JAY – High school students in teams walked the town’s nearly 200 acres of recreation land behind the school this summer to determine boundaries and locate trails and streams to develop a map of the property.

Members of the high school Envirothon Team and Science Explorer Post No. 897, all advised by teacher Rob Taylor of Jay, are part of an effort to develop the property into a sustainable forest, and outdoor education and recreation area.

The project was funded with a $5,000 Project Learning Tree grant and matched with in-kind services from the School Department and Verso Paper.

Students are an integral part of the planning, development and maintenance of the project, Taylor said.

About 10 students trekked through the woods during the buggy month of August with three hand-held GPS systems to collect data, Taylor said Tuesday. Students also learned how to use mapping software and have created an electronic map that may be modified as the project evolves.

Sophomore Bethany Moore said once they figured out how to use the tools in the software program, it was easy to create the map.

“I didn’t know we had this much land,” Moore said. “It will be great when we can utilize the property.”

Several professionals, including resident forester Steve Gettle, and Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments representative Barbara Fournier, have provided help along with Verso Paper and the Gear-Up Program, Taylor said.

The Jay Recreation Committee plans to hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the middle school cafeteria to give information to community members, including abutters, and get input on the proposed project.

Among the ideas for future development are a 922-foot stroller trail and a 460-foot walking trail. Taylor said the recreation land is expected to be harvested next year.

Prior to that, Taylor plans to approach selectmen at 6:30 Monday, Nov. 17, at the town office, to ask permission to use an acre near the cell phone tower for 160 to 180 students in grades two, three and four to plant Christmas trees next spring.

If approved, the Trees for Kids project will start with planting about 300 trees – some are not expected to make it – and the students will care for those trees through their senior year in high school and then harvest them.

After the first year of the planting, only the second-graders will need to plant trees to keep the project going, Taylor said.

Students have learned there was a pond where the football and baseball fields are, and the Ouellette family used to harvest ice from it, Taylor said.

Senior Nick Raymond said one of the lessons he’s learned is how town government works.

Daydra Loon added that Taylor has taught them best management practices to protect the environment, nature and wildlife.

Raymond said some of the land is quite wet. He also noted that there is an old recreation field on the property that has an old basketball court that has been overgrown and is covered with glass that needs to be cleaned up.

Among the Recreation Committee’s goals for the property are to develop cross-country skiing/snowshoe, and mountain bike/BMX trails, self-guided nature walk, exercise course, cutting technique demonstration area, wildlife observation hut, amphitheater, the existing Project Adventure Course, and sledding/snow tube hill and picnic areas.