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- Click on any waypoint to explore!
Learning Trail Map
Kennebunkport Conservation Trust In Partnership with Kennebunk High School
These bees aren't sleeping. In fact, the honeybee is one of the most active pollinators of flowers, crops, and other plants.
Worker Bees collect pollen and nectar and carry it back to the hive. As a bee visits each flower, pollen collects on the bee's back legs, called the "pollen basket." Pollen grains are transferred from flower to flower, resulting in the fertilization of the plant.
The Queen Bee is created at the decision of the worker bees by feeding a larva only royal jelly throughout her development. Queens are larger than worker bees, and may lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. A hive supports only a single queen.
Drone Bees are male bees who are kept on standby during the summer for mating with a virgin queen. Drones do not have a stinger.
Honey is made by bees gathering nectar from flowering plants and trees. Bees fan the nectar with their wings to reduce the moisture content, creating honey to be stored and fed to their young. Pollen is also used by bees as food.
Bees must fly over 48,000 miles to gather the pollen needed for the nectar to produce one quart of honey.
Honeycombs are created by the worker bees to house the eggs laid by the queen, as well as to store honey. The combs are also collected to harvest honey for human consumption.
Beebalm by NellsWiki, via Wikimedia Commons
If you see a swarm, please notify the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust at (207) 967-3465
Tote roads were once cut to get into the woods to harvest lumber.
You may have noticed the distinct remnants of a road as you turned into the evergreen forest. This is an old tote road. Tote roads are used for carrying supplies. During settlement times, these roads were often made into the woods for the purpose of harvesting lumber and carrying it back out for use.
There were many uses for wood and many are still important to us today.
This wooden rake is one of the many tools and household items that used to be made from wood.
This is a cord of cut wood at 4 x 4 x 8 feet.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
As you continue on, see if you can find other things that indicate past use of the land.
Hemlocks (shown here), firs, spruce, and cedar trees are among the most common in Southern Maine.
Evergreens are named this because they are green year round and do not drop their leaves the way that deciduous trees do. The evergreens here are conifers, as they are cone producing trees. Look around and you will see pine cones on the forest floor.
South of Maine, the hemlock woolly adelgid (an introduced insect) has decimated hemlock stands. It has recently been documented in York County, and efforts are underway to limit its impact. Imagine what this area would look like if all the hemlocks were taken out.
Hemlocks have a shallow root system and they grow well where the soil remains moist throughout the year. They are shade-tolerant trees and they form dense canopies that provide a cool refuge for wildlife.
This is a nice habitat for many animals, having plentiful food sources for both meat and plant eaters, cover, and places to create homes. Hemlock forests are a habitat for more than 120 different species. Some of them include: fishers, bobcats, white-tailed deer, showshoe hares, red squirrels, porcupines, pileated woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, goldfinches and grosbeaks.
This is a healthy hemlock frond during the winter. The hemlock tree is the dominant tree in this area of the trail.
This is a hemlock frond infected with the invasive insect, the woolly adelgid.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
The forest is dense here along the tote road. Look into the woods and see if you can find birds and other animals taking cover in the trees. Don’t forget to look down and look for footprints.
This is a vernal pool in a forest. Vernal pools are the only kind of wetland in Maine that are defined by what breeds in them instead of by what type of plants grow in them, like swamps and marshes.
Vernal pools are naturally occurring, temporary or semi-permanent pools in shallow depressions of forested landscapes that typically fill in the spring and dry during the summer. There are no permanent inlets or outlets and no permanent fish.
These are the common species that use vernal pools as their breeding ground in the spring. Clockwise from top left: spotted salamander, blue spotted salamander, fairy shrimp, wood frog.
The wood frog freezes during the winter months and then thaws out in the spring to keep on croaking!
Finding these salamander eggs in a depression filled with water would verify that indeed it is a vernal pool.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
See if you can find any of the animals above, or depressions in the forest floor that might be a “baby nursery” for our vernal pool dwellers.
Though there are a number of dead trees, you can see the forest making its comeback with the new pine growth on the forest floor.
Though we don’t know for sure what may have happened here, it is clear that this forest suffered a die off of trees. You can see the dead trees that are still standing as well as the new growth coming in.
It is fun to come up with a theory to tell the story of the forest in front of you.
There are many dead trees standing in this area, indicating that at one time there was a major stress in this area that took out the existing trees.
