Our Story
Why & how was BTLT formed?
Our story began around a kitchen table in the early 1980s, when neighbors in Brunswick’s Pennellville neighborhood came together out of love for the open fields that defined their community. When those fields were threatened by development, they rolled up their sleeves and took action.
With guidance from Maine Coast Heritage Trust and support from local leaders, this group of neighbors succeeded in protecting Pennellville Meadow through a conservation easement in 1985—a lasting gift to the community. From that grassroots effort grew the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, founded on collaboration, perseverance, and a shared vision for the future. By 1987, BTLT became the first land trust in Maine to hire a full-time executive director, a step that marked both the seriousness of the work and the depth of community commitment.
Pennellville Meadow Circa 1985 - Photo Credit: Arek Galle
What is a Land Trust?
At its heart, a land trust is about people caring for the places they love. It is neighbors working together to ensure that fields, forests, rivers, and farms are still healthy and open for generations to come. Here in Maine, more than 80 land trusts serve their communities in unique ways. Together, they help keep trails open, waters clean, and wildlife thriving. They also nurture local farms, offer hands-on learning experiences, and create space for people to gather in nature. Land trusts like ours rely on collaboration—with landowners who want to protect their land forever, with volunteers who give their time and energy, and with community members whose donations make the work possible. At the center of it all is a shared belief: that caring for the land helps us care for one another. Together, Maine’s land trusts make the state a better place to live, work, and enjoy the outdoors.
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What Guides Our Work?
At Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, our mission is simple yet far-reaching: to protect the natural places that sustain us, to support a vibrant local food system, and to help people of all ages connect deeply with the land. We believe conservation can and should be more than acres and trails; it needs to include cultivating care, resilience, and belonging.
We envision a world where healthy ecosystems and strong communities grow together, each sustaining the other.
Heath Bog outlet
Grounded in adaptability, integrity, interconnection, and relationships, our current Strategic Plan (2023–2027) builds on this vision. Over these five years, we are working to:
- Expand land conservation and stewardship
- Grow youth education and outdoor learning opportunities
- Integrate climate action across all our programs
- Build a more inclusive, welcoming conservation community
- Strengthen our voice in advocating for the issues that matter most
We acknowledge that our work takes place on the traditional land of the Wabanaki people. We recognize that these lands were not given up freely but taken by Europeans through forced displacement. This displacement caused cultural and physical devastation to Indigenous people with repercussions that continue to this day.
We honor and respect the Wabanaki people who have stewarded the lands and natural resources in our area for generations. We affirm our responsibility to build meaningful relationships with our Wabanaki neighbors in caring for these lands now and into the future.
We understand that this statement does not rectify the lasting harm experienced by the Wabanaki people. We recognize that we have much work to do to create a more inclusive conservation community. This acknowledgement is an essential beginning.
Where We Are Today
From those humble beginnings, BTLT has grown into a vibrant community resource. Together with our members, partners, and volunteers, we have conserved over 3,446 acres of forests, fields, and shorelines, and opened more than 29+ miles of trails for everyone to enjoy.
Our work now extends beyond land protection. We have cultivated thriving agricultural initiatives—like our Farmers Market at Crystal Spring Farm and Tom Settlemire Community Garden—that nourish the body and spirit, as well as our local food economy. In 2022, we joined with the Cathance River Education Alliance, expanding opportunities for children and families to explore, learn, and grow in nature through programs like CREA Camp and local field trips.
Through it all, our foundation remains the same: neighbors working together to care for the land and for each other. As we look to the future, we carry forward that spirit of connection and commitment—honoring the past, tending to the present, and planting seeds for generations to come.