By Tomas Dundzila, Outings Team Volunteer
Sierra Club Maine was selected by the national office in May to participate in an outings pilot program to assess safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Memorial Day, five masked members of the Chapter met in Portland for a three-mile hike through Oat Nuts Park and Presumpscot River Preserve to enjoy the outdoors, discuss the conservation efforts that led to preserving these urban areas, and provide COVID-19 protocol feedback to the national office.
The history of Oat Nuts Park is unique. In 1902 a Boston-based food company placed ads in a local newspaper to promote Oat Nuts cereal. Customers that collected five box tops and paid $2 would receive deeded land in northern Portland. The plots were too small to build on, but property taxes were due each year. As owners abandoned the lots, leans were placed on much of the land and they eventually became the City of Portland’s property. In 2018 the city purchased the last nine plots to protect water quality in the nearby Presumpscot River, preserve a buffer between the park and residences, and enhance the open spaces. Oat Nuts Park is relatively narrow, but a vital part of Portland’s greenspace.
Presumpscot River Preserve adjoins Oat Nuts Park, but has a different conservation history. We acknowledge and are grateful for the Abenaki stewardship of the land. In the Abenaki language “Presumpscot” means “many falls,” which accurately describes the relatively short river that links Sebago Lake to Casco Bay. Prior to European arrival, Atlantic salmon, alewives, and shad swam up the Presumpscot to spawn. The watershed was also home to landlocked salmon, brook trout, and the now extinct Presumpscot River jumper. Europeans used the river much differently than the Abenaki and began to build mills and dams nearly 300 years ago. The first Smelt Hill dam, within sight of Presumpscot Falls, was built in the 1730s, and eventually became a hydroelectric station. Industrialization polluted the river, and the dams blocked the fish from returning to their spawning sites. The environmental movement and legislation reduced pollution, but dams still blocked the fish. Floods in 1996 damaged the dam to the point it was unfeasible to repair, and Central Maine Power decided to sell the property. Local citizens, state, and federal government agencies worked diligently to successfully remove the rubble. In 2002 the water finally ran freely over Presumpscot Falls and flowed into the Casco Bay. Fish can now run upriver, but there is more work to be done. Other dams on Presumpscot still block fish from reaching their ancestral spawning sites further upriver.
Sierra Club Maine’s first outing to Oat Nuts Park since COVID was a joyous occasion. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to be outdoors together. They considered the opportunity to own land for five cereal box-tops—maybe a plot would be too small for a house, but would make a fine campsite... While walking, the group caught a glimpse of a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s hawk maneuvering through the trees hunting songbirds. The neighboring houses were almost hidden from view by the leafed-out trees. The group took notice of the trail work, mushrooms, moss, and lichen before reaching the Presumpscot. Thoughts of future outings—not if, but when could we paddle the Presumpscot—were voiced. Families and small groups of friends shared the path to the Falls. A couple carrying nets and a basket of alewives stopped and showed their catch. They were recreational lobster fishers and were going to use the catch as bait in their traps. After the recent rain, a large volume of water cascaded over the Falls, but a few cormorants and gulls didn’t mind. They were busy catching food in the river. After a short break and group photo the hikers retraced the path back to the trailhead.
After returning home, participants were asked to complete an anonymous ten-question survey describing their comfort level and opinion of the COVID-19 protocols. Sierra Club will use their input and other data to make COVID-related decisions about future outings, gatherings, and events.