If there’s anything better than writing about good times remembered, it’s finding that some of those times are repeatable, and likely to get even better.

It’s more than 50 years since I was introduced to Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary in Lewiston. My family made a few visits to that 312-acre site of wooded trails and spectacular views from its height of land.

Being a farm boy, and having the luxury of family fields and woodlot where I learned to love nature, I now know I failed to recognize the unique features that Thorncrag has for this region. I didn’t explore its wonders, though my awareness of the area’s importance was firmly established by what I heard about Thorncrag from my aunt. She wrote often about her love for the sanctuary in her weekly columns published several decades ago in the Lewiston Evening Journal.

Now, this column has prompted me to look back at the history of Thorncrag, and I feel a bit disappointed that I hadn’t taken advantage of its offerings more fully. My disappointment won’t last long, because my talks this week with Susan Hayward, president of the Stanton Bird Club, convinced me that some ambitious plans are about to launch Thorncrag into the most important phase of its history.

“We’re on a steep growth curve,” Hayward said. Her enthusiasm and the backing of a solid membership in the club all bode well for Thorncrag.

More than 80 years ago, the fledgling Stanton Bird Club was expanding its horizons from lectures about birds to a broader effort to bring natural history resources and learning opportunities to the people of the Twin Cities.

In 1921, the club’s work got a major boost with the first of several gifts of land from Dr. Alfred W. Anthony.

Since 1922, 10 parcels have been pieced together to form the current boundaries.

Stone walls criss-cross the land, telling a silent but obvious story of the days of early farming as far back as the first settlement of the site in 1776.

The sanctuary includes parcels that were owned by the Rev. Benjamin Thorne, and that family name sticks with the area today. Other important parcels came from the Wright family and the Wood family.

Thorncrag ranks as the largest private bird sanctuary in the Northeast.

Over the years, Thorncrag’s stewards and volunteers have developed some unique features. There are fireplaces, benches, and even a small, man-made lake that came about by damming a brook in the 1920s. The original proposal called for a concrete dam, but there was only $75 in the budget, so the pond was eventually dug by hand and the dam was made with 700 feet of hemlock.

Acreage has varied from field to forest. Its land uses have included recreation and scientific research by Bates College, a sheep and dairy farm, a tuberculosis sanitarium, a homestead for the reclusive Elder Thorne, and a facility for the Highland Spring Bottled Water Co.

Although Thorncrag endured a period of decline between 1940 and 1979, the area’s fortunes have rebounded and the Stanton Bird Club has been conducting educational programs there.

Trails are marked and visitors can use a 32-page, self-guided nature trail brochure. There’s an active juniors program as well as frequent field trips with varied focus for all ages.

As the highest point of land in Lewiston, and with a location very close to central populated areas of the city, Thorncrag is recognized as a special gem among Lewiston’s treasures.

Now, the Stanton Bird Club, which has managed Thorncrag since the beginning, is embarking on a capital campaign that will bring greater public access to the site. It includes lighted parking at the main entrance on Montello Street. It will provide safe access for visitors with handicaps and for school buses bringing children for a variety of programs.

A second phase of Thorncrag’s development envisions a nature center for year-round indoor and outdoor educational activities aimed at all ages.

This plan is based on the club’s commitment to bring Thorncrag’s benefits to all the people of Androscoggin County and beyond.

You can bet I will be taking advantage of plenty that Thorncrag has to offer, and I’m grateful for a chance to pick up on some of those dropped opportunities years ago.

Dave Sargent is a freelance writer and an Auburn native. You can e-mail him at [email protected].