Tales of the Trust

A tribute to KCT founding member Peter Sargent

Eight years have come and gone since Peter passed away, though memories of him are alive and well. Friends, family, and the greater community eagerly shared some of their fond memories of this man whose influence, guidance and spirit will continue to live on through them in not just memories, but in how they live their lives…

JON DYKSTRA EXPLAINS THE KCT SOLAR PROJECTS Dykstra is heavily involved on the Trust’s ongoing sustainable energy mission, including the Trust’s solar projects, which began with solar panels being installed at Trust locations in June of 2019. He explained “Sustainability is at the core of KCT’s charter. A principal focus of KCT is to preserve and maintain our local natural environment so that future generations will have the opportunity to both enjoy and bond with these special lands and coastal islands. Climate change, and its inevitable effect on sea level, is a looming threat to that commitment. KCT has chosen to work towards becoming carbon neutral across all our holdings… [Read More]
JON DYKSTRA EXPLAINS THE KCT SOLAR PROJECTS Dykstra is heavily involved on the Trust’s ongoing sustainable energy mission, including the Trust’s solar projects, which began with solar panels being installed at Trust locations in June of 2019. He explained “Sustainability is at the core of KCT’s charter. A principal focus of KCT is to preserve and maintain our local natural environment so that future generations will have the opportunity to both enjoy and bond with these special lands and coastal islands. Climate change, and its inevitable effect on sea level, is a looming threat to that commitment. KCT has chosen to work towards becoming carbon neutral across all our holdings… [Read More]
GAIL ROLLER, KCT’S VETERAN GARDENER Former Trust Board Member Gail Roller moved to Maine after graduating from college in 1972. She and her late husband Mark became Kennebunkport residents in 1979 and raised their children here. Her passion is gardening, and opportunities for this skill are plentiful at the KCT. “I love gardening. I completed the York County Master Gardener program in 2012, though before completing the program, I was already the veteran gardener at the Emmons Preserve Headquarters”… [Read More]
GAIL ROLLER, KCT’S VETERAN GARDENER Former Trust Board Member Gail Roller moved to Maine after graduating from college in 1972. She and her late husband Mark became Kennebunkport residents in 1979 and raised their children here. Her passion is gardening, and opportunities for this skill are plentiful at the KCT. “I love gardening. I completed the York County Master Gardener program in 2012, though before completing the program, I was already the veteran gardener at the Emmons Preserve Headquarters”… [Read More]
THREE TOWNS, ONE EARTH ROADSIDE CLEANUP The second annual Three Towns, One Earth Roadside Cleanup will take place the weekend of April 23-24, following Earth Day 2022. Everyone is welcome to join the effort to clean up trash and litter in their neighborhoods and public areas. This is a cooperative initiative led by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, The Arundel Conservation Trust, and the Kennebunk Land Trust… [Read More]
THREE TOWNS, ONE EARTH ROADSIDE CLEANUP The second annual Three Towns, One Earth Roadside Cleanup will take place the weekend of April 23-24, following Earth Day 2022. Everyone is welcome to join the effort to clean up trash and litter in their neighborhoods and public areas. This is a cooperative initiative led by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, The Arundel Conservation Trust, and the Kennebunk Land Trust… [Read More]

Shelley Wigglesworth Joins KCT to Give the trust a voice

The Kennebunkport Conservation Trust has been serving our community for nearly 50 years! Over time, we have acquired dozens of properties to permanently preserve our land and heritage for all to enjoy. Yes, The Trust offers 27 miles of trails, 2,800 acres of beautiful scenery, and 12 islands to explore, but the land and water we protect represents something much bigger…

Plant American history in your garden!

