conservancy offically
passed the ownership of the Step Falls Preserve in Newry to the
Mahoosuc Land Trust.
When we think of Step Falls, images of sunny summer afternoons
come to mind, family picnics spread out on the flat rocks, kids sliding
down the smooth stone slides into chilly mountain pools, teenagers
dancing from rock to rock with the abandon of, well, teenagers.
On some hot July weekends, almost every sunny spot will be filled
with folks enjoying the pleasure of the cool water contrasted with
the warmth of the granite slabs. Countless numbers of denim shorts
and bathing suits have been worn through after a day of rocksliding
at the Falls.
The Nature Conservancy acquired Step Falls in 1961 from the Wight
Family of Newry whose descendants still own the land on both sides
of the 24-acre preserve. The first Nature Conservancy project in
Maine, Step Falls has become a favorite spot for both local residents
and visitors to western Maine. Because of its popularity, the Preserve
has been heavily used and is in need of some tender loving care, which
the Mahoosuc Land Trust happily plans to bestow.
Norwegian guests enjoy the falls!
Formed at the end of the last ice age 12,000 years ago as glacial meltwater carved Wight Brook down the side of
Baldpate, Step Falls is a long chain of descending horsetails, cascades, slides, and pools. Its total elevation drop of
250 feet makes it one of the highest falls in Maine. The flowage of water down Wight Brook, sometimes reaching
500 cubic feet per second in the spring thaw run-off, has carved graceful shapes into the granite slabs, which are
crossed with veins of milky quartz. Erosion and change continue as spring flowage re-arranges the landscape.
When the Mahoosuc Land Trust approached The Nature Conservancy about the possibility of placing this iconic spot
under our care, the international organization was pleased to pass it along to our local land trust so that it could come under
the watchful eyes of local stewards. Step Falls is the third property on which The Nature Conservancy has collaborated
with the Mahoosuc Land Trust. Both the 4600+ acre Concord River easement and the Songo Pond (Dearden) easement
came to the Mahoosuc Land Trust from the Nature Conservancy.
Our plans for Step Falls will necessitate raising the funds to improve both the parking area and the trail itself,
to update the signage, and to make clear the boundaries for the protection of the neighbors on both sides. The
Mahoosuc Land Trust board looks forward to building a strong group of Step Falls Stewards who, together, can
care for this lovely preserve.
Bruce and Becky Bailey Conservation Award
Robert and Allidah Iles received the Mahoosuc Land Trust’s Bruce and
Becky Bailey Conservation Award at the Annual Meeting. Bob and Lida
spearheaded the successful acquisition of the Rumford Whitecap Preserve
in 2007. Along with serving as a Land Trust board member, Lands and
Governance Committees member, Bob serves as Chair of the Whitecap
Stewardship Committee that oversees trail maintenance for the preserve
and most recently the addition of the Black and White Trail from the
summit of Rumford Whitecap to Black Mountain in Rumford.
Lida has spent the past year organizing the Land Trust’s project files for
the accreditation application and served on the Accreditation Committee.
Lida’s meticulous attention to the details and follow up for completeness
in the land files helped the accreditation process move right along.
Bob and Lida Iles receiving the
Bruce and Becky Bailey Conservation Award
from Land Trust President, Bonnie Pooley
The award honors “our local icons in recognition of their passion for rural life, community involvement and generosity to the Mahoosuc Land
Trust and to other conservation efforts.” Thank you, Bob and Lida, for
your contributions to land conservation in western Maine.
Notes from the President
During the past few months I have realized just how important are the volunteers to our Land Trust. Every small non-profit wrangles
with financial issues daily, and the strong commitment of volunteers can make the difference between success and failure.
For example, the board of the Mahoosuc Land Trust consists of fifteen volunteers, including me. Each board member also serves
on committees, along with another dozen volunteers. Every mailing that goes out relies on volunteer folders, stuffers, and stampers.
Every event we hold - here come more volunteers with brownies, cookies, and coffee cakes. Trail work and property monitoring
involve another couple dozen volunteers. The accreditation application required literally hundreds of hours from three devoted
volunteers in addition to our staff.
Just three weeks ago, a young man just out of graduate school walked into our office. In between jobs, he asked, “Have you got
some volunteer work I could do?” Joe Molloy is now writing a management plan for a Land Trust property, good for his resume
and important work for MLT. A local high school graduate doing a “gap year” is soon returning from Nova Scotia and plans to
contribute some of her energy and passion to Mahoosuc Land Trust before the holidays.