As you look at this forest you can see what kinds of trees were here before, and you can see what new trees are coming in. Imagine what this forest will look like in 20 years once these white pines have started to grow in and the forest floor grows up. This is a unique opportunity to observe a forest while it is in transition.
Snags
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Do you think there is a use for these dead trees? See if you can find any evidence of life in this "dead tree forest."
The dead fallen tree is a “nurse log” to a new evergreen growing out of its hollowed trunk.
If you are quiet and listen, you will hear that this seemingly dead forest is full of life. You should hear birds chirping, woodpeckers hammering, bugs buzzing. These dead trees that are still standing, called SNAGS are an important part of the life of the forest. A forest requires death to survive.
Did you know that dead trees provide a vital habitat for more than 1,000 species of wildlife nation wide?
Snag
These may look like gross mushrooms to you, but they are a fine buffet for someone else!
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
As you continue your walk, look down at all the rotting trees and logs on the ground... what life can you spot?
Though the eastern white pine used to cover most of the Northeast, due to logging and fires, only 1% of the original trees still remain.
This is a great location for squirrels, chipmunks, voles, and mice because they eat pine needles and the seeds from the pine cones. White-tailed deer, as well as some rabbits, like to snack on the young pine saplings.
But don’t only look on the ground. Many birds, like the black-capped chickadee, pine warbler, yellow-bellied sapsucker, and white-breasted nuthatch, like to eat the seeds. Many other birds like to nest in these tall trees. Occasionally you can find a porcupine or two who enjoy living in coniferous forests!
Pinecone
Eastern white pines are identified by having long thin needles, five needles to a bunch. Other pines such as a red pine and jack pine only have two.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Many things indicate the well-being of a habitat. Biodiversity (lots of different types of living things) is just one of them. Listen for the birds and see how many different types of birds you can hear.
Trees heal around the barbed wire that was attached to them after many years. This is a sign of past farm use.
Most of us can read maps, and know where we are, or where we have been. Many of us read books to find those things as well. But did you know that you can read your landscape?
Paying close attention to the land around you can reveal its long history. The land in Maine has gone through many changes. European settlements occurred largely in the 18th century. This changed the wild landscape into a more agrarian landscape as land was cleared for farming.
By the mid 1800s farming started to decline. As these farms were abandoned, the white pines started to grow up.
Old apple trees in the forest are great indicators of past dwellings, orchards or farms.
Cemeteries from years past are a clue to who lived and worked before us and can be found all over, they are a fun way to research your town’s history.
The larger and more mature these stands of trees became the more valuable they became. The pines started to be harvested. One of the most common and valuable uses of these pines was for “box boards” used to make shipping containers.
The clear cutting of these white pines allowed for the mixed hardwoods to grow. This created diverse species of trees and thus wildlife in our forests as they grew.
As you have just read, the fire of 1947 also changed our landscape again. What do you think that this land will say in 20, 50, 100 years? Will there still be a trail?
Much of this information was gathered from the Harvard Forest Museum
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
As you walk, you can get clues as to the history. Can you find more barbed wire? Can you find evidence of stone walls? What do you think the history here was? It might make a great story!
Fire Scar
Although the spring of 1947 was unusually wet, by July Maine was in a drought. After 90 days in a row of record-breaking high temperatures, and no rain, Maine was in class 4 danger. This means fires can start very easily from all causes, and spread quickly and burn deep.
On October 7th, 1947 small fires were being reported around Maine. By October 16th there were 25 major fires burning. It is believed that the fire that spread through Kennebunkport and Biddeford started in Arundel and swept all the way to the ocean at both ends of Goose Rocks Beach. It destroyed all but 6 homes at Fortune’s Rocks and at one point the fire was an 8 mile long wall burning through the towns.
In this famous Associated Press photograph, AP news photographer Ted Dyer captured the moment when the 1947 fire crossed Route 1 in Arundel and began its path of destruction through Kennebunkport and Biddeford.
York County was the hardest hit area, but the fires affected people all over the state of Maine, destroying over 205,000 acres of land and over 1000 homes, and leaving 2,500 people homeless with 16 people dead.
Multi-trunked trees often occur when something kills the top of a tree but the roots stay alive (fire or logging).
Note: conifers can’t do this — they sprout from roots!
Though the fire of 1947 swept through Kennebunkport more than 60 years ago, you can still find the scars it left on trees. Other signs of forest fires include: multi- trunked trees and small pine trees growing in large masses.