The Kennebunkport Conservation Trust will host a plant sale July 16, 2022, 8:30am-3pm, or until plants are sold out. The sale will take place rain or shine, during the Graves Library Secret Garden Tour, though you do not have to be a part of the Secret Garden Tour to attend the plant sale or visit the Trust gardens at15 Gravelly Brook Lane in Kennebunkport.  A vast variety of unique, unusual, and hard to come by perennials, as well as classic and favorite plants, including the double white blood root, Hosta, lupines, Shasta daisies, and others will be available, all priced between $5-$25- will be offered.  A complimentary packet of heirloom Poppy seeds from Barbara Bush’s own Ganny’s Garden will be given with every purchase, while supplies last! A rare opportunity to plant a bit of American history in your garden!  Beach Dawg food truck will be on sight offering refreshments for purchase and Gemini cakes will offer desserts…

THE WORK OF THE CAPE PORPOISE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ALLIANCE “…we organized the program with the Brick Store Museum and the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. For the past six years, we have been conducting grant funded archaeological test surveys and some excavations off the islands of Cape Porpoise. Our research has shown that peoples have visited Cape Porpoise for eight thousand years. Also, That Cape Porpoise was a place of early contact between Indigenous peoples and some of the first Europeans to arrive in Northern New England. There has been little archaeology done in southern Maine to document and archive this, which makes our work even more important; accruing data before it is lost to erosion…” [Read More]
THE WORK OF THE CAPE PORPOISE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ALLIANCE “…we organized the program with the Brick Store Museum and the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. For the past six years, we have been conducting grant funded archaeological test surveys and some excavations off the islands of Cape Porpoise. Our research has shown that peoples have visited Cape Porpoise for eight thousand years. Also, That Cape Porpoise was a place of early contact between Indigenous peoples and some of the first Europeans to arrive in Northern New England. There has been little archaeology done in southern Maine to document and archive this, which makes our work even more important; accruing data before it is lost to erosion…” [Read More]
A TRUE TRUST TRAILBLAZER - BUD DANIS Born and raised in Arundel, and a resident of Kennebunkport for the past 40 years, George “Bud” Danis is a dedicated steward of the Trust lands. He began volunteering for KCT in 2004, joining the board of directors in 2005. He is the owner and an active worker in his popular Perkins Cove, Ogunquit restaurant, Oarweeds. Bud is also a commercial pilot, avid birder, and fisherman… [Read More]
A TRUE TRUST TRAILBLAZER - BUD DANIS Born and raised in Arundel, and a resident of Kennebunkport for the past 40 years, George “Bud” Danis is a dedicated steward of the Trust lands. He began volunteering for KCT in 2004, joining the board of directors in 2005. He is the owner and an active worker in his popular Perkins Cove, Ogunquit restaurant, Oarweeds. Bud is also a commercial pilot, avid birder, and fisherman… [Read More]
Flying Santa visits KCT’s goat island lighthouse An annual event, steeped in nearly a century of tradition, flying Santa visits coastal outposts throughout New England. KCT’s Goat Island Lighthouse is an iconic stop for Santa, with eager children and adults awaiting his appearance. This tradition encapsulates New England seafaring culture and the holiday cheer perfectly. Originally as a way to pay homage to the work of lighthouse keepers, there is more to this story that meets the eye… [Read More]
Flying Santa visits KCT’s goat island lighthouse An annual event, steeped in nearly a century of tradition, flying Santa visits coastal outposts throughout New England. KCT’s Goat Island Lighthouse is an iconic stop for Santa, with eager children and adults awaiting his appearance. This tradition encapsulates New England seafaring culture and the holiday cheer perfectly. Originally as a way to pay homage to the work of lighthouse keepers, there is more to this story that meets the eye… [Read More]
THE GRIST MILL PROPERTY AND THE CLEM CLARK BOATHOUSE From last surviving 18th-century tide mills in the United States, to a fine dining establishment, and then an iconic boathouse, the Grist Mill and Clem Clark Boathouse are steeped in rich, local history. Now a center for learning, The Grist Mill property includes one of the few remaining public access areas to the Kennebunk River… [Read More]
