AUBURN — If you’d like to know where to catch a glimpse of the rarest wildlife in Androscoggin County, ask Dana Little. But he may ask you to keep it a secret. 

The longtime volunteer and board president for the Androscoggin Land Trust retired recently after working as a family doctor in the Lewiston-Auburn area since 1991, but you wouldn’t notice. 

At the start of 2017, Little, now 62, became president of the land trust’s board of directors, where he has volunteered since 2005. He travels to far-flung regions of the world to go birdwatching. He goes hiking, fishing and snowshoeing. On top of that, he operates the Taylor Pond Association, and still works part time and volunteers for an opiate addiction recovery program in Auburn. 

“I have a really good life, and I love living in Auburn,” he said last week.  

He said that as an avid birdwatcher, volunteering at an organization like the land trust appealed to him. 

“Having lands open so you can go and enjoy them is an important thing,” he said, adding that the group is currently working to add to its list of protected properties.

Some of the endeavors could be big news for the group, and for area recreation in general, but Little preferred to wait to spill the details. Regardless, he said, he knows exciting things are in store for the rest of the year. Terms for board president are one year, he said, so he has a list of items he’d like to see through. 

The Androscoggin Land Trust currently conserves about 5,000 acres of land, including over 10 miles of riverfront along the Androscoggin River. There are 14 board members, 20 land stewards and approximately 200 active volunteers. 

Little spoke passionately recently about the land trust’s properties, which he frequents. 

According to Shelley Kruszewski, executive director of the land trust and its only paid employee, Little plays an important role in providing educational opportunities at various land trust properties.

He leads an annual nighttime hike at Purinton Homestead Preserve, where participants can spot a woodcock performing its fascinating springtime ritual. He leads a snowshoe hike at Mount Apatite, and he volunteered earlier this spring to lead a group of fifth-graders from Farwell Elementary School to visit and learn about Garcelon Bog. He also coordinates projects with a local Boy Scout troop.

Last week, Little was part of a group that hosted a number of kids from Tree Street Youth Center in Lewiston for a fishing demonstration organized by St. Mary’s Nutrition Center. Fishing poles were donated from Dag’s Bait & Tackle.

“He clearly has a genuine passion for conservation work, outdoor recreation and the way people interact with and understand the natural world around them, which I think energizes his contributions as a volunteer,” Kruszewski said. 

She said that because of his knowledge of biology and years of experience birdwatching, Little “can share great insight into the flora and fauna that can be found on our trail systems and conserved lands.” 

Each land trust parcel has its own unique elements, Little said. He talked about the Jersey Bog conservation area in Buckfield, and the Hooper Pond property, which encompasses 195 acres in Greene. 

He said while one property serves as a major “flyway” for ruddy ducks, another has rare dragonflies and flowers. (You’ll have to ask him where, though.)

At Taylor Pond, where he’s lived with his wife since 1999, he runs the Taylor Pond Association. The biggest focus of the group is preserving water quality, he said, but there are also efforts to address flooding issues and gaining public water to the western side. There are about 210 homes along the pond. 

Little said he often takes up some of the more “mundane” work for the land trust — reviewing finances and keeping up on the various requirements needed to maintain the organization as an accredited land trust. 

As a nonprofit, fundraising is also a continuing effort. The group’s annual budget is about $100,000, he said.  

Little is a native of western Massachusetts, but came to Maine by way of Cleveland, Ohio. He’s worked at Central Maine Medical Center and has run his own practice. He has a daughter and two sons, one of which lives locally. 

His degrees match his interests: he has a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Massachusetts and a medical degree from Tufts University in Boston.

He’s also not quite done working.

Little has carried over a passion from his own medical practice, and now works part time at the Auburn location of Groups, which provides medication-assisted therapy for people struggling with opiate addiction. 

He said about 10 years ago, he opened up his practice to recovery patients. Within two weeks, it was full. When he closed his practice he struggled to find a place to refer his patients, but eventually found Groups (formerly called Recover Together). He meets with people, talks about opiate treatment, and also hosts a drop-in session once a month for family members of addicts.  

“It’s a really important piece of what we need to do as a society,” he said. “We need to be able to offer treatment that’s affordable and available.” 

As a birdwatcher, Little has traveled all over to expand the list of what he’s seen in person. He recently returned from a trip to Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. He’s planning to go to India in November. 

“I get around a lot,” he said. 

When asked if he planned to continue volunteering or if he had a 10-year outlook, he said simply, “I love what I do.” 

Know someone with a deep well of unlimited public spirit? Someone who gives of their time to make their community a better place? Then nominate them for Kudos. Send their name and the place where they do their good deeds to reporter Andrew Rice at arice@sunjournal.com and we’ll do the rest.

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