90% of all escaped forest fires are caused by people.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Look for other signs of fire—multi-trunked trees, small pine groves, and more fire scars. What other signs of past use of the land can you find? Look for evidence of past use like apple trees, cemeteries, roads, and barbed wire through trees.
Click play to hear the call of the Mourning Dove. Then listen for the call "hoo-la-hoop, hoop, hoop" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Downy Woodpecker. Then listen for the call "pick" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Cardinal. Then listen for the call "what cheer, cheer cheer cheer" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Tree Sparrow. Then listen for the call "pea'body" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Red-tailed Hawk. Then listen for the call "keeeyurrr" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Goldfinch. Then listen for the call "per-chik'-o-ree" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Blue Jay. Then listen for the call "tweedle-dee" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Tufted Titmouse. Then listen for the call "peter, peter, peter" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the Black-capped Chickadee. Then listen for the call "chickadee-dee-dee" as you walk the trail.
Click play to hear the call of the White-breasted Nuthatch. Then listen for the call "wah-wah-wah-wah" as you walk the trail.
Click any bird to hear their call.
White breasted nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Blue Jay
Goldfinch
Red-tailed Hawk
Tree Sparrow
Cardinal
Downy Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
You can tell the age of a tree by counting these rings. The widths of the rings vary depending on several factors, including amount of rainfall, available light, and length of growing season.
Counting the rings of a tree can tell you how old it is, and can provide historical information on local conditions. When there was a drought or the tree had a rough growing season, the rings are close together. If the rings are wide and far apart, it means it was an optimal growing season for the tree.
The annual rings of a tree are made each year when a new layer of wood is added to the trunk and branches of the tree.
There are two parts to an annual ring—a light portion and a darker portion. The light section is called springwood. This part of the ring is usually widest because the tree does most of its growing in the spring when there is more moisture. The darker part, summerwood, is thinner, because the growth slows down and finally stops for the year in the fall.
Being able to identify the leaves around you is a good way to be able to tell what types of habitat you are in.
Red maple
Pin oak
Red oak
Gray birch
Apple
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
By looking around can you see how many different types of leaves there are on this trail? Look at the leaves on this sign and see if you can find all 6 on your walk.
You are looking at the Batson River. Though you can barely see the river in the summer when it is dry, you can see where the river overflows during wet season and keeps the ground wet. Though this creates many dead trees, they are still great habitats for birds, bugs, and other animals who thrive in this environment.
Otters spotted along the river signify that the river has a healthy ecosystem.
Otters are called an "indicator species." This means that the otter is a sign of a healthy environment. Otters are very sensitive and refuse to live anywhere that doesn't have a constant supply of food, or in a habitat that contains pollution.
Otters mostly eat fish, but will also eat crayfish, frogs, salamanders, clams, snails, turtles, birds, and insects. Otters like to eat the brook trout that are found in the Batson River. Female brook trout build nests (called redds) out of gravel on the bottom of streams to lay their eggs in.
Freshwater Brook Trout
The Batson River is located 3.1 miles from downtown Kennebunkport. It runs 6.4 miles long, with perennial streams that total over 15 miles in length. The largest portions of the coastal wetlands are at the mouth of the Batson where it is classified as a minor coastal river.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
This tree shows evidence of past beaver activity.
Beavers don’t live here anymore: if you look at the trees, you can see that these are very old markings, not fresh. Beaver population has been on the decline. It is estimated that there are only 10-15 million beavers left, but at one point the population was as high as 90 million. Hunting and habitat destruction are part of the reasons for their decline.
Beavers don’t live here anymore.
This is a beaver dam like the one that would have been on the Batson when beavers lived here. Beavers choose to livein the riparian zone, the area between land and a river or stream. These zones are very important for their soil conservation and their diverse habitats.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
What other things do you notice about the trees? Are there other flaws on the trunks of the trees in these woods?
Did you know that one-third of the nation’s threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands?
It is possible that this large area of dead trees is due to the past beaver dam and beaver activity. It is quite likely that when beavers dammed the river it caused significant flooding in this area.
These are wetlands adjacent to the channel of a stream or river. This area is a wetland adjacent to the Batson River.
Red-shouldered hawks are large, broad-winged hawks with long tails. This species is listed as threatened or endangered in several U.S. states, but has been spotted here at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust.
Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Looking out into the wetlands, where do you see places that animals could nest? There are lots of different places for lots of different animals—see if you can find four.