BETHEL — Mahoosuc Land Trust has hired conservation professional Spenser Williams to run its land stewardship programs in the Mahoosuc Region in Maine and New Hampshire.
Williams’s past roles as trail designer-builder, naturalist, and Geographic Information Systems specialist will be key as MLT’s conserved land base and recreational use of its lands grow.
Within the past two years, MLT has acquired the 493-acre McCoy-Chapman Forest, and will soon close on the 853-acre Shelburne Riverlands. In addition, as part of the Campaign for the Androscoggin, an effort is underway to acquire the 973-acre Tumbledown Dick Mountain in Gilead, part of the Chadbourne Tree Farm.
“With conserved lands of over 10,000 acres, and the surging popularity of hiking and outdoor activities, we have been really challenged,” said Larry Ely, chair of MLT’s Stewardship Committee.
According to MLT, core groups of volunteers have typically taken the lead in trail building and maintenance and ensuring that properties are safe and well cared for. Williams will work closely with the groups to expand their skills and capacity to care for MLT properties into the future.
“Spenser can teach trail building and maintenance techniques, or educate volunteers in collecting field data on a smart phone or to map species migration or monitor invasive species,” said MLT Executive Director Kirk Siegel. “We’re excited for him to share his excitement about the Mahoosuc Region’s globally important landscape with volunteers and the public.”
Williams brings a wealth of skills and experience to the land trust. He is a graduate of Prescott College, in Prescott, Ariz., with a bachelor’s degree in natural history and ecology, and recently completed the Certificate of Graduate Study in Applied Geographic Information Systems at the University of Southern Maine. Williams’ background in ecology and ecosystem management will provide needed perspective and expertise as the impacts of climate change demand more complex planning to conserve and enhance critical wildlife habitat.
Williams first moved to the area to work at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond as an Outdoor Educator and Trip Leader. He has also worked as a ski patroller at Sunday River and has volunteered with Mahoosuc Mountain Search and Rescue Team. Williams has also worked extensively with Caribou Recreation Development, creating many of local trails. Spenser, his partner, Mattie Rose, and their newborn, Henry, live in South Paris, but are seeking to relocate to the Bethel area.
Mahoosuc Land Trust is a nationally accredited land trust founded in 1989 with the mission to conserve and share the Mahoosuc region’s important natural lands with our communities, now and for the future. The trust can be reached at Valentine Farm Conservation Center in Bethel, at 207-824-3806, or info@mahoosuc.org.
