Lower Weskeag Fields and Forests
January 18, 2015 | Caring for the Land | Ecology & Wildlife, Land Protection, Public Access, Responding to Climate Change
Updated 12/18/2018: In 2018, MCHT successfully conserved 238 acres on Weskeag Marsh.
Weskeag Marsh is home to more bird species than any marsh in the Mid-Coast or Penobscot Bay regions of Maine. It is an extraordinary undeveloped ecosystem: a priority focus area for bird conservation that includes roosting and feeding sites for shorebirds amid sweeping views and open fields nestled between stands of coastal forest.
In partnership with Georges River Land Trust and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Coast Heritage Trust is leading an effort to conserve 238 acres on the marsh. Our goal is to permanently protect three parcels of land and establish a new public preserve with trails connecting to the Georges Highland Path, an existing 40-mile footpath maintained by Georges River Land Trust. Success will extend existing conservation on the Weskeag to 1,300 acres—resulting in nearly complete protection of the marsh.
Salt marsh protection is critical to making the Maine coast more resilient through a changing climate. Click here to learn more about the Marshes for Tomorrow Initiative.
“Every trip, the Weskeag is different. You can see glossy ibis wading in the salt marshes, shovelers courting each other, peregrine falcons chasing flocks of sandpipers, great egrets foraging, and sparrows nesting. It’s a birding Mecca!” —Local birder, Don Reimer
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