York Town News
Calling all volunteers to Sunday's Mount A Workday
By Jennifer L. Saunders
If you're looking for a volunteer opportunity, there are many options available on Mount Agamenticus. Annie Rueb, a Mount A Trail Crew member, is pictured clearing vegetation for a rerouted trail.
Courtesy photo
CAPE NEDDICK - Do you have the urge to go outside, get some fresh air and make a difference at the same time?
Then Mount Agamenticus Conservation Coordinator Robin Stanley is looking for your help.
The Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program is hosting a Community Volunteer Workday this Sunday, Aug. 13, beginning at 9 a.m. Volunteers will work alongside the Conservation Crew to protect the habitat and biodiversity of region.
"The task for the day is to remove a non-native invasive plant known as Buckthorn," Stanley said.
It has been a busy time on the mountain, Stanley said, and volunteers will be much appreciated.
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) are native to Europe and have been planted in this region as ornamental shrubs for many years.
"Once thought to be good wildlife habitat, it is now known to have little nutritional value for birds," Stanley explained. "Birds do ravish the berries; however, a chemical within the fruit acts as a laxative and may impact their ability to migrate."
The very properties of the plant, in turn, help birds and other animals to spread its seeds, she pointed out, which gives Buckthorn its invasive ability to take over fields, wetlands and even woodlands.
"Buckthorn will form a monoculture, destroying wildlife habitat, and shade out all other native plant species, degrading the natural community," Stanley noted.
With more than 10,000 acres of land and its designation as one of the largest remaining unfragmented forests in coastal New England, the Mount A region is known for its abundance of vernal pools, biodiversity and unique trail systems and is home to many of Maine's rare plants and animals.
Protecting that habitat is very important, Stanley said, and has been a key task of the Conservation Crew.
"We are working on a restoration project at the summit - a landscaping project using native plants," she said. "There will be additional plantings and ID signs this fall."
The crew also repaired some of the washouts from the spring rains and has been at work rerouting a trail, she said.
And, of course, the removal of invasive plant species like Buckthorn is a constant need, she said.
If this Sunday doesn't fit your schedule, you have two more chances to help at Community Workdays scheduled for Sept. 23 and Oct. 15.
"Over the last six years, Mount Agamenticus has benefited from countless volunteers who donated their time, muscles and skills to improve the trail system, local water quality, wildlife habitat and the overall visitor experience," Stanley said. "Trail crews and volunteers have been working tirelessly to repair the area from nearly 30 years of neglect and restore trail compatibility with natural resource protection in the area."
Other projects have included enhancements to the summit and lodge.
"Everyone is invited to come and help out on these volunteer workdays. Tasks may involve spending the day working outside along with the Conservation Crew to repair trails, build bridges, re-vegetate eroded slopes, remove invasive plant species, pick up litter and dump sites, make and install trail signs or relocate existing trails away from fragile habitat, such as vernal pools," Stanley noted.
This Sunday's Workday, and the ones to follow this fall, are scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon and are usually held rain or shine. Volunteers are asked to bring work gloves, wear sturdy shoes and bring food for a picnic lunch at the summit when the work is done.
If a Community Workday won't work for you, Stanley said there is an array of other ways to help.
"We are always looking for volunteers who have special skills or knowledge to enhance environmental quality and public education," she said.
Project ideas include adopting a trail; conducting research surveys; creating a bird list; identifying the peaks and shores that can be seen from the summit; creating posters that describe the natural features; gathering historical photographs; talking with visitors, or creating a Friends of Mount A Group.
"If you have a unique contribution you'd like to make or if you are interested in becoming a land steward, please get in touch with us," Stanley said.
Interested in helping get the Buckthorn out this weekend or taking part in another Mount A Workday? Please confirm your attendance in advance by calling Robin Stanley at 361-1102.
