Somerset Woods Trustees

Somerset Woods Trustees Building Community through Land Conservation Since 1927.

Trail work was another part of the C.A.N.O.E. students’ time with us. At Weston Woods & Waters in Madison, the Green Tra...
09/10/2026

Trail work was another part of the C.A.N.O.E. students’ time with us. At Weston Woods & Waters in Madison, the Green Trail off Route 43 is wide but the tread is uneven, and overgrown in some places.

We chose to re-open the trail corridor where the Green Trail meets the Orange trail; improving the route’s connection point and establishing more solid footing in terms of tread (the actual Earth beneath your feet).

🪵Ian and Laura were our stump-removal aficionados
🚶Kobe and Burke focused on leveling and smoothing the trail surface
⛏️River, Autumn, and Demarcus kept things moving, jumping between tasks wherever extra hands were needed

Thank you for your hard work, Skowhegan Outdoors

While eastern red-backed salamanders only grow to be a few inches long, their biomass (the combined weight of all indivi...
09/08/2026

While eastern red-backed salamanders only grow to be a few inches long, their biomass (the combined weight of all individuals of a species) is greater than the combined biomass of deer AND moose in Maine forests.

In other words, if you could gather up and weigh all the red-backed salamanders in Maine’s forests, they would collectively weigh more than all the deer and moose combined. 🤯

Have you ever spotted an eastern red-backed salamander? Let us know in the comments!

At Kennebec Banks Rest Area in Skowhegan, Skowhegan Outdoors' C.A.N.O.E. students made observations about how visitors i...
09/07/2026

At Kennebec Banks Rest Area in Skowhegan, Skowhegan Outdoors' C.A.N.O.E. students made observations about how visitors interact with this unique public space. Then, they contributed to the ongoing upkeep of this area by packing out trash and staining picnic table canopies.
While working, we saw drivers taking a rest, couples enjoying the view, dog walkers stretching their legs, and someone fishing, while signs of barbecue use and foot traffic along the riverbank showed even more ways the space is enjoyed by our local community and passerbys alike.

Last weekend we had an unexpected find in the shed at Parkman Hill Farm. This gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) somehow m...
09/04/2026

Last weekend we had an unexpected find in the shed at Parkman Hill Farm. This gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) somehow made its way into the shed and onto one of the gas cans!

Gray treefrog's status and distribution in Maine are listed as common and stable. As their name suggests they can be found in the hardwood trees of forested uplands, aided in their climbing by the disc-like shape of their toes. Adults are often gray in color, although they can be green. The bright green coloring of this frog and its size make us unsure of its age, especially when compared to a young gray treefrog found last year at Weston Woods & Waters (Madison).

These frogs are heard more often than seen due to their arboreal tendencies outside of mating season, when they will move to wetland areas. This frog was moved to a safe tree nearby after its photo shoot!

For more information on the gray tree frog and Maine’s Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project (MARAP) check out the links below!

Maine Reptiles And Amphibians - Gray Treefrog: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/reptiles-amphibians/gray-treefrog.html

Maine Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/reptiles-amphibians/atlas-project.html

Japanese and Giant Knotweed are aggressive invasive plants that spread at an alarming rate and can do some serious damag...
09/04/2026

Japanese and Giant Knotweed are aggressive invasive plants that spread at an alarming rate and can do some serious damage to native habitats. At Parkman Hill Farm in Solon, we're tackling an established patch as part of an integrated pest management effort.

Skowhegan Outdoors C.A.N.O.E. students jumped right into this big task, helping us knock-down the knotweed (💪⭐✨)– a first step of management actions planned to move this long-term effort forward.

Learn more about invasive plants through the Maine Natural Areas Program Invasive Plant Fact Sheets here: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invsheets.htm

Literally “spotted” at Weston Woods and Waters in Madison, red efts are the bright orange-red juvenile stage of the east...
09/02/2026

Literally “spotted” at Weston Woods and Waters in Madison, red efts are the bright orange-red juvenile stage of the eastern newt. Red efts typically have small red spots outlined in black and spend several years roaming moist forest floors before returning to the water as adults. These little amphibians are often associated with a healthy, functioning forest ecosystem! 🌱

Conserved! Join Somerset Woods and Lake Wesserunsett Association to celebrate the purchase of Black Point. SPACE IS LIM...
09/01/2026

Conserved! Join Somerset Woods and Lake Wesserunsett Association to celebrate the purchase of Black Point. SPACE IS LIMITED - RSVP required to [email protected] or 207-612-1606.

Last week students from the C.A.N.O.E program joined us at the Somerset Woods Share to learn more about firewood banks, ...
09/01/2026

Last week students from the C.A.N.O.E program joined us at the Somerset Woods Share to learn more about firewood banks, how they operate, and how land trusts can be uniquely situated to support and/or host these programs. We also discussed the need for programs such as these in other rural Maine counties such as Penobscot and Piscataquis county.

The C.A.N.O.E students dedicated 4 hours of their time to helping process firewood for the Woods Share, totaling to an extra 2 cords of firewood for our Somerset Woods Share recipients this heating season! A big thank you to all the students for their dedication to their community!

Learn more about firewood banks!:
Learn more about the Somerset Woods Share: https://www.somersetwoodstrustees.org/somerset-woods-share
Woods Share Volunteer form: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/iR300KMmVo5YMFOLIv4vhA

Skowhegan Outdoors Main Street Skowhegan

Have you discovered the Story Book Trail at Whitten Woods in New Portland? The New Portland Community Library install...
08/31/2026

Have you discovered the Story Book Trail at Whitten Woods in New Portland? The New Portland Community Library installed this fun family feature at the Wire Bridge Trailhead. Now’s the perfect time to go enjoy a walk in the woods paired with a good story.

Last week Somerset Woods Trustees hosted students from Skowhegan Outdoors C.A.N.O.E. program for a few days. C.A.N.O.E. ...
08/31/2026

Last week Somerset Woods Trustees hosted students from Skowhegan Outdoors C.A.N.O.E. program for a few days. C.A.N.O.E. stands for Career Access through National Service and Outdoor Education; it’s a program that combines Americorps service with career development for aspiring young professionals.

During their time with Somerset Woods, students got a hands-on introduction to the world of land trusts, and the many forms that conservation can take.

Stay tuned to our next few posts to learn about how this group of students made an impact!

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PO Box 833
Skowhegan, ME
04976

Telephone

+12076797306

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