Stepping over tree roots, navigating an uneven path, and climbing up a grassy slope: these present insurmountable obstacles for many people. Now, these obstacles have been removed in order to provide greater access to wildlife at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth, just outside of Portland.
One of the hallmarks of Maine Audubon’s vision is to create accessible, inclusive, and welcoming wildlife sanctuaries that provide a haven for Maine wildlife and broaden access to nature and experiential learning for everyone. Maine Audubon is thrilled to announce the opening of a newly-completed All Persons Trail at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. The trail is one of only a few wheelchair-accessible trails that brings visitors into a wildlife sanctuary in the Greater Portland area.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, October 19, Maine Audubon President Judy Camuso said, “This project is a really great example of Maine Audubon’s commitment to being inclusive and to making sure that nature is available for everyone. My personal goal in life is to get more people outside and get them connected to nature, and then hopefully they will make that connection and take action in their lives and do things to help protect fish, wildlife, and the natural environments that we all enjoy and are so passionate about.”
Jessica Russell also spoke at the ceremony. Russell shared that she had been paralyzed in a car accident almost exactly 27 years ago. “Before that,” she said, “I lived a very active, able-bodied life. I knew what it felt like to explore the outdoors without thinking about whether a path was accessible or where I might encounter a barrier like soft grass, uneven ground, tree roots, loose gravel, sand, snow, rocks, or mud. And I miss that and I miss the independence and freedom of moving through outdoor spaces without limitations. We’re lucky to live in Maine surrounded by water, woods, and mountains to explore. We have thousands of trails throughout the state, but only a small fraction are truly wheelchair accessible. So I feel incredibly lucky to have this beautiful accessible trail just 10 minutes from my home now. What’s especially meaningful is that accessibility wasn’t an afterthought. This trail was thoughtfully planned and people with disabilities were included in the process.
“For me, trails like this give back a little of that freedom and independence that I remember. They mean that I can spend time outdoors with my family, and my friends, and my peer support network of others with disabilities. I can get that little bit of a recharge that’s so essential to my mental wellbeing while also rolling alongside a flock of wild turkeys or stalking adorable woodchucks. My hope is that projects like this will become the norm rather than the exception.”
The All Persons Trail, which begins at the Visitor Center, winds through forested areas and travels along a wooden boardwalk before emerging into edge habitat and open meadow. A 318-foot-long spur trail brings visitors to a high vista point in the West Meadow offering views of the Presumpscot River estuary, before looping back through a shaded mixed hardwood forest. Interpretive signs along the trail will give visitors educational information about the different wildlife and habitats. Audio descriptions and tactile signs will offer additional experiences for visitors.
Built to U.S. Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines, the 2,265-foot-long trail is five feet wide (six feet wide along the wooden boardwalk) with a wheelchair-accessible packed stone dust surface. There are three rest stops with benches. The trail’s average slope is four percent, with the steepest slope of eight percent for 15 feet. The average cross slope is two percent.
The parking lot, which is 105 feet from the trailhead, has two accessible parking spaces, both of which are van accessible. The Visitor Center has restrooms, a water fountain, and public WiFi.
For more information about the trail, visit: maineaudubon.org/GilslandFarmAPT.
Groups (larger than 10) interested in visiting the trail should contact info@maineaudubon.org or call 207.781.2330 at least 48 hours in advance so we can be sure we can accommodate your visit.
Groups looking for guided nature or bird walks should contact naturalist@maineaudubon.org for details.
Maine Audubon thanks the following contributors for support of this trail:
John and Debbie Grew in memory of Kay Chisholm
Lucy H. Ellis and George E. Bokinsky, MD
Athletic Brewing Company Two for the Trails
Fields Pond Foundation Inc.
Martin’s Point Health Care
Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust
This trail was developed with assistance provided by the Maine Grants & Community Recreation Program, Bureau of Parks and Lands, through the Federal Highway Administration Recreational Trails Program.
