LEWISTON – The Stanton Bird Club has announced that Poland Spring Bottling Co. will give a gift of $25,000 to the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary.

Board President Susan Hayward said the gift will be put toward improving public access with a new parking lot, access road and utilities upgrades.

“This is such an important part of our goal to provide safe public access to our beautiful nature sanctuary. We are so grateful that Poland Spring wanted to help,” she said.

Poland Spring Natural Resources Manager Thomas Brennan said the spring water bottling company is committed to helping local efforts to take care of the land.

“At Poland Spring, we take our responsibility as a good steward of the land very seriously. Thorncrag takes stewardship seriously too, and through their significant educational efforts, they pass this wisdom on. We were glad to help make Thorncrag more accessible to the public for generations to come,” Brennan said.

Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary is a 357-acre wildlife preserve in the heart of the Lewiston-Auburn region. Over the last 30 years, Thorncrag has been transformed from neglected woodland to a managed regional natural resource.

The Thorncrag Project seeks to create a welcoming gateway for easy public access; protect Thorncrag as a regional resource for future generations; educate learners of all ages about the wonders of a typical Maine woods, an old farm and diverse wetlands; and be the center for community stewardship and environmental awareness.

When the project is completed, the public will be able to enter the sanctuary to learn about birds and other woods wildlife at a presentation at the gazebo, get interpretive information at the kiosk and hike along trails. Access to a bathroom will be available.

Hayward said the club has dedicated a little over an acre at the Montello Street entrance for the site of the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary Project. “This is an exciting time for Stanton as we take on the challenge of opening up Thorncrag for even more public use while protecting the natural resources,” she said.

The Stanton Bird Club, founded in 1919 and named in honor of Dr. Jonathan Y. Stanton, a professor at Bates College, has been engaged in conservation work in the Androscoggin County area for more than 80 years.

Over the years, a number of parcels of land were donated to the club and grew to encompass 357 acres, known as the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary. The club also owns and manages the 160-acre Woodbury Bird Sanctuary in Monmouth.

Today there are more than 300 club members, including 30 junior naturalists. To become a member or find out more about programs and field trips, visit www.stantonbirdclub.org.