Contact: Dana Bettez

Membership & Engagement Manager

South Portland Land Trust to Host Weekend of Earth Day Activities

South Portland, Maine (April 3, 2023) - The South Portland Land Trust (SPLT) is excited to host a weekend full of activities honoring Earth Day, with their signature citywide Earth Day Clean Up happening on Saturday, April 22nd (rain date: Sunday, April 23rd).

SPLT has hosted this event for 30 years, bringing community members together and cleaning up the city’s open spaces, parks, and trails. This year’s clean up features two check in locations: Mill Creek Park and the South Branch trailhead. These sites are available for volunteers to check in and collect supplies provided by SPLT, then head to various locations across the city to clean up. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged so that the Land Trust can keep volunteers up-to-date in the event of inclement weather. Pre-register for the clean up by visiting southportlandlandtrust.org/EarthDay2023.

Groups and organizations are welcome to participate in Saturday’s event or organize their own Earth Day clean up with assistance from SPLT. Contact Dana Bettez (dana@sopolandtrust.org) so that SPLT can help find a site, offer guidance, and document the clean up.

In addition to the annual clean up, SPLT has organized a number of other weekend events:

Saturday, April 22nd, SPLT Annual Earth Day Clean Up, 9:00 a.m.: Take part in the SPLT’s annual Earth Day Clean Up with check-in locations in the east and west parts of the city. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Saturday, April 22nd, Trout Brook Stream Walk, 2:00 p.m.: Take an informational walk along Trout Brook with SPLT and Fred Dillon, City of South Portland Stormwater Coordinator. We’ll learn about recent restoration work done in the preserve. Pre-registration is encouraged. This event is free for all.
Sunday, April 23rd, 2023, Dow’s Woods Nature Walk, 10:00 a.m.: Close out Earth Day weekend with a nature walk led by Kelly Corbin, Ecological Landscape Consultant and Owner of Living Landscapes Maine. Kelly’s specialty is native plants, and we’ll take about 1.5 hours to meander through Dow’s Woods and take a look at all this beautiful preserve has to offer us.
Sunday, April 23rd, 2023, Fruit Tree Pick Up: Looking to plant some apple trees in your yard this spring? Thanks to SoPo Trees, SPLT members can receive up to eight fruit trees for free after a Fruit Tree Grafting class held at the SP Community Center. Trees are not full-sized and certain varieties cannot be requested at this time. SPLT Members are encouraged to reach out to Dana (dana@sopolandtrust.org) to reserve trees.

Additionally, SPLT is hosting an online photo contest all weekend long, with prizes from local businesses and organizations including Red’s Dairy Freeze, the Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine, yoga instructor Susannah Sanfilippo, Maine the Way, Broadway Gardens, Mind Your Mouth Maine, and more. Tag @sopolandtrust in on Instagram or Facebook for a chance to win! Photo categories will be announced on social media prior to Earth Day.

“Our annual Earth Day Clean Up is a wonderful way to give back to the community by helping clean up the green spaces we all love to visit and enjoy,” said Dana Bettez, SPLT Membership & Engagement Manager. “And of course, after a long winter, there’s nothing like getting out onto the trails. We hope that the community enjoys our two walks this Earth Day weekend--Trout Brook Trail’s Stream Walk and our Dow’s Woods Trail Nature Walk. We are so grateful to work with Fred Dillon and Kelly Corbin to offer these educational activities.”

To learn more and register for these events, visit southportlandlandtrust.org/upcoming-events.

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About South Portland Land Trust

South Portland Land Trust is a nonprofit organization committed to linking neighborhoods and improving quality of life in South Portland through expanding the city’s trail network, conserving open space, and educating the public on issues related to trails and open space. It holds eighteen properties and easements within the City of South Portland to preserve natural habitats, trail access, and open space for public enjoyment.

Please visit www.southportlandlandtrust.org for more information.
Facebook, Instagram & Twitter IDs: @sopolandtrust