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Audubon says land‑steward model, weekly visits and volunteers will replace live‑in caretakers at Hamilton Sanctuary
Summary
Maine Audubon described its land‑steward model and said a land steward and seasonal staff/volunteers will provide frequent presence at Hamilton Sanctuary; neighbors were offered volunteer contact lists and a stewardship transition plan.
Maine Audubon told the committee it has moved away from a live‑in caretaker model across its sanctuary network and now relies on a land steward, seasonal staff and local volunteer stewardship committees to manage trails and programming.
"Liz...she's done a lot of work on the trails out there, and has been diligent about maintaining those trails," said Judy Newsome, introducing the land steward role that Audubon now uses at multiple sanctuaries. Audubon said Liz and Noah will be the primary contacts for stewardship questions and for organizing volunteer events.
Audubon’s properties director described a practical schedule for stewardship presence: the land steward and seasonal staff will visit on a regular basis (Audubon noted a frequent presence, roughly twice a week or more in active seasons) and the local stewardship committee will continue to run volunteer cleanups. The organization also said it will host a recognition event for long‑time caretakers Glenn and Mary Ann Warner and will coordinate a transition with them.