THE GRIST MILL PROPERTY AND THE CLEM CLARK BOATHOUSE From last surviving 18th-century tide mills in the United States, to a fine dining establishment, and then an iconic boathouse, the Grist Mill and Clem Clark Boathouse are steeped in rich, local history. Now a center for learning, The Grist Mill property includes one of the few remaining public access areas to the Kennebunk River… [Read More]
THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ACQUISITION OF TIMBER POINT AND TIMBER ISLAND Located in Biddeford where the Little River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Timber Point includes a 97-acre peninsula and 13-acre Timber Island. Timber Island itself is a well-known landmark with a prominent view of the island easily seen from Goose Rocks Beach. Most people are aware of Timber Island access by kayak or boat from the beach, though access to the island by walking the peninsula at Timber Point has been another option made open to the public for the last decade thanks to the efforts of people from multiple towns and organizations and all walks of life, along with private donors, lawmakers and businesses… [Read More]
THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ACQUISITION OF TIMBER POINT AND TIMBER ISLAND Located in Biddeford where the Little River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Timber Point includes a 97-acre peninsula and 13-acre Timber Island. Timber Island itself is a well-known landmark with a prominent view of the island easily seen from Goose Rocks Beach. Most people are aware of Timber Island access by kayak or boat from the beach, though access to the island by walking the peninsula at Timber Point has been another option made open to the public for the last decade thanks to the efforts of people from multiple towns and organizations and all walks of life, along with private donors, lawmakers and businesses… [Read More]
Eric Dombrowski: From Island Child to Renewable Energy Expert Thirty-four-year-old Eric Dombrowski grew up on Goose Rocks Beach, where he spent much of his time as a child “terrorizing the transient community with my older brother, Greg,” he said, adding “Our hustle started young with selling sand dollars at the entrance to the beach and moved on to mowing lawns and delivering papers”… [Read More]
Eric Dombrowski: From Island Child to Renewable Energy Expert Thirty-four-year-old Eric Dombrowski grew up on Goose Rocks Beach, where he spent much of his time as a child “terrorizing the transient community with my older brother, Greg,” he said, adding “Our hustle started young with selling sand dollars at the entrance to the beach and moved on to mowing lawns and delivering papers”… [Read More]
KCT Labyrinth- A Labor of Love A popular attraction every season, KCT volunteers are gearing up to light the Labyrinth for Prelude. If weather allows, a combination of solar powered lights and torched will illuminate the Labyrinth on calm nights. Construction of the Labyrinth involved a large coordination between KCT and local businesses, all driven by our wonderful volunteers. The significance of this project reaches far beyond the Trust as Shelley Wigglesworth explains… [Read More]
KCT Labyrinth- A Labor of Love A popular attraction every season, KCT volunteers are gearing up to light the Labyrinth for Prelude. If weather allows, a combination of solar powered lights and torched will illuminate the Labyrinth on calm nights. Construction of the Labyrinth involved a large coordination between KCT and local businesses, all driven by our wonderful volunteers. The significance of this project reaches far beyond the Trust as Shelley Wigglesworth explains… [Read More]
OUR GOOD NEIGHBORS: THE ARUNDEL CONSERVATION TRUST We are proud to partner with the Arundel Conservation Trust as they “…create a stronger, more vibrant community in Arundel that honors our heritage through the conservation of natural, recreational, and scenic resources for the enjoyment & benefit of all.” As both trusts grow, we look forward to connecting our vast network of trails as well as hosting joint community events. Though the Arundel Conservation Trust was only founded in 2017, their work is already a fixture of our community… [Read More]
OUR GOOD NEIGHBORS: THE ARUNDEL CONSERVATION TRUST We are proud to partner with the Arundel Conservation Trust as they “…create a stronger, more vibrant community in Arundel that honors our heritage through the conservation of natural, recreational, and scenic resources for the enjoyment & benefit of all.” As both trusts grow, we look forward to connecting our vast network of trails as well as hosting joint community events. Though the Arundel Conservation Trust was only founded in 2017, their work is already a fixture of our community… [Read More]
