Great news! Nearly 1,000 acres are now permanently conserved in Milford and Greenfield, Maine! Wells Forest abuts Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge and adds to a corridor of more than 40,000 acres of conserved lands from Milford to Amherst (northeast of Bangor).

Sunkhaze Stream runs through the property, creating wet meadows, small gorges, and excellent habitat for brook trout, inland waterfowl, and many other species. The forest will continue to be managed sustainably by the landowner, Bryan Wells.

Also adjacent to the easement is Bryan’s dark sky observatory where he photographs distant galaxies and nebulae. In a recent article with Bangor Daily News, Bryan said: “The goal is always to keep forests intact and from being fragmented, to protect them from development and to prevent sprawl,” he said. “It also has the added bonus of protecting the dark skies we have in Maine, which helps everyone — including wildlife. And, well, it’s great for astrophotography too, though that’s just a nice bonus for me personally.”

A tremendous thank you to everyone who helped make this project a success, including the Land for Maine’s Future program.

Read more about the landowner’s history with the land here: Old Town man carries on his late wife’s legacy through their woodlot and observatory or on Bryan’s website: https://wellsforest.com/

Photos by Bryan and Pamela Wells.

We’re celebrating 17 years of being an accredited land trust! After a rigorous verification process by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Forest Society of Maine has proven that we have sound finances, practice ethical conduct and responsible governance and can ensure lasting stewardship. This marks our 3rd renewal of our accredited status.

A huge thank you to Bob Duchesne and everyone who joined us on Earth Day to see his “Maine is Weird” talk at the Bangor Public Library. He gave an insightful presentation that shared historical reasoning for some of Maine’s most beloved land features, as well as some of his fantastic bird photos!

An additional to thank you to everyone who participated in our Earth Day fundraising campaign. We were able to meet the goal and unlock $1,000 to support conservation in Maine.

Thank you, and we hope you enjoyed your Earth Day!

We’re hiring! FSM is seeking to add a VP of Finance and Administration to our team.

The Vice President of Finance and Administration (VPFA) is a newly created leadership position responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the Forest Society of Maine’s financial management and administrative functions. Reporting directly to the President and CEO and serving as a key member of the leadership team, the VPFA provides organizational leadership in financial stewardship, risk management, legal compliance, human resources, information technology, capacity building, professional development, key performance indicators and other operational needs.

This is a full-time, exempt position that will be primarily based in our Bangor office.

Why work with us? FSM is a team of like-minded individuals who care about the future of Maine’s forestlands.

Read more about the position, how you can apply, and explore other opportunities here.