Native Plants to be Featured at Land Trust Annual Meeting

A marsh marigold

Photo: Three Rivers Land Trust

At Three Rivers Land Trust’s upcoming annual meeting, native plant advocate and consultant Shawn Jalbert will speak about native plants and their role in maintaining a beautiful and diverse ecosystem.

The meeting is set for 1 to 3 pm Saturday, May 18, at the land trust office at 235 Swetts Bridge Road in Alfred. All are welcome.

The meeting is aimed at providing hands-on guidance for planting in your own yard and at seeking input on plantings at Sanford Community Forest.

Planting native plants can achieve balance in yards by encouraging a healthy mix of plants, insects, and birds. Thoughtful planting and stewardship can encourage carbon sequestration and erosion control and improve water quality.

The land trust is looking for input on planting native species at the 547-acre Sanford Community Forest off upper Oak Street in Springvale. Three Rivers is spearheading a long-range vision of using native plants, shrubs, and trees to help transform the Community Forest from a heavily logged, largely monoculture forest into a thriving, diverse space with a network of trails. Board member and Springvale resident Lee Burnett will speak about the planting project, the two planned accessible trails, and a future connection to the Native Plant Trust-owned Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary.

Hands-on activities and refreshments will follow the discussions. Attendees are invited to ask questions, explore helpful references for becoming more knowledgeable about planting, caring for, and identifying native plants, view plant species from local native plant nursery Native Haunts, and share their thoughts on what kinds of native plant varieties they’d like to see in the Community Forest.

The business meeting will begin at 2:15 p.m. Land Trust members who have not voted online are encouraged to vote in person at the meeting for officers and the election of board members. Attendees may become new members or renew lapsed memberships at the meeting.

For questions about the event, contact (207) 358-9619 (call or text) or send an email to info@3rlt.org. Learn more about Three Rivers Land Trust and its trails and programs on the land trust’s Facebook page or on the web at www.3rlt.org.