Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust’s Salt Bay Farm in Damariscotta is ideal for winter activities like cross-country skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, and building snow forts. (Photo courtesy Katie LeBel)
Since Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust relocated its headquarters to Round Top Farm in Damariscotta last April, the farmhouse at Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road has become a dedicated nature center and a hub for outdoor education. The building will be open to the public at certain times through the winter.
Visitors are encouraged to check the website coastalrivers.org for nature center hours. In January and February, the center will be open most Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3-5:15 p.m., Saturdays from 2-4:15 p.m., and closed on holidays.
When the center is open, a volunteer docent will be available to answer questions and offer suggestions for hikes, paddles, and other recreational opportunities on Coastal Rivers’ properties. Visitors are invited to browse a selection of books, preserve brochures, and maps. Sleds and snowshoes in a variety of sizes are also available to borrow while visiting the farm.
In addition to permanent displays, docents also offer special monthly “topic table” displays and interactive activities for children. January’s topic is birds. Visitors of all ages can dissect an owl pellet and learn about winter birds in Maine.
The nature center is occupied during school hours by many different school groups, in addition to Coastal Rivers’ regular after-school, preschool, and home-school programs.
The walking trails at Coastal Rivers’ Salt Bay Farm are open to hikers and other visitors every day during daylight hours.
Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, formerly the Damariscotta River Association and the Pemaquid Watershed Association, is a nonprofit, membership-supported, and nationally accredited land trust and conservation organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the natural, cultural, and historical heritage of the greater Pemaquid peninsula and Damariscotta River region.
Coastal Rivers has active programs in the areas of land conservation and stewardship, community education, water quality monitoring, marine conservation, and cultural preservation.
Visitors are welcome at Coastal Rivers’ many properties throughout the region. For more information about Coastal Rivers, call 563-1393, email info@coastalrivers.org or visit coastalrivers.org.