REMEMBERING STEPHEN AND GRETE PALERMO For more than half a century, Stephen and Grete Palermo quietly relished in their little slice of heaven on Land’s End Road in Kennebunkport. New York City was their primary residence where Steve and Grete lived in the same rent-controlled apartment on the Lower East Side of 123 Second Ave. until 2014. In 2014 the couple moved to Land’s End permanently to their modest, roomy ranch surrounded by nature, just steps away from Paddy Cove and a stone’s throw away from Cape Porpoise Harbor. From the beginning in the 1960’s when the couple bought their home on Land’s End, they quickly became a part of the fabric of the community. When they moved to Kennebunkport permanently, it was more like a homecoming for them, and they were welcomed with open arms… [Read More]
REMEMBERING STEPHEN AND GRETE PALERMO For more than half a century, Stephen and Grete Palermo quietly relished in their little slice of heaven on Land’s End Road in Kennebunkport. New York City was their primary residence where Steve and Grete lived in the same rent-controlled apartment on the Lower East Side of 123 Second Ave. until 2014. In 2014 the couple moved to Land’s End permanently to their modest, roomy ranch surrounded by nature, just steps away from Paddy Cove and a stone’s throw away from Cape Porpoise Harbor. From the beginning in the 1960’s when the couple bought their home on Land’s End, they quickly became a part of the fabric of the community. When they moved to Kennebunkport permanently, it was more like a homecoming for them, and they were welcomed with open arms… [Read More]
MEET DORCAS ZEINER, FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE KENNEBUNKPORT CONSERVATION TRUST …It was while living and working here in her hometown of Kennebunkport in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, she connected with a group of like-minded individuals who loved the natural beauty of the area and realized the benefits of preserving places which could be open for all to share and enjoy, always… [Read More]
MEET DORCAS ZEINER, FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE KENNEBUNKPORT CONSERVATION TRUST …It was while living and working here in her hometown of Kennebunkport in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, she connected with a group of like-minded individuals who loved the natural beauty of the area and realized the benefits of preserving places which could be open for all to share and enjoy, always… [Read More]
UNE PROFESSOR AND TRUST BOARD MEMBER PAM MORGAN TALKS ABOUT THE UNE/KCT PARTNERSHIP Pam Morgan is a Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of New England in Biddeford and also a board member at KCT. She has found innovative ways to blend her coastal and wetland ecology research into applications that help KCT monitor and protect our land and water… [Read More]
UNE PROFESSOR AND TRUST BOARD MEMBER PAM MORGAN TALKS ABOUT THE UNE/KCT PARTNERSHIP Pam Morgan is a Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of New England in Biddeford and also a board member at KCT. She has found innovative ways to blend her coastal and wetland ecology research into applications that help KCT monitor and protect our land and water… [Read More]
The meaning of KCT for Patrick Dempsey “It means a great deal to me that The Kennebunkport Conservation Trust land is being preserved and that the entire community has an opportunity to share 2,800 acres of our natural beauty. With the increasing development it’s more important than ever. The past is what gives us our future. I am incredibly grateful that the land and the architecture is being protected. Now that I have a place in Kennebunkport, I get to go back and connect to the land more. I have a place to center and reflect on where I’ve come from and where I’m going.” [Read More]
The meaning of KCT for Patrick Dempsey “It means a great deal to me that The Kennebunkport Conservation Trust land is being preserved and that the entire community has an opportunity to share 2,800 acres of our natural beauty. With the increasing development it’s more important than ever. The past is what gives us our future. I am incredibly grateful that the land and the architecture is being protected. Now that I have a place in Kennebunkport, I get to go back and connect to the land more. I have a place to center and reflect on where I’ve come from and where I’m going.” [Read More]