Frequently Asked Questions

A land trust is a nonprofit, community-based organization that works with willing landowners to conserve and care for land in ways that benefit the public, such as protecting clean water, wildlife habitat, farms, forests, and recreational spaces. Beyond conservation, land trusts provide educational programs, foster community partnerships, and adapt to evolving needs, all while being led by volunteer boards and supported through donations, grants, and volunteers. Click here to learn more about our land trust.

Our mission is to conserve and steward vital natural areas, support a vibrant local food system, and connect people with the natural world through inclusive education and recreation programs. Our land conservation service areas include Brunswick, Topsham, and Bowdoin. However, our work serves all individuals who walk our trails, attend our events and programs, shop at the Market, find community in our spaces, and benefit from the clean air and water our conserved lands provide.

Click here to learn more about the team behind BTLT. As a nonprofit, our work is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of community members who set the organization’s direction and priorities. These organizational priorities are then implemented by an incredible team of full-time and part-time staff. Board Decisions are made thoughtfully, with input from our members, partners, and the broader community, to ensure that our work reflects shared values and serves the public good.

We acknowledge that the lands we help care for are part of the traditional territory of the Wabanaki people, who have stewarded these places for thousands of years and continue to do so today. We continue to learn from and build relationships with Wabanaki communities, and we recognize that their knowledge, perspectives, and rights are essential to caring for the land in a just and responsible way. While this work is ongoing, we strive to approach it with humility, respect, and a willingness to listen and grow.

The Merrymeeting Food Council (MFC) is a network of farmers, fishers, nonprofits, businesses, community members, and local governments working together to strengthen our regional food system. Formed in 2015 out of a collaboration led by BTLT and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, MFC was created to bring shared leadership and community voice into decisions about food and farming across the 14 towns of the Merrymeeting Bay region. Click here to learn more. 

We are stronger when we work together! The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust was built on collaboration, and today that spirit continues to guide us. Our partnerships—with schools, farmers, Indigenous leaders, local organizations, and community members—are what make lasting change possible. Our partnerships reflect the power of people coming together around shared hopes and values. Learn More about our programs and collaborations.

Since 1985, with the support of our members, we’ve been working to protect the special places that make our region such a wonderful place to live. We focus on lands that care for our rivers and bays, safeguard wildlife habitat and forests, support local farms, and offer people the chance to enjoy the outdoors. Every project is carefully considered to balance ecological health with community benefit, ensuring these lands can be enjoyed and cared for far into the future. Click here to learn more about our conservation work.

Dogs are welcome on many, but not all, of our trails, and we ask that they stay on a leash for everyone’s safety and enjoyment. Leashing helps people of all backgrounds—those with mobility challenges, small children, or anyone who may feel uneasy around dogs—feel comfortable exploring the outdoors. It also protects wildlife, plants, and sensitive habitats, and ensures you can see where your dog goes so you can pick up after them. Picking up after your dog is more than courtesy: pet waste can wash into waterways and harm both wildlife and people. By keeping dogs leashed and cleaning up, you’re helping make our trails safe, healthy, and welcoming for the whole community. Please see the trails page to see which properties allow dogs.

Yes, BTLT allows hunting by permission on some of our properties. Hunting is an important cultural tradition that has provided sustenance for the Wabanaki people of this land for thousands of years and continues to provide sustenance, play a significant role in conservation, and connect people who call this land home with nature. It is also an important management tool on and around agricultural land, protecting farmers’ livelihoods. Click here to learn more about hunting on BTLT properties.

BTLT recognizes that our community, and communities nationwide, are facing an affordable housing crisis. We believe land conservation and responsible development can work together, and that land trusts can play a meaningful role in the solution. For nearly two decades alongside the Brunswick Housing Authority, we have looked for properties where part of the land could be conserved, and part developed for affordable housing. While these opportunities can be hard to find—BHA often needs land close to services, and BTLT’s top conservation priorities are usually farther from those areas—we remain committed to collaboration. BTLT is strategic about what we conserve: not every parcel should be protected. Many properties are better suited for housing, job creation, or other community needs. We focus on conserving land with high ecological, agricultural, recreational, or water resource value while supporting partners addressing housing needs.

Through our 2023 merger with the Cathance River Education Alliance (CREA), we engage students of all ages in outdoor, place-based learning experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and cultivate a lifelong appreciation for the environment. Our educators partner with local schools to bring science to life, on field trips to the Cathance River Nature Preserve, through curriculum development in classrooms, and in hands-on research projects.

We do! Head to the For Educators page.

Registration for camp sessions is through an online lottery system. Parents and guardians will complete a lottery form for each family, listing their desired weeks for each camper. Once spots have been allocated, the Camp Director will contact families so they can complete their payment and secure their campers’ spots for the camp season. Click here to learn more.

Once your child is registered for camp, no refunds are available. If you alert us of your need to cancel prior to May 1, 2026, a credit will be issued for the camp session. If we cancel camp during the season, families will be granted a pro-rated or full credit depending on a partial or full week cancellation.

Families can apply for full or partial scholarships for their camper through our online scholarship application. Click here to learn more.

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Farmers Market takes place from early May to late October every Saturday at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick located at 277 Pleasant Hill Road. This is the only farmers market run by BTLT. There is another farmers market that takes place on the Brunswick town green in the summer on Tuesdays/Fridays and a winter farmers market in the Fort Andross Mill on Saturdays. Click here to learn about local farmers markets in the area.

POP stands for Power of Produce. This engaging, beloved program provides kids with ‘POP Bucks’ (paper vouchers) to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables directly from our local farmers at the BTLT Farmers Market. With no barriers to participation, any child has the chance to choose their own foods, be part of our local food system, learn about budgeting, and ultimately get more healthy, seasonal foods into their diet. Learn more.

Over the years, we’ve found that having dogs in our busy market space can create safety and comfort concerns for all visitors. With the Market’s popularity, challenges like dog quarrels, vendor areas accidents, and leashes posing tripping hazards, especially around small children, have become more frequent. To keep the Market a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable space for everyone, no dogs are allowed. Certified service dogs are allowed.

Applications for garden plots open each year in January and can be found here.

Yes! All are welcome to visit the Garden from dawn to dusk. Please visit our Garden page to view directions and guidelines for your visit.

The Common Good Garden is a section of the Tom Settlemire Community Garden dedicated to growing fresh produce for Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and other local food security efforts. It is run by a committed group of volunteer gardeners who show up with a passion for feeding the community. Learn more.

Thank you for your interest in supporting our work through a BTLT membership! Click here to learn more and sign up.

Yes! Learn more here.