There are several ways we can make a positive mark on the spaces we pass through. With a little awareness and some preparation, we can leave the trails better off than we found them on our hikes through York Land Trust Preserves.
Pick Up Litter
York Land Trust staff and volunteers work diligently at upkeeping our preserves, but sometimes debris from unclaimed pet waste bags, food wrappers, and discarded clothing can be found on the trails. If you feel comfortable picking up this debris, you could keep a sealed jar or disposable shopping bag and a pair of gloves in your hiking backpack so you may pick up litter with confidence and without having to carry items in your pockets or loosely in your hiking bag. Wildlife can harmfully ingest or become entangled in litter and discarded food scraps can habituate animals to the trail. Litter also tends to find its way into waterways, directly impacting fish, birds, and marine mammals. Preventing litter is essential to protecting natural areas and preserving their beauty and biodiversity.
Practice Invasive Plant ID
Identifying invasive plant species that may be harmful to local habitats is an effective way to increase our understanding of the health of our local ecosystem. Concerned citizens are often the first to report signs of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed, burning bush, and multi-flora rose. If you come across a plant species that is especially aggressive or new to the state of Maine, it is important to notify York Land Trust staff of the issue. If you are familiar with user-friendly GIS apps like AllTrails or Gaia Maps, you can even mark the location digitally with a photo and send it to our staff. If you would like to gain hands-on experience in identifying invasive species, we welcome you to join us this spring for any of our invasive plant programs or workdays.
Keep An Eye Out for Issues
Increasing climate related events such as flooding and coastal storms are creating the need for more extensive trail recovery efforts after each event. Recovery efforts from this winter’s storms are still ongoing! If you spot any issues on our trails that may require staff attention, such as blowdowns, unsafe standing snags and “widow-makers,” or trail infrastructure issues, please let us know using the Trail Issue Report Form on our website.
Be a Role Model
Do you have good trail etiquette? When you encounter pooling water, or an obstacle, do you go through it, or around it? Can you dispose of compostable items by throwing them into the woods? Activities modeled on our trails are often imitated by other visitors and can lead to issues like social trails, litter, and navigation challenges. You can be a good role model to others by following the principles of Leave No Trace, staying on designated trails, keeping pets leashed, practicing proper waste management, and reading the trail signs including rules and regulations.
With all this in mind, take a moment during your next hike to consider what you can do to care for these outdoor spaces to make the next visitor’s experience more special, and keep our precious preserves habitable for wildlife. With a little mindfulness, we can leave the trails better than we found them!