York Land Trust Wins $1,000 Love Maine Trails Month Award from the Maine Trails Coalition

York Land Trust (YLT) was recently awarded a Love Maine Trails Month Award of $1,000 by the Maine Trails Coalition. This award was given to five organizations that participated in the third annual Love Maine Trails Month (LMTM), which took place this June at trail locations across the state. LMTM is a month of statewide events bringing people and organizations together to care for Maine’s beloved trails. 

York Land Trust hosted several LMTM events, kicking off the month with a trail stewardship workday on one of its Limited Access Preserves. It was followed by a boardwalk building program at Smelt Brook Preserve and a timber footbridge building event at Highland Farm Preserve. YLT was featured in the news for LMTM on NEWS CENTER Maine, in Seacoast Online, and The Weekly Sentinel. 

York Land Trust is grateful to the dedicated volunteers that contributed to trail upkeep during LMTM and throughout the year. YLT also expresses thanks to the Maine Trails Coalition for the award. The funding will help advance stewardship efforts of improving access on YLT’s seven public preserves so they can remain safe and open to the community. 

During Love Maine Trails Month, approximately 57 miles trail were improved and 2+ miles of new trail were built. Statewide, over 486 volunteers gave 2,800+ volunteer hours to these projects with their labor being valued at $93,805 based on the Independent Sector volunteer rate. Approximately 57 staff and interns contributed 1,626 hours to stewardship projects this June. LMTM draws visibility to the substantial resources and effort required to maintain trails in all corners of Maine. 

York Land Trust hosts other year-round opportunities to give back to the land. For further details, please visit YLT’s Events Calendar or reach out to Stewardship Director Liz Walworth at lwalworth@yorklandtrust.org.