About Us
History
Vinalhaven Land Trust was incorporated in 1986, near the beginning of the land trust movement in Downeast Maine. Over the course of the twenty-three years since our beginning, VLT has succeeded in conserving many “whole places” that have significant natural features and little or no development. Working with landowners and partner groups, Vinalhaven Land Trust has helped to preserve
- 700 acres along the tranquil inlet Perry Creek
- 90 contiguous acres and 1.5 miles of unbroken shoreline around Whitmore Pond at the head of Crockett Cove, a rare salt marsh habitat with abundant wildlife
- Starboard Rock
- four of the islands and seabird nesting colonies in the Brimstone archipelago
- in partnership with Maine Coast Heritage Trust and landowners, protected 745 acres of highly scenic and ecologically rich land around the Basin, a 360 acre tidal embayment
- four undeveloped islands in Seal Bay, an inlet renowned for its wild beauty
- seven preserves with diverse hiking trails for all abilities
- important acreage in the town watershed
In 1993, George Flynn gave 1.3 acres along Sands Cove to Vinalhaven Land Trust to serve as a park in memory of Gosta Skoog, a long time boat-builder on the island whose last boat shop was on the site. As George was thinking about the future of his property after Gus died in 1987, he searched for some way to meld a love of the land with his affection and admiration for the sea and to commemorate the skills, work habits, and sturdy character of Gus Skoog. Soon thereafter, the VLT staff moved into the cabin-by-the-sea built by Gus near his boat house, and it became the VLT office, which in 2006-2007 underwent an additional modernization and landscaping. It now serves as the center of conservation resources and environmental education for all of Vinalhaven.