Bess Koffman watches core sampling
172 Acres of Old-Growth Forest Permanently Protected
BELGRADE, Maine —Associate Professor of Earth Sciences Bess Koffman and Colby College students confirmed an old-growth forest on the eastern shore of Long Pond in the Belgrade Lakes watershed. This scientific discovery proved vital for the 7 Lakes Alliance, providing critical data needed to help secure funding to permanently conserve the 172-acre parcel.
Colby students conduct tree-dating research
Noah Pollock, 7 Lakes Alliance Land Conservation Director, said, “We had seen that they were big and looked old, but we weren’t sure if we could call them old growth or not.” To find the answer, the 7 Lakes Alliance partnered with Koffman and Colby students, whose fieldwork provided the evidence. Through this project, students determined that the average age of trees sampled is 188 years.
This article was originally written by Abigail Curtis and published by Colby News. Photography by Ashley L. Conti.
7 Lakes Alliance
Conserving the lands and waters of the Belgrade Lakes Region
Waiting for Ice-out After a Good-sized Winter
March 27
Maine has a long history of keeping records of ice coverage. For example, Lakes Auburn, Moosehead, Sebago, Damariscotta, Cobbossee, have ice-on and ice-out records dating back to 1850 or earlier.
Keep Reading
Reforestation: Protecting the Watershed One Tree at a Time
March 27
7 Lakes Alliance is slated to begin a reforestation project on the Dunn Road Conservation Area in Belgrade in late April. Around 500 trees will be planted with the goal
Keep Reading
Ice-Out, Curly-In
March 27
As the ice melts and the lakes open up, curly-leaf pondweed (CLPW) begins its rapid rise to the surface, forming dense mats that block sunlight from reaching plants lower in
Keep Reading
From Tank to River: Protecting Maine’s Atlantic Salmon
March 27
Maine is home to the last remaining wild Atlantic salmon populations in the United States, making local conservations efforts critical. To help protect Atlantic salmon, the Maine Council of the
Keep Reading
Long Term Funding to Protect Maine’s Lakes On the Line
March 18
Urge legislators to support LD 2141 to protect Maine’s lakes The Maine Legislature has an opportunity to protect the water quality of our lakes and the long-term viability of farmland.
Keep Reading
5 Watershed Strategies for Landowners
February 26
What we do on land affects the lake Runoff (rainwater that doesn’t soak into the ground) carries pollutants with it, from pet waste to road salt to dirt. Soil, aka
Keep Reading
Mind The Posthole: Winter Hiking Etiquette
February 19
Winter is a great time to go outside, and it often requires a bit of extra preparation. Whether navigating on foot, skis, snowmobile or fat-tire bike, we all share the
Keep Reading
Invasive Aquatics Looks at Life Under Ice
February 19
During the North Pond Association’s Annual Pike Derby on February 15, our Invasive Aquatics team hit the ice for two reasons: to share Clean, Drain, Dry practices with anglers and
Keep Reading