Fuller Farm Preserve just increased by eight acres. On December 29th the Scarborough Land Trust (SLT) closed on this property off of Burnham Road on the west side of one of SLT’s most popular preserves. This brings the total size of Fuller Farm Preserve to 228 acres.
The new parcel was sold to the Scarborough 
Land Trust by George Baker in memory of his father, George Baker Sr. The sale was designed as a bargain sale, or below market sale, comprised of a partial sale and partial donation. Funding for the acquisition was from the Town of Scarborough Land Bond, Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP), Bass Pro/Cabela’s and individual donors. A portion of the donations used for this project was from the paddle raise at last summer’s Broadturn Farm Dinner.
The acquisition protects 2.8 acres of wetlands, including two intermittent streams that flow into the rest of Fuller Farm Preserve. The wetla-
nds help filter the water through the stream which flows into the Nonesuch River. A special type of wetland is also found on the property. SLT identified at least four vernal pools that are active breeding areas for certain amphibians. The State of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection has identified vernal pools as essential breeding habitat for certain species of wildlife, including frogs and salamanders. Because vernal pools are temporary and usually dry up by late summer, they contain no fish predators that would normally eat amphibian eggs and larvae.
The other 5 acres are upland forest with a mix of conifer and hardwoods species. The uplands are an absolute must for the amphibians that breed in the vernal pools. They spend the majority of their adult lives living in the forest understory returning to the pools only to breed in the early spring. SLT Board Member,
Charlie Lee, was able to find a Pileated Woodpecker nest while evaluating the property. SLT also found a breeding pair of Barred Owls. The mix of forest and wetlands provides good quality habitat for both migratory and breeding songbirds.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Beginning with Habitat Program has mapped a number of undeveloped blocks of land in the state. This property is part of one of these larger undeveloped blocks, including Fuller Farm Preserve creating an important wildlife corridor in this part of Scarborough. SLT is also working on connecting Fuller Farm Preserve and the Broadturn Farm Preserve, which is only about ½ mile away from this new property.
SLT ranked this property as significant for conservation because of the reasons outlined. In addition, without the desire of the Baker Family to work with SLT, the property, if sold to someone else, could have added two to three additional buildings on the border of Fuller Farm Preserve. SLT Stewardship Director, Samantha Wolf, will manage the property as part of the Fuller Farm Preserve and these 7.8 acres will be protected forever for the benefit of the people and wildlife of Scarborough. George W. Baker, Sr. constructed a trail on the property that connected to Fuller Farm. SLT will maintain this trail for the benefit of residents that live in the Burnham Road area. In grateful appreciation of the Baker Family, SLT will dedicate a bench in the memory of George W. Baker, Sr. Thanks to all the funders of this project, including all the individuals who helped make this acquisition possible. SLT Conservation Director, Scott Kunkler is already working on the next land conservation project