A group of locals head out to the mud flats at Reid State Park to celebrate Clam Day. KELT photo

In honor of the changing seasons, the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust launched its inaugural trail challenge on Aug. 12. For every mile logged on estuary terrain — biking, wheeling, paddling or hiking — until Oct. 26, sponsors will donate $1 to the nonprofit. 

Like giant game boards, KELT trails zig-zag the Midcoast. Guided by the natural contours, the trails wind through shaded forests, lush preserves, grassy slopes and wooded parks, creating paths for families, mountain bikers and birders to explore.

“Matching funds ensure outdoor opportunities for generations to come,” said Emily Pistell, KELT community engagement manager, adding that since the challenge began, 561 hours have been recorded. “It’s an initiative geared toward and fueled by the community.”

Anyone can participate, regardless of fitness level or preferred trail use — even a stroll counts. A random participant in the individual category will be chosen for a monthly prize. In the team category, the prize is based on who logs the most miles, offering more of a challenge for local schools, sports teams and extracurricular clubs to join the challenge.

Folks gather for a KELT paddling event on Sewell Pond in Arrowsic. KELT photo

In autumn, tourists head home, the outdoors get quieter and the crisp bite of autumn air enters the scene. For this reason, Pistell said KELT timed the challenge to include seasonal Mainers (August) and to better get to know full-time residents (September through October). 

When KELT, a group dedicated to land conservation, realized it wasn’t effectively engaging with its most dedicated users — those who walk their dogs early in the morning or go for a trail run after work — it came up with a new idea. The trail challenge aims to foster personal connections with regular trail users and welcome new visitors.

Pistell pointed to K-12 students as an example. So far, RSU 1 schools — Woolwich Middle School and Morris High School, specifically — have expressed interest in the team challenge. 

“We’re looking for ways to be more inclusive,” Pistell said. “Our youth programs aren’t always easy for parents who work from 9 to 5 to swing. Now, if kids go out on the weekend or carpool with friends from district schools, they can still log their miles.” 

In autumn, raptor migration peaks, with broad-winged hawks filling the sky as they head toward South America. Along the KELT trails, birders can also observe warblers, white-crowned sparrows and semipalmated sandpipers stopping in Maine before continuing to warmer weather. 

Lapland longspurs, snow buntings and purple sandpipers fly in, beavers start collecting food to store beneath the ice, and squirrels gather nuts before snowfall. Lift a log, and you may find a salamander, or listen quietly for juvenile coyotes to gain the confidence to howl for the first time.

“The first step to becoming a steward of the land is having a relationship with it,” said Pistell, noting that KELT educators organize field trips and visit local public and private school classrooms to encourage memory-making in nearby habitats. “Everyone connects differently to nature; that is not for us to dictate, but we are curious about how people are moved by the spaces dear to our hearts. Bringing kids out to the trails or animals into the classroom sparks that interpersonal/intraspecies relationship to carry into adulthood.”

Autumn: a time for discoveries

Becky Kolak, KELT executive director, finds autumn in Maine to be “perfect.” She enjoys the sweeping landscape changes and less bug activity but acknowledges that solo adventures can be scary.

Several upcoming group activities are planned to combat that fear: a Green Point Family Walk with Pistell on Aug. 22 and a Morse Pond Nature Walk with Ruth Indrick, KELT project director, on Sept. 21. 

Emily Pistell explores Thief Island off the coast. KELT photo

“My goal is to make the programming fun,” Kolak said. “Hopefully, there’s a chance to learn together — whether that’s a new bird call or identifying a wildflower species. We can’t plan for that ‘wow’ moment; a swell of awe rushes through the group, binding us to each other and the space.” 

Kolak recalled seeing someone outside Café Creme whom she had met on a vernal pool walk years back. They reminisced on how special it was to see the tadpoles and amphibians. 

“Those seemingly small moments that give you the warm fuzzies have a life of their own after the event,” Kolak said. “Nature sparks excitement for something outside of oneself (the ego). Connections made outdoors seem to last.” 

While the trail challenge invites new users, it encourages current users — creatures of habit — to embrace seasonal change and seek discoveries, explore Lilly Pond Community Forest for the first time, or walk Thorne Head Preserve at sunset.

Ready to take the first step? Lace up your hiking boots and sign up at charity.pledgeit.org/kelttrailchallenge or call 442-8400 for more details.