Without these community activists who share a passion for conserving the beautiful mountains, streams, bogs, and rivers of western Maine, the Mahoosuc Land Trust would not exist. With their help, we are thriving. A tip of the hat and immense gratitude
to all of you! And for those who haven’t yet found the right time or project, there’s plenty more to do. Stop by our office and let
us know how you would like to help.
NRCM People’s Choice Award
Bob Iles receives the People’s
Choice Award from NRCM
President, Tony Owens
Bob Iles received the People’s Choice Award from the
Natural Resources Council of Maine at their annual
meeting in Portland in September. Bob was honored
for his tireless work to preserve the natural beauty of
western Maine. Bob’s exceptional efforts to preserve
a significant portion of Rumford Whitecap and trail
access to the property, as well as his continuing work as
a volunteer for the Mahoosuc Land Trust on a number
of other conservation projects will ensure that future
generations can enjoy the beauty of western Maine.
Congratulations, Bob.
Bonnie Pooley, President
Black and White
Trail Progress
The trail between the summits of
Whitecap and Black Mountain
is totally roughed out and 80%
complete. The remaining 20%
will be completed in the spring
and then the trail will be open to
hikers. Please look for Trail Work
Days in the spring to finish the
trail work.
Noteworthy
Summer and Fall Outings
The Mahoosuc Land Trust hiking program saw a growing
number of participants out on area conservation properties.
Saranne Taylor led the May hike for 14 energetic folks on Puzzle
Mountain. The Whitecap Gourmet hike in July saw over 20
hikers and eaters carry delicious gourmet dishes to share on the
summit, where the early blueberry crop provided some additional dessert. Larry Ely led the September hike to the summit
of Mt. Ingalls through some rain and fog, but with terrific terrain. The final hike in October was led by Bruce Barrett around
Overset Pond in Albany on a trail he had recently completed.
As an added treat, Larry Stifler and Mary McFadden hosted a
tour of historic Willis Mills and served lunch for 35 Land Trust
members. Our thanks to all who help plan, guide and participate in these outings to enjoy the special land we live in.
Great Maine Outdoor Weekend
Joining with many organizations throughout the State of
Maine, the Mahoosuc Land Trust celebrated the Great Maine
Outdoor Weekend on Saturday, September 29th, with a choice
of programs: Canoeing on the Androscoggin, Hiking Buck’s
and Lapham Ledges, Touring the Bumpus Mine. Jeff Newsom
and Saranne Taylor hosted a BBQ following the events. “Fun
and a good time was had by all.” Thank you to Steve Wight
for coordinating the special day.
Annual Meeting with Tom Wessels
The 23rd Annual Meeting on October 21st, had 80 members in
attendance to enjoy “Reading the Forested Landscape” by Tom
Wessels. Tom’s presentation on stonewalls and what they tell us
about historical use of the land was a fascinating combination
of New England history and environmental forensics. Prior
to the presentation, President Bonnie Pooley presented thank
you gifts to five departing Board Members, Joe Aloisio, William
Andrews, Bob Iles, Ginger Lawson and Linda Macgregor.
Jean Bass, Barbra Barrett, Mac Davis, Mike Hyman and Ann
Morton were elected to three year terms as new Board Members.
Officers for the coming year are Bonnie Pooley, President;
Robert O’Brien, Vice President; Dick Stratton, Treasurer; and
Jane Chandler, Secretary.
Hikers descending from Overset Pond Loop.
Retiring and New Board Members at the Annual Meeting. Back
row: Ginger Lawson, Ann Morton, Joe Aloisio, Bob Iles, Mike
Hyman. Front Row: Barbra Barrett and Jean Bass. Missing from
photo: Retiring members William Andrews, Linda Macgregor and
new member Mac Davis.
Jean Bass, a minister in the United Church of Christ, lived
and raised a family in Bethel for 21 years and has returned
after retiring in 2011. She brings a faith commitment to nurturing the earth entrusted to us, as well as a deep gratitude
to live in this most beautiful corner of that earth, where she
walks daily and tends a tiny garden. Jean was the proofreader
extraordinare for the Land Trust’s Accreditation Application.
Barbra Barrett is Chief of Operations for the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum in Bethel. Prior to her role at MMGM
she was the Administrator of Boxberry Elementary School in
Oxford. She lives in Albany Township with her husband,
Bruce, and sons, Myles and Oliver, and enjoys walks in the
woods and canoeing with her family.
Mac Davis and his wife Nancy put down roots next to Songo
Pond in Albany Township forty years ago, where they raised two
sons. During his 35 years as an English Teacher and Dean of Faculty at Gould Academy in Bethel, Mac was active in the Gould
Outing Program. He continues to guide canoe trips in the summer and is enjoying working for Mahoosuc Guide Service as a ski
guide in the winter. Mac is a member of the Stewardship Committee and monitors easements for the Land Trust.
