Committee recommends council rename recreation sites as ‘Windham Community Forest’

By Ed Pierce

The steering committee overseeing the East Windham Conservation Area and Lowell Preserve has recommended to the Windham Town Council that the sites be renamed as the Windham Community Forest.

Two conserved outdoor recreation properties in Windham,
including the East Windham Conservation Area and
Lowell Preserve, are expected to be renamed as the
Windham Community Forest by the Windham Town
Council during a meeting on Sept. 22.
COURTESY PHOTO
   

In January, town councilors established the East Windham Steering Committee to guide the process of creating a vision and management plan for the combined parcels of the East Windham Conservation Area (700 acres) and the Lowell Preserve (300 acres) and to provide ongoing oversight of the maintenance of operation of the sites. One of the tasks of the committee was to “seek public input and recommend a new name that unifies the shared character and use of property” which is jointly managed by the Town of Windham and Presumpscot Regional Land Trust.

The East Windham Conservation Area opened to the public in 2024, and Lowell Preserve opened in 2000. Committee members brainstormed potential names and included them in a FlashVote survey for Windham residents in August with Windham Community Forest receiving the most votes.

The preserved site is part of a 2,000-acre conservation corridor and larger than any state park in Southern Maine. A connecting 30-mile trail network links the Windham outdoor recreational sites with the North Falmouth Community Forest and Blackstrap Hill Preserve owned and maintained by Falmouth Land Trust. It is also the largest wildlife habitat, clean water, and recreational trail corridor in Greater Portland.

The Windham Town Council is expected to approve the new Windham Community Forest name for the sites during its meeting on Sept. 22.

East Windham Conservation Area

With nearly 10 miles of multi-use trails and hilly and forested terrain, the East Windham Conservation Area is a mix of hardwood trees and offers scenic views of the White Mountains and Little Duck Pond with three main trails running throughout the property.

Funding to create the area was about $3.7 million and included a $1 million grant from the Land for Maine’s Future initiative. In 2021, voters from Windham approved a $1.8 million conservation bond using open space impact fees and another $400,000 raised privately from public donations. A Land and Water Conservation Fund federal grant for $500,000 was obtained to pay for the infrastructure improvements at the site.

In June 2022, Windham residents voted during the Annual Town Meeting to allow the town to enter a partnership with Presumpscot Regional Land Trust to purchase and conserve 661 acres near Little Duck Pond in East Windham. The project acquired the forested acreage for recreational opportunities in Windham while also adding 1,545 feet of undeveloped water frontage on Little Duck Pond, the 150-acre Deer Wintering Area for hunting, and Atherton Hill.

The site includes Atherton Hill, which at nearly 600 feet, is the largest hill in Windham. It also features 2,000 feet of frontage along Little Duck Pond and 1,500 feet of pristine headwater streams that lead to Forest Lake, Highland Lake, and onto the Presumpscot River and an excellent wild brook trout habitat. Lowell Preserve, a 300-acre site owned by the town and for which the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust holds a conservation easement, is adjacent and includes an additional five miles of multi-use trails. The area offers programming opportunities for school and afterschool groups and creates an accessible one-mile trail for people of all ages to walk, push a stroller, and bike to visit Little Duck Pond.

Lowell Preserve

With eight miles of trails, ranging from moderate to difficult, through scenic forest, Lowell Preserve offers 308 acres to explore with interesting forest views, topography, and geology. The views change with the seasons as some areas are dominated by evergreen hemlock while beech, maple, or oak are more prevalent in others. There are both permanent and intermittent streams within the preserve that run in the valleys of the gradual hills. Unlike many other preserves, rocks are plentiful ranging from exposed ledges to smaller exposed stones to large glacial boulders in interesting granite formations near the trails.

It is a diverse network that accommodates multiple outdoor recreational activities, from hiking and mountain biking to horseback riding and use by ATVs.

