The Basin Preserve: Watershed Preserve
Watershed Preserve
Size: 89 acres
Watershed Trail
Trail: One out-and-back with loop sections; total distance about 1.5 miles. The four forest types are marked with signs which describe the different components of each one, with photos. The four forest types are: maritime spruce-fir forest, red maple alluvial swamp, pitch pine woodland, and spruce fir-cinnamon fern forest.
Features: Forested wetlands, pitch pine woodland with giant bonsai-type trees, rare for this forest type.
Be Aware: Some of the healthiest insect populations on the island are found here; many hikers will want to use repellents here from mid-May through early July. Because this preserve is surrounded by large tracts of forest land, people or pets who wander off-trail can easily lose their bearings. The blue blazing and tape is the waterline, please do not follow these markings, it is NOT the trail.
Directions: From the ferry terminal, go left on Sands Road for 0.4 miles, then right on Old Harbor Road for 0.3 miles, then bear left onto North Haven Road for 2 miles. The gravel road to Folly Pond will be on your left; the parking lot is 0.3 miles in at the end of this road.
Wetland Point Trail
Trail: One out-and-back with a loop section; total distance about .70 miles.
Features: Forested wetlands, pitch pine forest and a panoramic view over a 15 acre open wetland
Be Aware: Some of the healthiest insect populations on the island are found here; many hikers will want to use repellents here from mid-May through early July.
Directions: From the ferry terminal, go left on Sands Road for 0.4 miles, then right on Old Harbor Road for 0.3 miles, then bear left onto North Haven Road for 2 miles. The gravel road to Folly Pond will be on your left; the parking lot is 0.3 miles in at the end of this road.
With thanks to Vinalhaven Water District for permitting VLT to construct and maintain this trail, much of which is on their land.
Pitch Pine Woodland, photo by Sherry Rega.
History
This preserve comprises two parcels; the largest, donated to VLT by owner Jean Scudder in 2003, consists of roughly eighty acres of forested land. It was a stated condition of her gift that the land be conserved to protect the quality of Vinalhaven's water source, and virtually all of this piece lies within the watershed that supplies Vinalhaven's drinking water. The town's water main from the Folly Pond pumping station crosses the property.
In 2010, VLT purchased a nine-acre parcel with frontage on Otter Pond to "square off" the Scudder gift. These two parcels in turn are surrounded by other large blocks of conservation land owned by the Vinalhaven Water District and Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Collectively, the three organizations now protect several hundred contiguous acres around Folly and Round Ponds, helping ensure the quality of the town's water supply for generations to come.
Visitors to the preserve can park in a gravel lot overlooking Folly Pond, and set off on a mile-long hike that takes you over old woods roads, then up onto a granite dome rising to 175' above sea level. From this high point, the trail then loops back down onto itself and returns. The walking is mostly level and easy while on the woods road, but becomes steeper and a bit more challenging as you climb and then descend from the summit of the dome.
Water lilies at Folly Pond, photo by Norbert Leser.
Natural Resources
Visitors to this preserve will see four different forest types. Most of the area is low-lying terrain, which favors communities like Red Maple Alluvial Swamp and Spruce-Fir Cinnamon Fern Forest. Assorted species of mosses form an important component of these forests, and serve double duty: they retain moisture in the forest floor, and they also filter impurities from surface water as it runs into Folly Pond.
As the ground rises slightly higher, the cover shifts to Maritime Spruce-Fir Forest, the plant community most commonly seen on Vinalhaven. Lastly, on the granite ledges of the preserve's highest land you will pass through an exemplary Pitch Pine Woodland, with fantastically-shaped gnarled pines emerging from seams in the granite ledges. Under the pines, low woody shrubs like huckleberry, juniper, sheep laurel, and crowberry share the scanty available topsoil and sprawl out over the bare ledges.
The ample sunshine and many openings of a pitch pine forest make it a rewarding place to watch for birds and butterflies. Here, you can find a shady, needle-cushioned seat under a pine tree and become part of the landscape. Then just wait and watch for flashes of color and movement... usually, you'll have time to raise binoculars or camera and record a sighting. If things get dull, try making a few squeaking noises by kissing the back of your hand; often this will bring curious birds out to have a look at you.
