Join us on a Sunday morning in August for the third in a series of Explore ALT Nature Walks! This event will be at Spruce Mountain Conservation Area in Jay, Maine led by Maine Master Naturalist, Travis Sparks. The focus of this walk on trails at Spruce Mountain is Summer Tree Identification.

Explore ALT Nature Walks are free, guided adventures at Androscoggin Land Trust conservation areas. Led by trained Maine Master Naturalists and other volunteer leaders, these walks are a great chance to learn more about the natural world and local conservation efforts. Each walk will have a focus depending on the season and the location, but we will explore whatever we find!  Please dress according to the weather, and prepare appropriately for any weather or other conditions – proper footwear, snacks, water bottle, etc. The walks are great for engaged children, but not appropriate for those under age 6. Also, because the goal is nature observation, no dogs please.

Please check back here for any updates or changes.

About Spruce Mountain Conservation Area: This 143.6-acre property in Jay near the Spruce Mountain Ski Area overlooks the former French Falls in the Androscoggin River, a drop of six feet in the river that was blasted and mostly removed during the early industrialization of the area.  The original 117-acre property was previously conserved through a long-term conservation lease with Verso Paper, but ALT purchased it and an additional 26.6 acres, along with other properties in October 2014 as part of our Androscoggin Greenway Community Forest Project.  The project was generously funded by Land for Maine’s Future and numerous private foundations.  The property is managed for wildlife habitat, recreation and sustainable forestry.  Additional property information here.

Directions: The Spruce Mountain Conservation Area is accessed via Ski Slope Road from Route 4 in Livermore Falls.  Ski Slope Road narrows roughly around the Spruce Mountain Ski Area parking lot.  The road is closed from the parking lot north and access to the property is on foot only at this point.  We’ll meet in the parking lot just past the hydro dam and the Spruce Mountain Ski Slope.