The McIntosh Brook runs through the preserve and there are many areas with gradual inclines. <

Digital kiosks promoting Windham’s outdoor assets arriving soon

By Dina Mendros

Windham’s abundant parks, trails, lakes, and outdoor amenities continue to shape its identity as a destination for nature lovers. As part of the town’s ongoing effort to elevate its profile among outdoor recreation enthusiasts, new digital kiosks will soon be installed to highlight local fresh‑air activities and natural attractions.

New digital kiosks promoting Windham outdoor recreation
facilities and displaying community announcements,
weather-related trail updates, events and links to social media
will be installed soon at Windham Town Hall, Donnabeth
Lippman Park and Lowell Preserve. The project is funded 
through a Community Outdoor Recreation Assistance
Grant from the Maine Department of Economic and
Community Development. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Final design work is underway for kiosks planned at Windham Town Hall, Donnabeth Lippman Park, and the Lowell Preserve. Delivery of the kiosks is expected within the next few weeks.

“Once the kiosks arrive and have been installed, we will be spreading the word so that people can check them out when they head to one of the three locations,” said Windham Parks and Recreation Director Linda Brooks.

The project is funded through a Community Outdoor Recreation Assistance Grant from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. Windham received $163,750 to support this and other components of the Windham Outdoors initiative, with no local match required.

Windham Outdoors is jointly led by the Parks and Recreation Department, the Windham Economic Development Corporation, and Communications Director Roger Cropley. The mission of the Windham Outdoors initiative “is to connect residents and visitors with outdoor spaces that inspire healthy living, community engagement, and a deeper appreciation of our town’s resources,” he said.

According to Brooks, one side of each kiosk will feature a map of all outdoor recreation facilities in town, complete with QR codes linking visitors to the Windham Outdoors website. The opposite side will include four digital screens capable of displaying community announcements, weather‑related trail updates, event promotions, and links to social media.

Brooks said the digital format will allow the town to keep information current and relevant. “In addition to providing information specific to Windham residents – such as town council meetings or community updates – we can also share details that may interest visitors, like Food Truck Nights, the Summer Concert Series, the Farmers Market, or places to shop, dine, or play.”

She said that the new kiosks will replace traditional wooden kiosks, which are difficult to keep updated. Electronic displays will make it far easier to refresh messaging across the town’s parks and trailheads.

“The kiosks are a promotional tool designed to keep visitors informed about everything available to them,” Brooks said. “Many people using our parks and trails are from outside the region, and we want to take every opportunity to showcase what Windham has to offer. The Mountain Division Trail, East Windham Conservation Area, Lowell Preserve, Donnabeth Lippman Park, and Dundee Park are major draws and have helped put Windham on the map within Maine’s tourism industry.”

Before the kiosks, one of the first steps in building the Windham Outdoors brand was launching https://windhamoutdoors.com/ which features information on parks, trails, activities, events, restaurants, and lodging opportunities.

Windham aims to position itself as a regional hub for outdoor recreation, Cropley said, and the Windham Outdoors initiative is central to that vision. “

As we continue to build the Windham Outdoors brand, we want to enhance our outdoor facilities to improve the visitor experience and gather data that will guide future decisions,” he said.

Cropley says that attracting more outdoor enthusiasts will support the local economy. Outdoor recreation accounts for 3.7 percent of Maine’s economy, making it the sixth‑highest state in the nation for economic impact from outdoor activities. Visitors drawn to Windham’s natural assets often spend money at local restaurants, theaters, lodging, and at other businesses. These businesses can provide incentives via Windham Outdoors that may encourage people to stay longer and spend more.

Additional communication tools are also in development. Brooks said that the town is working on a free app that will help park and trail users access information about amenities, trail lengths, playgrounds, picnicking areas, fishing and boating options, and more.

