FAYETTE – A recent gift of land to the Kennebec Land Trust will be protected from development and is an addition to conserved lands in northwest Kennebec County.

In December 2008, owners Glenn and Sara Hodgkins, along with daughter, Anna, 11, and son, Benjamin, 8, donated an undeveloped 42-acre wooded parcel in Fayette to the trust. The Hodgkins family lives in Hallowell.

The land is hilly and mostly dominated by young hardwoods. It offers views across Parker Pond during late fall, winter and early spring.

While the Hodgkins parcel would be considered an important acquisition on its own, the land is especially significant because it shares a common boundary of about 1,500 feet with another protected parcel, the Parker Pond Headland Preserve.

The preserve is a 100-acre parcel with frontage on Parker Pond, which the trust protected in 2004 with help from the Karp-Diller family, the Parker Pond Association and the Land for Maine’s Future program.

The trust is also working with the Parker Pond Association, which has made significant contributions to stewardship and fundraising for the parcels.

When asked what inspired him and his family to offer their gift to the trust, Hodgkins said, “I’ve come to realize that the place where your passion meets great needs is where you should focus any time and money you can spare. For me, it’s land conservation.

Forest ecosystems are complex and we don’t fully understand them. We need to leave some places undeveloped and unmanaged.

It is very rewarding to me to know that these 42 acres will be added to the headland and will forever be home to warblers, yellow birch and porcupines. I hope that others will enjoy these peaceful woods as we have.”

Hodgkins has served on the board of directors of the Kennebec Land Trust since 1997.

Working with conservation-minded landowners and donors since 1988, the trust has protected more than 3,240 acres of land through purchases, donations and conservation easements.

Land purchases are made possible through membership support, fundraising and grants from the Land for Maine’s Future and other programs. Most trust-owned lands are accessible to the public for walking, hiking, hunting, fishing or enjoying nature.

For more information on the trust or to become a member, call the office at 377-2848 or visit www.tklt.org.