Winter is here! Great Works Regional Land Trust is excited and ready to take you out on the trails this season with Old Berwick Historical Society (OBHS). Together, they will be offering three history hikes throughout the year, the first of which will be Saturday, February 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Raymond & Simone Savage Wildlife Preserve, South Berwick. Anthropologist Meghan Howey will discuss the role the river landscape played in Native American lifestyles. Participants will appreciate the diversity of this 26-acre preserve on the Salmon Falls River, located at 15 Dover-Eliot Road.
Great Works’ popular winter hike series, sponsored this year by P. Gagnon & Son and by Jewelers Outlet, also features many returning favorites. The first is a snowshoe/ski at Tuckahoe Preserve in Berwick on Saturday, January 27, from 10 a.m. to noon. The 140 acres between Hubbard Road and the Salmon Falls River offers a level, easy glide for ski touring and exploration of the forested riverbank.
Begin February with a cross-country ski at Back Fields Farm in Eliot on Saturday, February 3, from 10 a.m. to noon. Jay and Michele Meyer have created a trail system through their fields and woods. Experience is required as the terrain is hilly. Our “Wednesday Wandering” for the month of February is a cross-country ski at Desrochers Memorial Forest, Wednesday, February 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. Located next to South Berwick Town Forest off Knights Pond Road, Desrochers Memorial Forest features a recently improved trail system with sections along an old woods road and along the Great Works River, perfect for skiing.
On Saturday, February 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the winter excursion will be at Orris Falls Conservation Area, Thurrell Road in South Berwick. Weather permitting, the beaver marsh will be frozen solid so hikers can enjoy the open views that are obscured in warmer weather. Expect to visit the Big Bump, Orris Falls, and Baker’s Oven, some of the “Wonders of Tatnic.” As time and interest allow, the tour may extend to Balancing Rock and Tatnic Ledges.
Fingers are crossed that conditions will be good for a Beaver Dam Heath ski/snowshoe on Saturday, February 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. Winter is really the only time to venture into the wetlands and the Heath. The hike will start from Grant’s Meadow Preserve in the forested uplands of the Heath, which boasts a ¾-mile loop trail, accessible year-round. The parking lot is on Diamond Hill Road, just south of Old Sanford Road in Berwick. The winter hike season will finish with a “Wednesday Wandering” snowshoe hike up Bauneg Beg Mountain in North Berwick on March 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. Enjoy views from of the White Mountains to the west and the Cape Elizabeth Light to the northeast.
Great Works Regional Land Trust is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 to provide conservation options to the landowners of Eliot, South Berwick, Berwick, North Berwick, Ogunquit and Wells. The Land Trust is committed to saving the best of our region by protecting working landscapes and wildlife lands for current and future generations.
Space on hikes is limited to 25 people so reservations are required. Please call the Great Works office at 207-646-3604 or email info@gwrlt.org to reserve your place. Anyone interested in joining any of these hikes is encouraged to visit the website at www.gwrlt.org or call the office for more information, confirmation of the hike status and last minute suggestions for footwear. All hikes are open to the public and free of charge to Land Trust members. A $5 donation per person or $10 donation per family is suggested for non-members.