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Paint for Preservation - Ninth Annual Wet Paint Auction
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Colin Page's painting of Kettle Cove was the 'People's Choice Award' winner in 2015
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Paint for Preservation 2016, CELT's ninth annual Wet Paint Auction, will take place on Sunday, July 10th from 5 to 8 p.m. at Spurwink Farm, a bucolic working farm with stunning views of both Higgins Beach and Spurwink Marsh. Our most sincere thanks to Phineas and Mary Lou Sprague for hosting this year.
Thirty talented artists have been selected by jury to participate in this year's event. Ticket sales are live and are moving quickly. Please get your ticket today as this event sells out. V
isit our website to purchase tickets and to
see samples of the participating artists' work.
We look forward to celebrating some of Cape's most beautiful vistas with these artists, and with you!
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Call for Stewardship Volunteers on Dyer-Hutchinson Trails
CELT's 15th annual 8th grade trail work project will take place on May 31st, June 1st, and June 2nd
(rain
 date June 3rd) and we're looking for volunteers to help make the project a success. Please contact
Katye Charette (767-6054) and/or
Suzanne McGinn if you are interested in participating in a morning (8:45 to 10:45 a.m.) or afternoon (12:05 - 2:00 p.m.) shift on any or all of these days.
The team will be removing old boardwalk and building 420 feet of new boardwalk on the Dyer-Hutchinson property (see map inset). Eighth graders installed the original boardwalk 11-12 years ago! This will be a muddy affair in some spots... especially removing the old boards!
We are in great need of a volunteer for at least one shift each day who owns and can operate a chain saw to make cuts to the boards.
Thank you so much for your consideration!
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Farm Gift Certificates for New and Returning Land Trust Members
Great news! New and renewing members who join or renew between June 1st and September 15th, will receive a $10 gift certificate redeemable at local farm stands including: Alewive's Brook Farm, Fox Run Farm, Maxwell's Farm, Wm. H. Jordan Farm, and Green Spark Farm.
We're excited to partner with the
Cape Farm Alliance on this delicious initiative again this year. It's a terrific way to support both your land trust and your local farmers (and farm land).
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Join Us for Some Fun Events this Spring
More details and registration information for each of our Spring offerings can be found on the Upcoming Events page on our website. (Some events include a fee, and registration is required.)
Saturday, June 4th, 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Our annual Spring Cross Town Walk is not to be missed. Beginning at Portland Head Light, we'll  traverse seven miles of trails, enjoying a unique overview of Cape's history and diverse ecosystems. (Also, new Cross-Town trail signage has been placed along the length of the trail, for those who would like to walk it at other times.)
Children (ages 2-6, with an adult) are invited to the CELT office to enjoy a bedtime hour about nocturnal animals in Maine, our "nighttime friends." Children's Librarian Rachel Davis, author Melissa Kim, and CELT volunteer Jill Darling will lead us through stories, a craft, and a brief visit outdoors to see what animal signs we might find. Come in your pajamas, and bring a snack!
Tidepooling the Rocky Shore
June 21st, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Explore our rocky intertidal zone and see what kinds of plant and animal critters thrive in this special habitat. Join CELT's Linden Rayton on this summer evening to search for crabs, snails, and other marine life.
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Please Help Us Evaluate Robinson Woods Public Access
The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust requests your feedback on the existing plan for safe and enjoyable public access to the Robinson Woods Preserve. The Public Access Plan
went into effect May 1st, 2015, and we're now doing a one-year evaluation. The goal of CELT's Public Access Plan is to promote safe and enjoyable access to Robinson Woods Preserve while protecting the natural habitat and wildlife. CELT's evaluation factors include preservation of sensitive habitat areas, incidents of dog aggression or biting, dogs on leash when required, biking only when trails are open, no dogs in the water, and an absence of pet waste.
Please
click here
to access the survey. Or, use this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CELTRW2016.
Please share this survey link widely, as we seek to gather as many responses as possible.
We will collect responses through next Tuesday, May 31st.
Thank you, in advance, for your feedback!
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Students Help Upgrade Trails at Runaway Farm Preserve
Caleb Zenner completed his Eagle Scout project recently at CELT's Runaway Farm Preserve. 
Caleb, along with 15 other scouts and parents, cut and carried wood back into the preserve and replaced the numerous bog bridges. They worked tirelessly and very professionally for two full days, April 30th and May 1st.
Caleb stated, "If we didn't have all these people here, we'd still be on the first bridge, or still moving wood." As they re-built the boardwalks, they left spaces for roots and were able to re-purpose some of the old wood. "Building was easy, really rhythmic", Caleb noted. His favorite part was, "being able to be with my friends but also working at the same time. To socialize but also be able to do something
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Caleb Zenner
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for my community." Neighbors were thrilled the project was being done and played their part in the success of the work weekend. A few weeks' later, seven Cheverus students came out to re-cut portions of the entry trail to Runaway Farm.
We encourage you to visit this hidden gem. The trail loops around through wetlands and forest and has a beautiful section next to Pollack Creek. Parking is on Spurwink Ave., next to the trail sign (heading out Route 77 from the town
center, turn right onto Spurwink Ave. and look immediately on your right for the trail sign).
This is an excellent example of how so many volunteers can transform a trail. Thank you Eagle Scouts, their parents, and the Cheverus students who all helped make this happen.
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Naturalist's Corner:
Experts Expect a Strong Summer for Ticks
[While our staff naturalist Linden Rayton is on maternity leave, CELT Education Committee chair Erika Carlson Rhile will be sharing seasonal tips and observances. Erika writes "Natural Happenings" for The Cape Courier.)
Research on ticks is currently being conducted in Cape Elizabeth. You may have seen the recent article in the Portland Press Herald. After the mild winter we had, it's not surprising that it's expected to be a particularly bad year for ticks. Living in southern Maine and loving the outdoors puts you at a higher risk of being bitten by a tick. So how can we enjoy the outdoors but also avoid ticks? First, know your ticks - there are actually 15 species in Maine, but only two are of major concerns to humans: the deer tick and the dog tick.
Here are some tips to keep ticks at bay:
- Wear light colored clothes so you're able to see ticks easily.
- Tuck pants into socks so ticks can't get in.
- Use tick repellents for you and your pets.
- Do a tick check as soon as you come indoors. Ticks especially love warm areas, so your armpits, behind knees and pelvic area are favorite places for ticks to hide, but they can attach anywhere.
- Showering within two hours after you've been outdoors can remove ticks that are not yet attached.
- Throwing the clothes you were wearing in the dryer for 10 minutes will kill any ticks on them.
- Use a lint roller when you come inside (we keep one at the back and front doors to use as soon as we come in). It can pick up crawling ticks.
- Eradicate good tick habitat. Remove invasive species such as Japanese barberry, honeysuckle and bittersweet.
- Ticks thrive in wooded, bushy areas. Stick to trails!
The likelihood of contracting Lyme disease is low overall, and even lower if you take precautions. Don't let the threat of Lyme disease keep you from enjoying the outdoors! You can learn more at a special presentation June 14th at the Thomas Memorial Library.
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