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CELT Recognizes Donors' Generosity
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From left to right: Cindy Krum, CELT Executive Director, Jean C. Hayes, CELT Advisor, Suzanne McGinn, CELT Board Member, Kathleen Janick, CELT Advisor, and Elizabeth Goodspeed, CELT Board Member
(and Alice the Greyhound)
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CELT board members, staff, and supporters gathered last week to admire
new exterior and interior building signage celebrating the generosity of donors Bruce and Phyllis Coggeshall and Peter Haffenreffer and Mallory Marshall. Together these neighbors d
onated the land and building at 330 Ocean House Rd. that is now home to the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust.
The installation of this interior and exterior building signage rounds out a full season of tending to our well-used and well-loved headquarters, wh
ich began in May with a lively grounds clean-up,
attended by nearly a dozen hardworking volunteers. Along with the new building signage, visitors to the land trust office will also see new, more visible building numbering and a newly painted mailbox.
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*Rain date, Sunday, Sept. 25th.
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Saturday is Our Harvest Party!
Please plan to join us this Saturday afternoon,
Sept. 24th*, for a celebration of all that we've accomplished together this year!
The Cox family will be our hosts at the
Old Farm Christmas Place on Sawyer Rd.,
from 4-7 p.m.
We'll have live music, a local foods BBQ,
fun for the kids, a pie contest - even a bonfire
with s'mores!
And we'll be recognizing our volunteers with
a special gift.
No charge to attend of course - it's our thank you
to you! And please bring your friends and family!
This event is proudly sponsored by ReMax Oceanside and broker Frank Strout.
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Thank You for Your Input on Robinson Woods Use Survey
CELT offers its sincere thanks to the 101 respondents to the Robinson Woods Public Access Plan Survey. Our board and stewardship committee conducted a thorough review of the survey results over the course of several months. At its August meeting, the board voted to retain the current Robinson Woods Public Access Plan for at least another year, to continue monitoring for plan compliance, to install additional signage, and to continue community education in Robinson Woods. We look forward to seeing you on the trails!
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Naturalist's Corner:
The World of Hermit Crabs
If you've waded through the shallow waters of a sandy ocean beach this summer, chances are you have felt a hermit crab tickle your feet. Don't worry- they can't pinch you! We have two species of hermit crabs living in the Gulf of Maine, and neither of them has claws that can open wide enough to pinch human skin in a way that would hurt. They might be giving you a little exfoliation; hermit crabs are
omnivorous scavengers, mostly feeding on plankton on the surface of sand grains.
The hermit crab you're finding along the sandy sections of Cape Elizabeth's shore
is the Long-clawed Hermit Crab (
Pagurus longicarpus
), which has long cylindrical front claws and grows to about one inch in length. The second species is the Acadian Hermit Crab (
Pagurus acadianus
), which is found more in rocky intertidal areas, has broader, flatter front claws and grows to about three inches.
Many species of hermit crabs have a vigorous social life. Our little long-clawed hermit crabs routinely seek out other individuals - mostly to attack them for their shells. Hermit crabs are unique among crustaceans in that half of their body does not have an exoskeleton, or a hard outer skeleton. This half is soft and asymmetrical to better curl around the shell in which the crab lives. Hermit crabs will seek new shells opportunistically, but especially will search for them when they have outgrown an old shell. Sometimes hermit crabs find new shells through a process called a "synchronous vacancy chain": a group of crabs will gather around an empty shell and wait for the largest crab to switch shells. Once that has been completed, all the other crabs switch their shells as well. Imagine if humans switched houses that way; where would you choose to move in? Would you have some competition?
- Linden Rayton, CELT Education Coordinator
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We Have Many Adventures Planned This Fall
Mushrooms, cottontails, birds, jam, honey, and more - CELT has it all!
We have a robust and interesting lineup of events for the fall. Click on the links below to learn more:
And ... please save the date for
CELT's Annual Meeting!
Sunday, November 6
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Letter from Our
Executive
Director...
CELT Closes on New Land Acquisition at Great Pond
On August 1, CELT closed on a 22-acre parcel of land adjacent to Great Pond! Generous funding for the acquisition was provided by individual donors, foundation grants, and the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
 Going forward, CELT will work with the town to provide public access and engage in stewardship efforts on the property, now known as Great Pond Preserve. An improved trail network will connect the property to the Greenbelt at Great Pond, providing ample opportunity for hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, birding, outdoor photography, and more.
Recognized as a particularly high value habitat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the property, now permanently conserved, provides a critical home for many rare or declining species of birds and fish.
This parcel is an important addition to our preserved lands in Cape Elizabeth, and would not have been possible without your support. All of us at CELT, and all of our future generations, thank you!
Cynthia Krum
CELT Executive Director
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