KELT's Community Conservation Program
Connecting Our Communities
Select from the menu below or scroll down the page to learn about KELT's multi-faceted community conservation programs.
Local Food for Local Folks
Thinking regionally and acting locally to meet the needs of the communities we serve, KELT does not feel compelled to stick to the typical tasks of a land trust, e.g. strictly land conservation. KELT’s current strategic plan, which states our commitment to advancing a “systems approach” to improve the availability of local food, drives all of our efforts in this area.
Merrymeeting Food Council
The mission of the Merrymeeting Food Council is to advance a thriving, resilient, and equitable food system that supports the health of our communities and natural resources in the greater Merrymeeting Bay area. Their vision is for a large portion of the Merrymeeting Region's food supply to be raised, caught, processed, and consumed locally. This food system will protect and enhance natural resources, and create robust, meaningful economic and civic opportunities for the residents and visitors of the greater Merrymeeting Bay area in Maine.
The Merrymeeting Gleaners
Gleaning redirects surplus and “ugly” food products to food security organizations, by working with local farms and food producers to take excess food from the fields or farmers’ markets.
The Merrymeeting Gleaners began in 2016 as a pilot project of the Merrymeeting Food Council’s Food Security work group.
Use the links below to learn more about gleaning and find out how to become a gleaning volunteer!
Good Food For Bath
Good Food for Bath is a local coalition that meets with the goal of creating healthy solutions for a better, well-fed community.
LOCAL Garden in Bath
In 2016, KELT began to manage the LOCAL Garden in south Bath. The garden has an expanded mission: to serve as a nearly year-round demonstration garden, with projects and programs to benefit adults and children.
Trails that Connect Us
Getting outside on trails is a great way to learn more about our region and connect with the natural world. With the help of many partners, KELT is working to provide more trails for people of all ages to explore.
Photo by Elyssa Cohen Photography
Merrymeeting Trails
KELT is working with many others to create a thirty two mile regional rail-with-trail from Topsham through Bowdoinham and Richmond to Gardiner.
Mountain Biking
In partnership with the newly formed Six Rivers Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA), we are working to provide more mountain bike friendly trails.
Bath Trails
Explore not only KELT's trails, but the wide variety of trails available in the Bath Area that have great scenery and wildlife watching, as part of this local collaboration.
Guides to Care for Your Land
Four conservation commissions and KELT collaborated to create guides for stewarding local land and water resources. They focus on actions people can take in their yards and homes and are specifically tailored for the towns of Arrowsic, Georgetown, Phippsburg, and Westport Island. Click on the images below to access links to each of the town guides.
This project was made possible through support from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and funding from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.
