Top Ten Tuesday- 10 KCT Properties to Visit

We are excited to announce, Top Ten Tuesday! 

Each week we will add to the collection.  Feel free to print it out, and eventually you can have your own collection like this!

Or if you come to see us at KCT or anywhere we are presenting, we will have them with us as well. 
New ideas on how to get out, things to look for, books to read etc...

We hope that our Top Ten Lists will inspire you to get outside, get some fresh air, learn a little something and just get connected to this beautiful place that we are lucky to live in.


This week find out ten KCT properties to visit.   From the islands, to the forests with the help of our wonderful community, KCT has preserved so many of the jewels of Kennebunkport.  Caring for those places that make Kennebunkport unique and special, and making a place for all to enjoy them.

Take a look at the list to get an idea of where to go this weekend. 

Remember, Low Tide is at 1:12pm on Saturday and 2:14pm on Sunday...perfect timing to make an afternoon jaunt out to the islands!

Have fun, and get outside!

To print or download click here:      Ten KCT Properties to Visit

Mindful Monday- Nature's Healing Powers?

There are so many articles about the environment, education, and the great outdoors.  On Mondays KCT Trust Ed, will bring you some nuggets to pontificate on. 

I don't need to tell those of you who went to Nurturing Nature on Saturday the healing powers of nature.  As the snow weary, cold tired crew filed in, smiles and laughter began as soon as they stepped into one of the green houses.  The same comment came out of almost every person's mouth: 

"It smells like life in here"

It is a true testament to how we crave the outdoor world.  This article "Why Getting Outside is So Good For You"  Tells us in words what our bodies try to tell us in so many ways.  Even if it is the cranky slamming the steering wheel as your car barely revs up when you start it because of the insane cold that seems to be lingering here in Maine... this may or may not be a real story... in my driveway...

Getting outside is so much more than just vitamin D.  Studies have proven that in areas with less green space, (generally your more urban areas) there are much higher cases of conditions linked to anxiety disorder and depression.  Cities with more green space and canopy contain many health benefits beyond just the environmental factors.  One study here from American Forests is rather interesting.  Going to conventions, we see more and more conservation trusts are pairing up with their urban counterparts and coming up with plans to add more green space to the cities.  There are great things being done around the country and the benefits are countless.

So aren't we lucky to live where we live?  No worries about green space, KCT has done a great job, as have all the Maine Land Trusts, of preserving beautiful places for you to be.  So take advantage of it!  Better your health...

Think of how we describe how we feel after a run,  a walk out on the trails, or on the beach,  refreshed, clearheaded, renewed, light, and the list can go on.  All of them are positive.  Rarely do we come back feeling worse than when we went out. 

We all need the fresh air.  Even though winter in Maine seems to have set up camp, it is no excuse to not get out and enjoy some Vitamin N (Nature!)

PS If you are looking for ways to get your Vitamin N this weekend, come tracking with us on the Tyler Brook preserve... Get the details on our Webpage and we hope to see you on the trails!

and just know... Spring will come someday... I saw it in the greenhouse.

Photo taken by: Leia Lowery at Blackrock Farm Kennebunkport ME

 

Do We Need To Loosen Up???

Read The Article (Click Here)

An article I read today reminded me of when I was little.  I can remember sitting at the end of my driveway crushing different color rocks into powder and putting them on my and my neighbors face in the form of "makeup" or "warpaint" depending on which persona I identified with that day.  I get that this article is talking about more the destruction of living things, and not just crushing rocks but the larger picture remains.

Are we too protective of nature and letting it affect how kids play in it? 

 I have a friend whose son built a fort on conservation land (not ours) and received a call shortly there after that they needed to take it down and it was "inappropriate", and "damaging" to the preserved piece of property.  This child didn't even realize his imaginary world was on preserved land as his yard backed right up to it.   It was not in an endangered habitat, it was not on a trail.  No one even goes there because it essentially is in their back yard.  In his mind he had created a secret hide out in the woods.  So now, he associates Land Trusts with No Touch, and creative play in the woods as inappropriate use. 

Too often we go onto a trail and the very first thing we see is a laundry list of all the things we cannot do... on a big sign... in your face, and just to make sure you get the point, you may see the great big ANTI-SIGNS along the way (the red circle with a line through it)

Are we inviting people to enjoy our properties? or are we saying "we saved this so that no one could ever ever enjoy it again... ever... don't touch."

On the other hand, we love the land that we preserved, otherwise we wouldn't have thought to preserve it in the first place.  Perhaps it is special, or has endangered habitats etc...  so shouldn't we have the right to say you can't touch this?

It is an interesting debate, and I can see both sides... but perhaps there is a middle ground.  I like to think that we can find that.   Some lands can be used for mountain biking.  (I can hear the purists gasps from here) Some of land can be used for hiking, or walking dogs...(more gasps.)  But perhaps some land is simply left, as is.  A beautiful landscape that doesn't really have any access.  Maybe instead of the huge NO signs we can strive to educate that not bagging the dog poop (AND taking it with you to throw away) can be a real environmental issue.  Maybe we can all enjoy land together and become attached to it for our own reasons, then strive to want to save it.

As we read more and more about kids not getting enough "vitamin N" (Nature) and the effects on their learning and health, it is important to make that accessible.  Not just in educational forums, like walking through a museum with trees, but in free play.  Let their creativity take over, play where they can make mistakes, make a mess, and even perhaps almost eat a caterpillar that is in one hand because they thought it was the hand that the Oreo was in but it wasn't.... (yes that did happen, but I promise I didn't bite down, and the furry little thing wiggled away, perhaps a little frightened and slobbery, but no worse for wear.)

If we are to expect the next generation to want to be a part of the conservation movement, shouldn't we make nature comfortable and accessible... like the old beat up couch in the basement... not the plastic covered Chippendale silk covered couch in your grandmothers house?  Thoughts?

The Learning Trail, continues to give meaning - a student perspective

A short account of the Learning Trail spoken by Harry Fay only a sophomore at the time of the actual construction, who has now graduated (see: Saying Goodbye to Good Unsuspected Friends.) and is working as an apprentice in Portland for a construction firm.  His words speak for themselves... 

From Tom's Desk: Looking Back 3/3/15

“We had cutups in school and I can remember the teacher taking a ruler and slapping the hands of those boys who did not behave.  Needless to say, this did not happen often.  But I also remember that one time she punished some boys by making them stand in the clothes room.  They immediately opened the window and went home, so she didn’t do that again.”  Charles M. Bradbury in his autobiography.

The Nunan School, Cape Porpoise, 1921 (Now part of the Cape Porpoise Motel)

 

One of Our Own: A great article on the lighthouse keepers at Goat Island

There are so many people that make Kennebunkport a special place.  As we hear the stories of people in our town we become acutely aware that their tales weave the rich fabric of our history and make us even more mindful of what an amazing place we are fortunate to be a part of. 

Everyday we plug along in our everyday lives not realizing all the amazing things that are happening around us.  When we take the time to connect with something or someone that we may just usually see in passing, we gain a deeper understanding and respect for what makes this community what it is.

The article:  So Much More Than a Lighthouse Keeper (Seacoastonline written by Shelley Wigglesworth,) shows the love and dedication that our lighthouse keepers have to our island and our town.  We are so proud to have them taking care of our precious Goat Island.

If you have the chance, come out and visit, you will be sure to be lulled into awe with stories and tales of life on the island! 

Photo of Goat Island by: Leia Lowery