York Town News
Register now for the final Mount A workday of the season this Sunday
CAPE NEDDICK - The Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program is hosting one more Community Volunteer Workday for this season on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 9 a.m."Volunteers will assist the program by protecting the habitat and biodiversity of the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region," explained Mount Agamenticus Conservation Coordinator Robin Stanley in an announcement of the upcoming event. "The task for the day is to clean up trash from a couple of old camp sites and restore the area to a cleaner, safer and more natural state."
Over the last six years, Mount Agamenticus has benefited from countless volunteers who donated their time, strength and skills to improve the trail system, local water quality, wildlife habitat and the overall visitor experience.
"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," Stanley said. "They have worked on projects to improve the trail system, reduce erosion and have made many enhancements to the summit, lodge and workshop. There have been many successes; however, there is still much more work to be done.
During Sunday's event, volunteers will be helping to consolidate the material from the remaining dump sites, transport it out to the trail head, and separate out the recyclables.
"The work will not only help remove an eyesore, but will also protect the quality of fragile wetlands nearby, deter further dumping, promote a healthy wildlife habitat and help educate the public about our conservation goals," Stanley said.
The Mount Agamenticus Conservation Program has already received assistance for this project from Boy Scout Troop 301, led by Scott Wagner.
"I was amazed at the amount of debris the scouts and their parents were able to collect, even in the rain," Stanley said. "They did a great job."
Stanley said she anticipates further assistance from the South Berwick Public Works Department, York Fish and Game Association, Geocaching.com as coordinated by Tom Tieman, AmeriCorps, City Year and local residents, but added the project is quite large and she is still searching for help with sorting and transporting the material out to the trail head.
"The sites are approximately one mile into the trail system from the access point, which is making the cleanup a daunting task," she said.
Volunteers are asked to confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Robin Stanley at 361-1102 or rstanley@tnc.org.
Sunday's workday is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. Please bring work gloves, sturdy shoes and food for a picnic lunch at the summit of the mountain.