Meanwhile, Cropley continues to develop new promotional materials to strengthen Windham’s reputation as an outdoor destination. <

Windham responds to community regarding Lowell Preserve and clarifies misunderstandings

The Windham trail bridges that are
built either by town staff or in
conjunction with volunteer groups
are built to be safe for all trail users
(bikers, hikers, ATV users and horseback
riders) and are denoted on trail maps. 
The bridge shown was replaced
in 2019. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

By Lorraine Glowczak

The Town of Windham Parks and Recreation Department hopes to correct the misperceptions that were the result of a Facebook post written on Wednesday, Oct. 7. In that post, the department was looking for information about who built a bridge over a small stream at Lowell Preserve.

“If you were involved with constructing this bridge and/or attempting to create trails in Lowell Preserve, or if you have any information about those who were, please contact Windham Parks and Recreation,” is a portion of the post written.

The response from the community were many and often comprised of misapprehensions. They included a variety of concerns with more popular comments stating the department did not express gratitude for the person who built the bridge, or the supplies donated. But Linda Brooks, Director of Windham Parks and Recreation said they are always appreciative of any help they receive.

“We are most grateful for any assistance individuals or groups are willing to provide and will often provide supplies or materials for any larger projects that need to be accomplished,” Brooks said. “In the past few years, we have worked with several entities to assist us in maintaining or improving our trail network, including local scout groups, civic organizations, church groups, trail groups and trail enthusiasts. We are grateful to be working with Boy Scout Troop 51 on a Community Service project scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17.”

During this Community Service Project, the boy scouts will erect colored trail markers and signs on the trails since using paint to mark the trails fades over time. This brings up another topic of conversation determining which are the official Preserve trails and which are not.

“The Lowell Preserve has four major trails and have been color coded in either blue, red, green and yellow on early trail maps created in 2003,” Brooks said. “By 2010, the trail map had been updated with those four trails being named.”

These paths are named: the Libby Hill Loop, the Roscoe Loop, the Virginia Trail, the Deer Run/Moose Track Trail, with connector trails (designated as orange on the trail map). The bridge and trail in question is not a connector nor a part of the designated trail system and thus not on the map provided to hikers. This particular connecting trail was not created by the town.

“We have received several suggestions by trail users asking for more trail markings, and have also
received complaints by trail users who have gotten confused by trails or intersections that don’t seem to be designated on the trail map,” said Brooks. “These are the trails that we are trying to address, because when they have been created by others and have been blazed orange, our trail maintenance person has then needed to take efforts to close off those trails so as to minimize confusion. In the past few years, the department has been taking steps to improve the signage along the trails and establish distances between various sections of each trail so that trail users can make decisions as to which trail they wish to experience.”

Brooks also said the bridges that are built either by town staff or in conjunction with volunteer groups are built to be safe for all trail users (bikers, hikers, ATV users, and horseback riders) and are denoted on the trail maps. 

As for another concern mentioned by the community was that of staff members who are working the trails, there is only one position that maintains all the recreational property responsible by the town.

“I give much credit to our Parks Maintenance Foreman who not only manages the 308 acres at Lowell Preserve, but also manages an additional 191 acres at eight other parks and trails throughout the town for year-round use,” Brooks said. “Prior to 2020, we had a seasonal, part-time Park Ranger responsible for patrolling all of the parks and trails, inspecting trails and park areas for safety issues, damages or vandalism, and interacting with parks and trail users.”

The newly originated Windham Open Space Plan has opened discussion about creating a Windham Trails Committee to work on and be in the forefront of keeping all the trails and other open spaces in safe, full working order.

“This committee would be comprised of representatives from all of the stakeholder groups who have a vested interest in providing land stewardship guidance for existing open space lands and identifying opportunities to expand connectivity between open space assets, neighborhoods and trails,” said Brooks.

The Lowell Preserve offers a lot of wildlife to enjoy and contains a story walk for the young hikers in the family. Hunting is allowed on the Preserve, so it is highly recommended that all trail users wear orange. The start of the trailhead is found behind the East Windham Fire Station on Falmouth Road. <