Michael Hyman is Vice Chairman and President of Vesta
Property Services, Inc., headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.
Mike oversees the management and amentity services for
large-scale residential communities. Mike and his wife Sherry
live in West Palm Beach, FL, and for the last 18 years spend
time at their home in Wilson Rips in Bethel. Mike served on
Newry’s Upton/Newry Bi-way Committee in the late 1990’s.
Ann Morton was born in Bethel, the sixth generation on the
family farm. After graduating from Gould Academy, she got
her Bachelors and Masters degrees from University of Maine
and was an educator for thirty years. She and her husband
Dave raised three children, and they all agree that Maine is a
very special place. Ann and Dave live in Bryant Pond where
they can spend their leisure time gardening, golfing, kayaking
and skiing. They share the philosophy of our forebears to leave
this world a better place for their four grandchildren and their
descendants.
Betty Werner
A LEGACY OF LOVE
TRIBUTE TO KENNETH ALDEN BOHR
When Ken Bohr, newly retired from his career as an economist
with the World Bank, moved to Bethel in 1982, he immediately
looked for ways to fit into this small town. Yes, he loved his stately
home on Chapman Street and enjoyed growing his “crops” in the
yard, but he needed a place for his energy and intellect. Thus,
in 1988, he sat around a kitchen table with several others and
started creating a land trust. Ken’s idea, from the beginning, was
to “conserve land so that the people could enjoy it.”
Ken participated in all facets of this new organization from by-laws
to officers to finances to policies. Early on, when the Mahoosuc
Land Trust was still an all-volunteer group, Ken was the only
retired one of us. Each month, when he came to board meetings,
he brought the typed results of many hours of musing in his study.
Imagine applying the organizational principles of the World Bank
to a tiny local non-profit! Another contribution Ken made to MLT
was his careful note taking and record-keeping. To this day, we
benefit from his meticulous notebooks. Finally, he was a generous
benefactor of the land trust from the very beginning. Just when
finances were looking grim and we wondered how we would pay
the rent on our tiny office, a check would arrive “anonymously,”
but everyone knew the source of that generosity.
As age caught up with him, Ken could no longer stay abreast of
the daily issues of the land trust. Nonetheless, this small nonprofit that he helped create always held a special place in his heart.
In his final months, we took the massive accreditation application
notebook for him to see. He shook his head in wonderment,
grinned, and said, “So much good work. We’ve come so far.” We
at the Mahoosuc Land Trust will miss Ken Bohr.
A memorial service for Ken will be held on Saturday, November
24th at noon at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Bridgton. Ken’s
family has requested that those wishing to honor Ken may
consider making a donation to the Mahoosuc Land Trust.
In 1961, Ben and Betty Werner first set foot in the small town of
Shelburne, NH, just west of the Maine border. They discovered
and purchased a run down 1803 farmhouse set in the shadow of
the Mahoosuc Mountains and began a 51-year love affair with a
special place called Crow Mountain Farm.
Initially a summer sanctuary away from the crowds and noise of
Long Island, New York, Crow Mountain Farm became Ben and
Betty’s permanent residence in 1985. In this remote and beautiful valley ringed by old mountains left by the glaciers and shared
with diverse species of wildlife, Ben and Betty had at last come
“home.”
This 242-acre farm contains the two peaks of Crow’s Nest,
forests of huge oak and pine, a beaver flowage and stream, a
deep glacial kettle hole pond, and river frontage with an island
on the Androscoggin. The echo of history is visible in the cellar
hole and old rock walls at the base of Crow Mountain where
Samuel Wheeler first settled and among the generations of guests
at Philbrook Farm Inn who have hiked the White Trail to the
Summit of Crow’s Nest.
It was always Ben and Betty’s fondest wish to see this land
conserved for future generations. Betty, with the help of her
daughters, is now ensuring that this will happen by donating
a conservation easement on Crow Mountain Farm to the Mahoosuc Land Trust. We are working to complete this easement
in the next few months. We think Ben would be proud of his
family for leaving such a wonderful legacy.
Mahoosuc Land Trust Legacy Circle
Members who have generously included the Mahoosuc
Land Trust in their estate planning and planned giving.
The Legacy Circle will help continue the support of its
members into the future.
William Andrews,
John and Martha Chandler
Larry Ely and Ginger Lawson, Walter Hatch,
Jack Kallis, Robert and Allidah Iles,
Jack and Lucy Nordahl,
John Shorb, Jan Stowell
For more information about becoming a member of the
Legacy Circle, please call the office at 207-824-3806.